OF FEMININE INTEREST

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 11, 23 September 1932, Unnumbered Page

OF FEMININE INTEREST

By

Patricia

OME excellent advice given at the summer course in music teaching at Oxford a short time ago came to my mind as I listened to the musical part of the children’s educational session (2YA) on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Geoffrey Shaw, an inspector of music, asked whether teachers should confine themselves entirely to the classics, and so give the impression that music was a dead art, and that we had to rely on composers of the past. "We should fix our music, and be frankly unafraid of the modern stuff,’ he said. "We grownups, perhaps, have become so soaked up ¥ the spirit of the classics that it is Mifficult for us to imagine a boy or girl of 14 is not like that at all, and may really appreciate quite modern music, often the kind of things at which we shiver.’ The worn-out phrase, "It xrows on you" is quite true, Our children should be taught Low music has developed, both at Home and ubroad, but particularly in our own country. Dr. George Dyson, composer and director of music, Winchester College, at the guine course said: "You can learn more nbout Tudor music by knowing one madrigul than by reading ten books." . B % m NOTICE the Home Science Extension Bureau huve beey giving advice from three of the YA stutions this week on what to wear for spring. The speaker from 2YA informed us that day frocks continue to be short, afternoon and dinner modes louger. Sleeves for evening are elaborate, but those on tailored suits have natural lines with strappings, Necklines are new and ornamentul with bows and _ lingerie collars. Capes, fichus and short boleros are popular, and buttons adorn most garments. The materials in vogue from England, via Flushing, through Holland, listeners were landed at Haarlem, that Old World town of the Netherlunds, which figures largely in Juropean history. It is about Haarlem and its people that Miss Havelaar intends to speak in her next talk, and many will be interested to hear her. are rough crepes, lace tweeds, plain and dulsurfaced silks, and silks striped an@€spotted. Among the cottons, crash linen, organdie, pique and gingham are the most favoured. & % = T was a happy introduction when Miss M, G. Havelaar, in her talk on "Travels Abroad" (8YA), addressed herself particularly to those in hospitals, to retired people, and to those unfortunately tnemployed. I think I ean agree with Miss Havelaar that no people ure more interested in travel than New Zealanders, and it is to be hoped that the spirit of adventure which animated the early settlers will for ever remain with all later generations. The Scilly Isles are well off the beaten track for the ordinary traveller, but that hundred acres of New Zealand flowers growing in those flowery isles should induce more New Zealanders to pay a visit to that part of the world. After a brief (lescription of the journey

URING the musical part of the educational session (2YA) some hunting songs were given, oue of thei ° being the old favourite, "John Peel." The following story, which shows how this song came into being, may interest some of my readers, It appears that John Peel and his friend John Graves were sitting together one night in a "snug parlour" at Graves’s house, in the Yumbrian mountains, talking about hounds and bunting, when Graves’s golden-haired daughter ran in and asked what were the words to the tune ("a very old rant") that granny was singing to baby. A sudden idea _ seized Graves, and pen and paper being handy, he sut down there and then and wrote the verses which afterwards became world famous. It is on record that Graves suid: "Immediately afterwards I sang them to poor Peel, who smiled at me through the tears which ran down his manly cheeks, and I remember saying, ‘By God, Peel, you’ll be sung after we’re both run to earth"" John Peel was 77 at his death in 1854, not 91; his son lived to 90. % =z co] "ts usual Wednesday morning talk (2YA) on "Hollywood Affairs?" was given by Flora Cormack, who gave some interesting sidelights on many of the clever, béuutiful and versatile actors and actresses who entertain us on the screen. An interesting item, too, ss

was that Miss Greta Garbo recently departed from Hollywood, and is to begin producing films in Sweden shortly, with the assistanée of Victor Sjoestroem, the Swedish. director, and Ludwig Berger, the German producer. While on the subject of films, I read in a London paper some weeks.ago that there had just been found an original bill, dated August 9, 1862, advertising "M. Ruhmkorff’s Monster. Induction Coil and Animated Pictures. by the Agioscope." The exhibition was given at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly. It would be interesting to know if this was the first exhibition of moving pictures. % Ex ~ se "THE birds are nesting, the sun's rays are throwing out more warmth, and we feel at last that spring is almost, if not quite, with us, and very shortly we housewives will be in the throes of our annual house-cleaning, which is an established custom throughout the British Empire. Spring cleaning was the subject chosen by the Department of Health for the talk from 2YA on Thursday morning, and the speaker gaye some good advice which young and inexperienced housewives will do well te follow, and so prevent disease, and those minor ailments-colds, sore throats, ete. One point especially stressed was that all purcels of rubbish that are put into the garbage tin

should be wrapped in paper. This not only keeps the tin clean, it prevents flies breeding. Dust, we all know, is a great enemy, as it holds all kinds of microbes, and when dusting it is always better to use an oiled or damped duster than the feather one, which only flicks the dust from one place to anoth.r. Good housewives usually give their dwellings a weekly spring clean, but the annual undertaking does give us an opportunity of getting rid of much accumulated rubbish. & @ s NE vf the happiest radio hours I have had for quite a long time was when 2ZW broadcast the Vacuum Oil Company's programme of old-time dances. We made no attempt to step it out in our household, although the master of ceremonies’ importunities were almost irresistible. Like many others, old-timers would recall dances of bygone days, when these functions were of « more sociable nature than they are to-day. There ure indications that some of the old-time square dances ure being resurrected, and nothing adds to the fun of the evening more than a set of rollicking lancers or a spirited polku. The old dances were certainly more tiring than the modern steps, but T think there existed more a spirit of camaraderie than is shown at the present day. The company responsible for this broadcast has instituted many bright innovations to the radio programme, and I am always intrigued to hear what is to come next. s a a A SONG that has just come to hand from the publisher, Arthur H. Stockwell, Ltd., Ludgate Till, London, is by a New Zealand composer and entitled "What Should I Do if I Lost You"; the words by Robert Garrick, and the music hy John Donovan, This song could well be given a place in the repertoire of some of our light tenor singers. It is easy to sing and would make a welcome addition to some of the lighter ballads, and a change from ie syncopated jazz songs we so often ear. S % % Miss ADELAIDE EDEN PHILLPOTTS, daughter of the famous novelist, has collaborated with her father in many of his best dramatic writings und also produced some very excellent drumatic material of her own. She is still industriously writing plays, and has just completed a new one which should prove interesting! It covers the experiences of a generation now growing old, for the action starts in i906 and finishes at the present time. Also, it deals with one of London’s suburbs, and not the west country, with which the name of Phillpotts is so closely associated,