How Do You Do Everybody How Are You?

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 12, 2 October 1931, Page 1

How Do You Do Everybody How Are You?

Wellington Community Singers Successiully Spread Joy-Germs

N° longer has John Brown’s baby a cold upon his chest. Community singing in Wellington has been brought to a close for this season. Commenced upon the memorable occasion when Mr. Peter Dawson was expected to be present, the weekly singsongs held in the Wellington Town Hall have proved an outstanding success. Not only to participants in the capital city but to radio listeners throughout

‘the country has the mid-day hour brought happiness. The sings have done incalculable good; they have given us more to think about

than the mundane details of present-day existence and they have scattered "joy germs" far and near. It would be impossible to give credit to all who have been associated with the work-there have been so many-but four people who have endeared themselves to a wide circle of friends and admirers must be mentioned. They are Mrs. Albert Russell, Messrs. Owen Pritchard, Frank Crowther and Albert Russell. Mr. Crowther particularly seems to have made an impression on the fairer listeners, for many have asked of him flattering personal questions. . Voluntary collections were taken for x Mayor’s distress fund, and these #igounts were augmented by contributions from listeners. In some cases articles were sent in to be sold or auctioned, and the carrying out of this caused much merriment. Good prices were realised, despite the fact that the auctioneer was an amateur. Of the songs, "John Brown’s Baby" seems to have become universally popular. "John is dead, and even you, Mr. Russell, have been heard to disown the baby, { so here is half a crown for the poor father"Aless child,’ runs one letter. Another, from a private hospital, seems to intimate that during Wednesday’s lunch-hour professional duties and patients are neglected, "the whole staff taking a professional interest in John Brown’s baby and awaiting with anxiety the development of its ailments." Another letter reads: "Sorry to

say, I am a bachelor, but I have a great liking for the baby, so am sending a pair of booties for you to auction and am enclosing 2/- to start the bidding." They were sold for 2/6. Among the very large number of letters received by the organisers of the sing were many snatches of real humour and glimpses into the lives of members of the vast audience. Many forgot their troubles and caught the spirit of

optimism being radiated from the Town Hall. There was a "Gran." of Lyall Bay whose regular, cheery notes, usually containing a remittance,

became a feature of the sings. Yet thiy person, like many who obviously made sacrifices, never divulged her name, pre ferring to be known only as "Gran." There was a letter from Blenheini stating that its writer was sending up some posies in the hope that the Red Cross ladies might be able to dispose of them and so raise a few shillings for the fund, The same correspondent added: "Is Frank the pianist engaged or married, because if he is not, next year being leap year, he will be rushed." The same spirit of optimism found its way into the remote country districts, and low prices, mud and toil were fot gotten while music and songs, reminiscent of better days, came over the air. Here is a typical note: "Please find enclosed 3/s, half the only cheque we have received for this last two months-Taranaki cockey’s only pocket-money at present (poor bobby calves). Who says there is no money in farming, anyhow, are we downhearted — No. We enjoyed the sing and We caught the germ last Wednesday, Oh, how it did delight us, For all the germs we seem to get, Are the ones that cause mammitis" The same correspondent adds: "The folk lowing is how I used to feel before I had the pleasure of listening-in-it would be such fun to us for you to try and describe what I am like."-"A Hard-w Cocky’s Wiie": (Continued on page 235

"How Do You Do?" _ (Continued from page 1.) Oh,'who would be a cocky;s, wife, To work from morn till’ night, With butter fat at only a bob, And land at such a price. No picture shows or cabarets, Such things would turn our heads, For when we've milked our cows at night, We're glad to go to bed. Oh, who would be a cocky’s wife, When things are looking glum, With. skim milk, cheese, and high-priced land, We're well nigh dumb. Here is another glimpse into a home where radio brought the joy germs and a quiet sacrifice made for others "possibly worse off." "My husband is out of work, so he ies in bed until midday, saving breakfast and tobacco. So I can send you 2/6 for your sing-song." A flash of humour comes from the Manawatu. "That song, ‘Somewhere the Sun is Shining,’ may be true in Wellington, but sunshine is a stranger in Kairanga. Wednesday is a holiday here now, and we forget the cows and mud for an hour." . And so the letters read, every one with some word of approbation and nearly all enclosing a donation. One letter relates how some school children gave a concert, for admission to which they charged 3d, thereby raising 6/-, Another correspondent says: "You seem to have stirred up latent notes within me

-I forward two for £1 each." Comes a letter from a boardinghouse: "We find your joy germs better than the Saturday night pint. We will do without the latter in the future and forward the 5/- instead." But, there is a case on record of the sing-song precipitating a domestic tragedy;. "So great and all-powerful was the last community sing-song that our cat had time to eat my neighbour’s can-ary-while she (the neighbour), like me, sat dazed. I am being syed for the price of the canary, so would you kindly sing ‘Who Killed Cock Robin,’ or something like it?’ Animals are often mentioned in the letters-‘Wise men say cows are fond of music, which increases produc-tion-Frank’s playing should make them fill a can instead of a bucket. They are not filling too large a one in this weather." Another correspondent gave a graphic deseription of a canine "dogs-ology" and a "bark-a-roll." An appreciative listener offered a sitting of eggs to be sold for whatever it might fetch. And so, in each of the many letters. there is something which expressed the intense admiration of the listener Donations could not always be made. though it was not difficult to see that there was a desire to make one. Hence the offerings in kind. The promoters and principals, howeyer, declare that they have had the lion’s share of the fun. They were tremendously interested in the sing-songs. for they felt that they had the support of not only their seen audience. but also of the great unseen audience that radio brought to them. They express appreciation of the many donations and kind remarks that were made. These spur-

red them on to greater efforts, for the} felt they were helping to do something tangible to combat the depression. To the Broadeasting Company, who made possible the widening of the happy circle, they also wish to express their thanks, for, as Mr. Pritchard remarked. "without broadeasting we should have been able to disseminate cheer to a lim ited number, possibly a few hundred each week, but with the help of radio we have reached many thousands."