Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 5, 16 August 1929, Page 12

Auckland Notes

(By

Listener

FTER a week of sickness, the writer again chronicles cheerfully of Auckland doings, And there has been broadeasting fare in.the interim well worth the chronicling. First, one must pay tribute to the excellent -sporting broadcasts which have come from 1YA during the past few days. The first representative Rugby game was played at Eden Park on ‘Saturday, and the way in which Mr. W. J: Meredith handled the story of the game exceeds. anything that he has previously accomplished. It was a thrilling account, and the manner in which the announcer described an electrifying try by Minns would have been an education to Rugby announcers in Australia, if we are to judge them by what we have heard on rebroadcast. "THEN on the Monday came Mr. Gordon Hutter, with his inimitable story of wrestling bouts. Throughout these Mr. Hutter travelled at top

speed, vocally, but never a syllable was missed-nor did he appear to let one incident go undescribed. Humour, description, and explanation were splendidly blended. BWven those who care not a jot about wrestling must have enjoyed the description, and must also be grateful that 1YA again sacrificed its silent night in the'interests of listeners. A UCKLAND's license figures are now over the 14,000 mark, but it cannot he long before they pass the next thousand mark, judging from local reports of radio business. At present this is specially brisk, and the demand for "electrics" has surprised even the most optimistic dealers. Local wholesalers are now assembling these latest receivers in their own workshops, and very satisfactory jobs they are turning out. There should be q campaign to encourage the sale of locally assembled sets, which compare yery favourably with the imported ones, both in price and quality, . BR=EFORD the microphone on Tuesday night the 1YA choir made its first appearance, and there were highly critical groups in many homes to hear this latest body of choristers. There is always musical jealousy among some folk, and, in-a few quarters the announcement of the formation of the choir was somewhat scornfully commented upon. Now the choir has put to scorn the scorners,. Its initial performance was, for an initial performance, a highly creditable one. There was good balance -" voices, there were thoroughly competent soloists, and there was evidence of careful training that holds great promise for the future of the choir, With further experience it will be a wonderful asset to 1YA, and Mr. Len*Barnes is to be congratulated upon his achievements in the face of many difficulties. All are anxious to hear the 1YA vocal assembly in part songs and glees, where they should excel. Another good relay was provided on Wednesday evening, when the Piano Students’ Association gave a fine coneert in the Lewis Hady Hall, RYSTAT, listeners * > were disappointed at the prospect of not heing able to hear the big Maori Pageant from 2YA at the end of this week. That disappointment hag now been turned to delight at the announcement of, a rebroadeast of 2YA by 1YA. The idea of presenting the second delivery of the pageant late on a Friday night is an excellent one, for there are many ‘city toilers who have to travel to sub. urban homes after 9 p.m. on Fridays, and who, under ordinary circumstances, hear little from the local station on that evening. They will sit wp late tomorrow night, undoubtedly. HE gramophone recitals from 1YA eontinue to earn high encomiums from that big body of listeners who appreciate good music.’ Some. of course, merely because tlie gramophone is being used. become ig#forantly critical, but they are becoming weekly a smaller body, for these recitals are playing a fine educative part in cultivating a taste for good music among people who little realised what this was a few years ago. It is to be hoped that our gramophone zoature night will long continue