Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 16, 28 October 1932, Page 6

Auckland Notes

By

Neutron

‘AY’S opera chorus programme from 1YA should have been a fiotable event. It wasn’t. The lack of a ha’porth o’ tar spoiled it, if you know ‘what I.mean. 1YA had no orchestra, ‘and grand opera with a lone, lorn piano for background was incongruous ‘and’ sounded cheap. Tven the chorus, capable as it was, seemed a trifle ‘depressed by the absence of an orchestra, which is not the least important part’ of opera. The programme was) a notable example of what might have pbeen-but wasn’t: if Gounod and Ver-. di did not turn in their graves it wasn’t. 1YA’s fault. A real opera chorus, a stirring "Faust" number and the faint "Tum-tum-tum, Tum-tati-tum-te-tum" of a piano! More than half the battle in radio presentation is getting the "atmosphere" across. In this ease it was like that of the moonthere wasn’t any. On Monday, as there was no wrestling, two opera singers took part in the programme. They were fully equal to several local singers, . & * . ‘A NOTHER kick I want to get off my chest, if that anatomical feat ‘be possible. Monday night is regarded by a wide circle of wrestling fans as their night, but last week wrestling took place on Tuesday, Monday was therefore devoted to records. ‘So far so good. Tuesday was again 4 record night-but they could not poxsibly be disturbed in time to-go to the Town Hall for the preliminary amateur bouts, which most folks enjoy. More than that, after 9 p.m. a lady spoke on "Music and Beauty in Many Lands" until about 9.20. The lecture was not of general interest, and the most sensational part of the big bout was lost. This was fair neither to the lecturer nor the listeners, * ae x R. W. J. HOLDSWORTH usually manages to get a funny story or so over in his public utterances. but when he spoke from 1YA last week on "The History and General Principles of Town and Regional Planning.’ he was in deadly earnest. Ilis talk was none the worse for that, and he surely convinced listeners of the importance of his subject. It was impossible, he told us, to tabulate the cost to the community of the evils of haphazard town growth. On the other hand, proper town-planning meant better health and longer life for all citizens and was a definite community economy. Washington and Edinburgh, laid out 150 years ago, served the needs of their people to-day far better than adjacent modern umplanned areas. It would cost, on the other hand, £20,000,000 to re-model Syduey on modern lines. ‘The speaker announced that Mr. Tyler, Auckland city engineer, Professor Knight, Mr. Lippincott. and others, would speak for the Town-Planning League, and added that if New Zealanders would follow these lectures, they would realise that town-planning had something to offer of benefit to every man, woman, and child in the community, If the -other-speakers are as enthusiastic as Mr. Holdsworth it will be surprising if there is not soon a wider general interest in the subject. % % % "THURSDAY night's burlesque from . 1YA was the most refreshingly original everiing we’ve had for some time. There was a coherence abont the nonsense that has often been lacking in other attempts at the less formal tunes of entertainment Mn G& wv.

Thomas, author and producer of this happy travesty of a broadcasting day, deserves a hearty pat on the back, and from Len Barnes, the harassed announcer, to Cinderella, who did the wrestling relay, and the chorus and background, now dancers, now a race or wrestling crowd at a free-for-all, everyone entered into the spirit of the’ night out. Mr. Thomas is clearly 4 man of parts, as he was author, pro: ducer, "Home . Industries" speaker, and, perhaps less happily, lecturer on "British Sports." He made just one slip in his breezy production-Cinder-ella, on wrestling relay bent, went, by mistake, to a City Council meeting, and found it both athletic and exciting. Certainly the City Council is at the Town Hall on wrestling nights-but at the ringside. Jisteners could do with many more such variations of the formalised programmes. A little nonsense now and then is relished, I daresay, by Dean Inge, Professor Hinstein. the Hon. Adam Hamilton, and Mr. Culford Bell. By the way, one of the gems of the evening was Mr. Bell’s ode to his microphone, % % * WE: all know a great deal more about Adolf Hitler since Mr. Kingston- Smith spoke about him in the W.E.A. session last Wednesday from 1¥A. He

is a brass band ballyhoo artist (Hitler, of ‘course), a publicity wizard of whom many Germans say: "Everyone else has had a shot at governing us this last ten years and. made a holy mess of it. Let Hitler have a try." Howeyer, the speaker explained, Hitler was something more than a big noise. His party has a rather weird programme, a glorious hotch-potch, borrowed partly from Fascist Italy, partly from Soviet Russia, and partly their own imagination, They propose a complete reorganisation of the whole nation into a new. State akin to the Germany of 70 years ago. The lecturer did not give Mr. Hitler much of a future, holding that he has roped in all the support: he can get and that a party got together by the stress of emotion will melt like snow before sun unless Hitler continually does something. = s . Pus League of Penwomen evening from 1YA on Wednesday was yery pleasant. Mrs. Harold King’s Maori songs, her own composition, were good (though they did not suggest Maori melody as do those of Alfred Hill and Mrs. Kaihau). ~ So; too, were’ Mary Brett’s songs, while the original sketch, "Wanted, a Companion," was light, bright, and well presented.

A. LOCAL announcer (who doesn’t speak from our least important station) finds it hard at times to distinguish when to, use an adverb and when. an adjective. When he first said, "We will pass to Blank at‘9.30 p.m, approximate!" I thought he’d made a slip, as even the wisest of archangels or announcers may do at times. ‘When, for another erent, he declined again to say approximately, -I held it might: be coincidence, but at the third time of asking, obviously it was habit. And not a good habit by a long shot, either, ’ *, *’ ® . "TRAFALGAR DAY was celebated. by 1YA, among other things, by the descriptive piece "The Death of Nelson." Nelson is one of the greatest figures of our history, but this maudlin. thing, my pet aversion, is the reverse of honouring his memory. If I were to write my actual thoughts on this partieular item, no paper would dare publish it.. I'll merely add that "The Death of Nelson" by itself is a fine song and that most authorities agree that: Nelson did not say, when dying:. "Kiss me, Hardy," but "Kismet, Hard," something far more in accord with h character, we

"THE DUMB WIFE" A Radio Comedy by Will Bishop Will be broadcast from 2YA on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1. }

PROLOGUE

Good masters and mistresses! Now shall you hear our most excellent company ‘ot Talented Players act for your good pleasure-and for our profit-the comedy of him who had espoused and married a Dumb Wife-the which is a most diverting and ancient comedy, having been acted on countless occasions and written down a score of times at least! Our tale we drew from Master Francis Rabelais-his "Pantagruel"-wherein you may read it if you will-but webeing Players-would have you hear it instead! THE PLAYERS : Mavis Windsor, Celia Bishop, C. Wynyard Cobby, Errol Muir, Cedric Muir, Owen Pritchard And Will Bishop.