Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 954, 22 November 1957, Page 20

Open Microphone

NEWS OF BROADCASTERS ON AND OFF THE RECORD

STRICT TEMPO

OR 23 years, ever since his band made its first gramophone record, "You're Dancing on My Heart," Victor Silvester’s aim has been the samedon’t "pull the rhythm about," but play tunes in strict tempo so that they’re easy to dance to. "I believe in a band solely for correct tempo, with no frills

or vocais," he says. No name in dance

music 1s Detter known than his, and in the Rock ’n’ Roll era people still ask us for information about Mr Strict Tempo. Tall, and still nimble in his middle 50s, Victor Silvester (who is seen at the top of this page) has devoted his life to dancing and music. After four years in the army in the First World Warhe ran away from school to volunteer when he was only 14-he and his wife founded their own school of dancing in the West End of London. That was not long after he had won the first World Ballroom Dancing Championship in 1922. After 19 years as a dancing teacher, he decided that in future all his teaching would be done on the air. His programme, BBC Dancing Club, was revived regularly until 1953, when the title was changed to Everybody Dance. His clear, simple instructions and his strict tempo music must have lured millions of people on to the dance floor. In recent years he has had his own dancing club on television also, and has found his programmes as popular there as on sound radio. Victor Silvester doesn’t hesitate if you ask him what today’s favourite dances ate. "The two most popular," he says, "are the same as they were 25 years ago-the quick-step and the waltz."

(COMPOSERS in this century sometimes feel that existing musical instruments don’t adequately express our age. George Antheil, for instance, who called his autobiography Bad Boy of Music, used an aeroplane propeller in his "Ballet Mécanique," and Edgar Varese used air-raid sirens in "Ionisation." Now Ernest Toch, in his Third Symphony, which won the 1956 Pulitzer Prize, feeling the need of sounds that conventional instruments would not provide, has invented two new ones for the percussion section. The first is a carbon dioxide tank which gives off a hissing sound through its valve, and the second an octagonal box, about four feet across, filled with croquet balls and turned by a crank. Not unreasonably, both instruments are played backstage. ty

BACKGROUND TO LOOKOUT

coe OU might think that a radio commentator on world affairs would have a background of nothing but heavy reading, but it would be wrong to suggest this of A. M. Gorrie (below), who has been heard recently in Lookout. Miss

Gorrie confesses that she reads books on politics, economics and

international affairs only when she has to. She would much rather read modern novels and detective stories. Another interest out of working hours is making her own clothes, Miss Gorrie’s background is, however, academic. She studied at Auckland University and holds a double M.A.in history and geography. In 1945 she joined the staff of Auckland Teachers’ College. At present she is lecturer in history and geography in its postprimary department. and she has almost finished writing a book on the teaching of these subjects for the Council of Educational Research. Away from work and study, Miss Gorrie used to be a keen tramper and mountaineer, and she has travelled widely-in England and on the Continent, in South Africa and Australia. Now ee Te

she is enthusiastic about drama and is secretary of the Auckland Drama Council. She is also treasurer of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Geographical Society and a member of the Mount Roskill Grammar School Board of Governors.