Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 919, 22 March 1957, Page 19

Open Microphone

‘ NEWS OF BROADCASTERS ON AND OFF. THE RECORD

SUCCESS STORY

HEN vivacious Dorothy Campbell -wife of the man who holds the world water speed record- came to Wellington to play Mrs Dunne in Castle in the Air-recently heard in ZB Sunday Showcase-we went along to the rehearsal. She was greeted as an old friend, since she had taken leading roles in several NZBS plays before she went to England on a Government bursary in 1949 to study singing. Last November she came back to see her family in Palmerston North again. "It’s

the first time, She says, "and I’m just having a lovely lazy family reunion.

But I’m delighted to be working here again-it’s just like old times." Mrs Campbell (who is seen above) told us that after she married Donald Campbell in 1952 she had taken no part in theatrical activities. "Much of my husband’s time was taken up with his attempts at speed records, and I found I had a lot of time ori my own. I filled it in mainly with reading, and I still read everything I can get hold of, except the most trivial stuff. I’m not wildly intellectual." ‘Finding there was still time to fill, Mrs Campbell applied for a_ singing aucdition with the BBC. "I ‘was just lucky," she commented modestly. "I happened to be in the right place at the right time." For the producers were wanting a commere for a new television show, an hour's variety called More Contrary. They picked Dorothy Campbell. For several months she introduced the artists taking part, and kept a spot of her own for a song, a sketch, or a poem. The critics were enthusiastic over her part in the show, and it led to many further television appearances. A great thrill came when she sang with Ambrose and his Orchestra at the Cafe de Paris, where so many internationally known cabaret stars perform. For nearly two months she sang

groups of songs three or four times in an evening. Then followed a special cabaret show of her own, for a fortnight. Of this experience she says. "I was terribly excited to be in such surroundings. Ambrose taught me a lot. He’s good to work with and a wonderful person to know." When she returns to London Devothy Campbell will fulfil further contracts with the BBC and on commercial television. *

OUT OF EXILE

WORD has reached us that Pablo Casals will be breaking his long exile in Prades to give concerts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in April and May of this year. Last year Casals visited the home of his mother in Puerto Rico, and since then he has been persuaded to give a series of concerts there -a North American counterpart of his annual series at Prades. The Puerto Rico Government

will sponsor the concerts, but the man mainty responsible for organising them

ig the violinist Alexander Schneider, who organised the Prades Festivals at the

enaqd or tne iast Wal. Schneider will be arranging for 54 musicians to go to San Juan from the United States. The soloists, who have all played with Casals in Europe, will include Rudolf Serkin, Joseph Szigeti, Eugene Istomin, Isaac Stern and the Budapest String Quartet. Casals will conduct and also appear as a soloist. The concerts will concentrate on three composers-Bach, Mozart and Schubert. They will be held in the University Hall, which holds 2200 persons. oe...

CONTRALTO

A WINNER of the Brabin diamond ring, awarded to the singer with the highest aggregate marks at the Wellington Competitions, the contralto Noeline Blackman is well known on the

concert platform in South Taranaki and New Plymouth. She has been heard in

oratorio work and has had character parts in

six hight operas’ in Hawera and New Plymouth; and she has also appeared in straight acting parts in New Plymouth Repertory Society productions. Highlights she recalls from her career as a singer are appearances before both Lady Newell and Lady Freyberg when they were on official visits to Hawera. Singing and acting are not Mrs Blackman’s only accomplishments, for she trained as a reporter and after several years away from journalism, has recently written magazine "short-shorts" and daily newspaper articles. She was ae heard last year in several short radio talks in 2XP’s Women’s Hour. Noeline Blackman, who holds a performer’s L.R.S.M., is to be heard in a song recital from 2XP this Sunday (March 24).

ACCOMPANIST

AYMOND LAMBERT, who will be giving three studio recitals next week, is a notable accompanist to world

celebrities. In New Zealand he is accompanying the virtuoso violinist Ricardo Odnoposoff. Many people will

remember his tour of this country 10 years

ago with the famous Australian dramatic soprano Joan Hammond. In his appearance and in his speech Raymond Lambert shows his European origins. He comes from Belgium, where his father was a concertmaster, and his mother an opera singer. When the Lambert family migrated to Australia, Raymond, who had been a student at the Brussels Conservatoire, continued his musical training in Australia. Today he is one of the most sought-after accompanists in Australia, and has in the past accompanied Clara Butt, Ezio Pinza, Elisabeth Rethberg, Alexander Kipnis, and Marjorie Lawrence. He also gives many solo recitals. Raymond Lambert will be heard from YCs on Monday, March 25, at 9.0 p.m., Tuesday, March 26, at 7.30 p.m., and Friday, March 29, at 8.30 p.m.