Beyond Compere
WHAT a vast difference to the success of a musical programme the right presentation can make! I suspect that the numbing effect of periods of record after record comes at least as much from the announcer’s impersonal statement of title and artist as from the canned items themselves. The .enthusiasm, knowledge and personality of a "compere" (alas, there seems no more suitable word), can turn even indifferent material into an interesting session, Rex Sayers and Doug Laurenson handling the Golden Age of Opera, Henry Walter introducing his American folk songs, A. R. D. Fairburn ushering in The Boy Friend (ZB Sunday Showcase) with -mock-nostalgic irony-these are a few recent samples of lively and intelligent presentation. On the other hand, the Let’s Get On With It quarter-hour from 1YA, featuring Jennie Howard, described as a "British comedienne," seemed to me little short of disastrous. For those who like that sort of thing, Miss Howard's singing of ballads and musical comedy items would doubtless have its appeal. But her scraps of chatter and tired jokes gave a corny air to the whole programme. A_ technique effective on the revue stage suits the microphone not at all. I feel that Miss _Howard would have been better served _by a compere than by her own efforts,
J.C.
R.
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 891, 31 August 1956, Page 20
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216Beyond Compere New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 891, 31 August 1956, Page 20
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