News from Across the Tasman

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 29, 31 January 1930, Page 25

News from Across the Tasman

HE Australian Broadcasting Company will take control of 4QG from January 31. Under the new control Queensland listeners will have a greatly improved service, with broadcasting hours considerably strengthened. The schedule of transmitting hours will provide for a total of 71% hours per week, as compared with 59 hours per week which for some time has been the transmission period of: 4QG. In the re-organisation scheme every effort has ‘been made to retain important features of 4QG at their usual times, but steps have been taken to include new features and improved services whenever. possible. This station, which can be relied on by the majority of New Zealand owners of large sets during the winter, has been coming in fairly well lately and its improved service will be appreciated. (SOMMEMORATING the birth of the popular novelist, Charles Dickens, a talk will be given from 8LO on February 7 by Miss Alice Whitehead, the president of, the Melbourne Dickens Dramatic Society. Few novelists have achieved such universal fame as Charles Dickens, who, from a very humble origin, worked himself into the highest position in the world of letters. He has created more definite characters than any other writer, and his Pickwick, Quilp, Peggoty and Fagan. are household names, and branches of the Dickens Fellowship have been -formed throughout the world. Miss Whitehead, a great Dickensian student, will give a most interesting and instructive talk concerning the life and work of her favourite aythor. A STIRRING programme of sea chanties and nautical songs will be included in the musical interlude, "With the British Navy in Song and Story from Nelson to Jellicoe" at 8If0 on February 8. There is something irresistible about the songs which tell of the dauntless spirit of the British Navy, and they make an _appeal to all sorts and conditions of listeners, Some good old numbers will be included in ‘this nautical halfhour which will.go with a breezy swing from start to finish. HE Gates of Baghdad gave rise to the saying concerning the inability of a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, as the small postern at the side of the great gate.was called. They also gave rise to a story which will be told from 2FC on January 30-"The Gates of Baghdad." It is a tale which would delight an Eastern audience just as much as-a Western one, and its enchanting naivety and the exotic emotions with which it teals are a soothing anodyne to our stricter ideas of conduct. The theme is the love of -- Sadi for Yasmin, the Caliph’s favourite, and the tale of their romance is distinctly reminiscent of those highlycoloured sweetmeats that tickled the reader’s: mental palate in "The Arabian Nights." A special orchestral setting has been written by Freder-

ick Hall, an Australian composer, which deviates from the accepted tenets of those who write Eastern atmospheric music, inasmuch as there is not so much bashing of gongs and more real tune. The Eastern songs are most artistic, and their composition shows originality. The main thing, however, is that this is Baghdad. For a time we can go back to our childish wonder and sit in the dust with the beggars in the-shadow of the Gates of Baghdad to listen to a story.. Who knows but the Caliph Haron Alraschid is sitting amongst us in disguise and will presently rise and disclose his glory to the Faithful! , A PROGRAMME of Hawaiian music will be broadcast from 8AR on February 3 by the Norman Hawaiian Duo, who have just returned from a successful tour of Australia. These popular artists, who are shortly returning to Honolulu, are great fayourites with listeners, and are past masters on the steel guitar and ukulele. They are gifted exponents of the mandolin and banjo, while their rich and well-trained baritone voices are a decided asset to their entertainment. ILFRID Thomas, who is, in the opinion of Dame Nellie Melba, Australia’s most artistic basso, will broadcast from 2BL on January 380. During his recently-completed tour of Australia he gave recitals from all the stations and lectured on music and produced novelty programmes as well, He made a most successful appearance as Tonio in "Pagliacci" and Mephistopheles in "Faust, and has been associated with many operatic productions in Sydney, as well, besides concert work with the Apollo Club, Royal Philharmonic, Welsh Choral and other musical societies, and he has sung on many occasions with the Conservatorium and Orpheum orchestras. QNE of the most popular bands in Sydney is the Metropolitan Band which will appear from 2FC on January 30. This band is in its twentyninth year of continuous activity, and still numbers amongst its members some of those who attended the inaugural meeting. The band was one of the first bands to be heard over the air in Sydney. They will play for their next broadeast the march "71st Infantry" (Code); fantasia, "Fmerald -Gems" (Smith); selection, "Madame Angot" (Lecoea); intermezzo, "Heart’s Ease" (MacBeth); waltz, "Syringa" (Taylor).