Maori Pageant a Great Success

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 31, 17 February 1928, Page 14

Maori Pageant a Great Success

re ene BUDGET OF LISTENERS’ VIEWS

From the numerous congratulatory letters received in connection with the Maori Pageant broadcast it is possible only to select a few for reproduction. All, without exception, admire the harmony and balanced work of the party and not a few express the desire fér "more." Special School, Otekaike. Kindly pass this message to the people of my race who performed and took part in the Maori Pageant commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi: To my people of the Maori race who performed and took part in commemorating the signing of the Treaty ef Waitangi, ‘I highly congratulate you all for the wonderful performance you have made in staging this great event. I am onty sorry that I was not there in person to see you personally but as it is, thanks to the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand, I was able to hear and follow your every word and movement with a receiving set. I am very proud of you al. Heoi ra kia Ova katoa koutor. Station 2YA, I congratulate you, too, for the wonderful services you rendered in broadcasting the Maori Pageant. Although we were slightly troubled with signals fading, I assure you my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed. every item broadcast by 2Y A both on the 6th and the 7th of February, 1928. I thank you-I am Yours sincerely, HORI HEREW INI NGARAE.

The Welcome Home. A COMPREHENSIVE letter receiveé from Wanganui states that great enthusiasm obtained in that city im connection with the broadcast, and most of the citizens appear to have been listening in. ‘The radio dealers of the town were alive to the opportunity, and many had their sets going, with the result that the streets nearby were crowded with enthusiastic listeners. Private sets with loudspeakers were besieged with visitors, so that as an outcome everybody on the days following was talking about the broadcast with hearty approbation. _ ‘fhe appreciation of the citizens of part played by the Maori party was indicated by the fact that a welcome home was extended by the Mayor. (here was a large crowd to meet the teturning party. After the welcoming speeches had been made and acknowledged, the famous chorus ‘‘Haere, Haere ra e Hine’? was given, and was much enjoyed by the crowd. ‘The party,’"’ says one account, ‘‘seems now to be almost as famous as the Wanganui Garrison band in its palmy days." Oid Country Appreciation. : $6 AS a visitor from the Old Country," tuns another letter, ‘I thought I ‘would just like to write and say how much we enjoyed the Maori programme presented on Monday evening. We lis-tened-in on a neighbouring farm where they had a five-yalve set. The transmission was perfect, and I considered the melody and part singing extremelv good and very interesting. I congratulate the party, one and all, for the good time they gave us." ‘Iunpressive and Selemn."’ Juco. H. North (Pukehuia, N. Wairao’: I feel it my duty to write to you and ask you if you will kindly convey to the Maori party, who so wonderfully and ably performed last evening our high appreciation of their musical talent and speeches. Friends and myself were listening in on an American set. ‘the reception here was as clear as a crystal. We are a distance of about 120 miles from Auckland City, and living alongside the Kaipara Harbour on a very high hill. We could distinctly hear the tap of the pois 20 to 30 yards away. The Memorial Hymn was deeply impressive and solemn. I myself was at one time a missionary among the Maoris, so could clearly picture to myself the various hakas, etc. Distant Maoris Listen In, S. Caird (Ruapaka Island, via Bluff) : I am writing to let you know that we

heard and much appreciated the Maori concert that was broadcast from Wellington on Monday and Tuesday nights. We listened both evenings, but the first evening’s reception was muuch better. live Natives (Maoris) on this island came along to my house to listen, and they were delighted to hear Maori items so clear. West Coast Admiration. M.B.C. (Greymiouth}-As far as. Greymouth listeners are concerned, I have interviewed many, who consider the effort an unbounded success. The blending or harmonising was beauti-. ful, so much so that I listened-in again on the second night until the finale. The programme was next-door to per-. fect, with the exception of slight fad ing from 11.30 p.m. to about 12.15; ‘but, putting everything aside, Wellington (or 2YA} paves the way in all cases of amusement on the air. 1 highly commend the Maori company for their excellent programme, end | hope to hear more of our Native race. Greatly Appreciated. | A. Hunter (Richmond).-I wish to. thank, as well as congratulate, you on. the success of the "Treaty of WaiDSSS SSS SOO SS NS SS SSS HS OL OES OL SS OL OS OOM

BOO OOOO COO OO DIOS TOO COO 7] fangi’’ concert. So far as I am concerned, it is by far the most satisfy. ing entertainment I have heard over. the air. I sincerely trust that it will not be the last of its kind. Such material as that concert contained | must be of enermous educational value. It may interest vou to know I am the master of a home for oh? ,eople. As the result of public subscriptions I obtained a set. ‘Iwo speakers are always in operation in different parts of the home, ‘fhe inmates and staff consider the radio prg@grammes have improved very much during the past few months, Of course, old folks like old-time material. Wishing you continued success in the production of such programmes as your pakehaMaori concert. Congratulations. Charles EX. Wheeler (Wellington) .- As it is usually only the complaining critic who writes letters, I thought it but reasonable to express my views on last night’s Maori pageant. You seem to have happily mastered the technique of utilising the microphone _ to put over the right atmosphere. The programme was, to my mind, well organised, well balanced, and it was a good feature that it kept going without delays. The strict time limits enabled ample variety to be given, and the items appealed to me as providing a fine blend of entertainment, with a good deal of interesting itistruction, Congratulations to 2YA, and thanks to the excellent performers. One of the Finest Yet. G. S. Simmons (Hamilton) : I should like to express my appreciation of your broadcast of the Maori pageant, I think it is one of the finest prograinmes sent out from the New Zealand stations. T am using a home-made two-valver,

: from you direct without resorting to 1YA. Both 1YA and 3¥A had a background, due ng doubt to the rebroadcasting. Hoping for some more programmes like this one. Give Us More! H.C. (Auckland) : I would like to express my deep appreciation of the relay of Maori pageant on Monday aud "[uesdays evenings this week. I was delighted with the entertainment both evenings, more especially the latter, as ‘numerous friends came and: were also delighted. I think the management would do well to consider the exploita‘tion of Maori talent, for it would ‘be, in ceiyed. my opinion, a great asset and well reTransmission Great. A Really Satisfied Listener (Milton): I must write and thank you and the Maori party for the really splendid programme that has been put on the air ‘to-night. I was not able to listen in ‘last night, so waited up to-night, and it has been every bit worth while. The _transmission has been a great treat, -there heing practically no fading and very little static. I am using a sixvalve single conti. Wishing you every success, and again thanking you, Perfect Transmission. W.C. (Gonville): I have just finished listening to your Maori pageant broadeast, and I feel that I must write to you to congratulate you upon this transmission more especially. It was an unprecedented success from start to finish, and I ain sure has been appreciated throughout the length and breadth of the country. It was simply wonder-ful-more especially to one who has at different times heard and seen almost every item performed,® not once, but many times. I feel sure that you will receive many requests in future for Maori items, especially by those to whom the performance has been a noyelty. Reception was perfect. It was a wonderfully conceived idea, superbly earried out. Praise for Stations. S. W. Strong (Gisborne) : The Maori performers deserve much credit for the quality and cxcellence of their items on the Waitangi Anniversary, Further, the four B.C, stations also deserve congratulations on the manner of their trausniissions. Reception strengths were as follow :-

AYA». 4 Hi) 6 Sheht fades. Q@VYA .. 8 5 6-7 Bad fades. 3sYA .., 8 5 5 Slight fades. 4VA.., 2 1 2 ?

Monday. Six listeners. 8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m.

O vy, -T 6 8 fe ~Iep m1 Mushy, bad fades, Slight fades. Slight fades.

Tuesday. Three listeners. 11 p.m. 12.30.