Here and There

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 24, 23 December 1932, Page 5

Here and There

Selections from this week's Programmes

By

"TRIPLE GRID"

ane is well known to all Gracie Fields. vyicners and record: lovers. Once a mill hand in Lancashire, Gracie Fields is now one of the most popular of the world’s theatre artists. Her ‘ voice, natural wit: and power of mimicry have been the instruments responsible for her meteoric rise to fame. In her mill days this ability enabled her to supplement her small wage by performing small parts on the stage. She was discovered and has since never looked back; but at times she goes back to Lancashire and is treated as royalty. Recently she accepted a phenomenal £2000 a week Broadway engagement, which she broke after a fortnight in New, York and returned.to Hngland, despite threatening managers and the fat offers of movie macnates. Her sereen debut was made

in "Sally of Our Alley," for which "Sally" and "Wall in and Follow the Band" were specially written, while her Fred Fanaskapan is’ a household word the English-speaking world over. . I notice that a Hogmanay parity Hogmanay is to be broadcast from 4YA on New Year’s Wve. From that, most people would gather that Hogmanay is another word for New Year’s Eve. Which is exactly what. it is, the name being fairly common in Scotland and in some parts of the north of England, where it is applied not only to the festive eve but also to the cake which is distributed at that time of the year tochildren. It is customary for the youth of the village to go from door to door on December 31, singing: Hogmanay, trubolay, Gie’s o your white bread and nane o your grey, and begging for small gifts or alms. These usually take the form of an/oaten cake. Spring-time in the Forest. What promises to be an interesting programme is scheduled for 4YA on Monday, when a cycle, "the Music of the Seasons," will be broadcast. The natural atmosphere for such u title as "Spring-time in the Forest" (one of the numbers in the cycle) is one of delicate romance, You know, swaying ferns, sighing zephyrs and you, type of thing. Not so with me. I love the forest, and thither hie my way on every available weekend to drink smoky tea and sleep on an uncomfortable bed of fern with mosquitoes and sandflies zooming round. The spring-time is definitely out of it when it comes te camping out, but nevertheless there is the outdoor summons, and away we go. One chooses a place to camp where there is plenty of firewood and a fairly substantial roof of leaves. Fern and beech are good; they are so clean underneath. The evening prayer is that it doesn’t rain or get too cold in the night. Of*course, it does, and one hasn’t brought the tent or it is so cold that every few hours one has to get up and pile up the fire, and probably on returning to the somewhat soild fern see someone has rolled over into your place. But that is only my version of springtime in the forest. Probably you see it differently. Nelle Scanlan is scheduled to give a series of four lecturettes from 2YA in Januaty. She is a writer of wide experience, who during the past ten years has ‘travelled over a great part of the world. She. was born in Picton and educated at the Convent of Mercy. For a number of years she wrote short stories and sketches under the’ name of "Nicholas M. Stack," and her first novel, sent to England during the war, was sunk in a torpedoed vessel. During the war Miss Scanlan went into daily journalism, going from reporter to sub-editor, and in 1921 she made her first venture abroad, as New Zealand correspondent at the Limitations of Arms Conference in Washington, Since then (with the exception of

a short period in New Zealand five years ago) sle has travelled the world, writing for English and British overseas, American and Canadian neéwspapers. In the past five years she has visited vyer 28 countries. Her first two novels had an Iinglish setting. "Pencarrow,’ which has just gone into its third edition, is the first of a New Zealand Saga. The second volume, "Tides of Youth," whieb. will appear about April, is nearly completed and brings the Young Pencarrows to the end of the war. The third book will carry the Penearrow story up to the present day. Miss Seanlan is visiting New Zealand for the summet, und will return to England next year. She Year Reviewed. A lecturer will take this for his subject at 3YA on Thursday-not an unusual title for this time of the year. I suppose there is something that can be said about 1982, but precious little. It has been one of those uneventful years that are recorded in history only as a gap in the usual stirring times. The year opened promisingly. There was Japan and China flying at ‘one another's

throats, and all the world sending notes telling them to be quiet, which t eventually were. There was the sensational murder of the French Premier, av invasion of New Zealand by English| talkies. The Olympic Games (good oldi N.Z.) the development of the ten nev} radio valves to puzzle servicemen, the death of Phar Lap, the opening of the Empire broadcasting station, further re« ductions in salaries, the Ottawa Confer« ence (I wonder why those two are associn ated?), better programmes from the YAj stations, de Groot opening the greatest bridge in the world, the dock, the riots in New Zealand’s main towns, and Eng-. land making the gold standard a thing off the past. The'year has ended with butter and cheese well to leg, with wool, well, any~ where but in the right place. Welcome, 1933.

Aileen Johns, dramatic soprano, will give # song recital from 2YA on danuary 5, in conjunction with Mr. Dennis Johns, wha will present selections from the works of moderm poets. Madame Johns, who is well known throughout New Zealand as a concert artist and teacher,, received her early training with the late Madame Emily Briggs; and at the early age of 20, after a successful season at the Wellington Competitions, obtained her firsp engagement with the Wanganui, Male Choir. Later she studied with the Scottish. baritone, Fraser Gange; and some four years ago left New Zealand with her husband for Londow and Milan. A great future in Wagnerian opera was predicted for her by Maestro Tanara, Milan’ foremost operatic coach; but the Napier earthquake altered her plans, necessitating a return to New, Zealand, Taking up her residence in Auckland aft the end of last year, Madame Johns has already. established herself in the forefront of the musica: life of the Queen City. Listeners-in will have am opportunity of hearing her from 2YA in: Aria, "Vissi d’arte" from "La Tosca," Puccini; "Old Mother Hubbard,’ Hutchinson; "The Cuckoo, Lehmann; "Standchen," Strauss; "Devotion," Strauss; and "T'wo Frogs,’ Howell. Dennis Johns, who will give a joint. recitat: with Madame Aileen Johns, re-! ceived his training in London with Professor Cairns James, of the Royal College of Music and Guildhall’ School of Music. Owing to his fine work as 2% dramatic and concert artist, he has received engage ments with the leading musical societies of Auck: land. He is a recitalist who grips his audience with his magnetic personality and charm of ma ner. Press criticisms of his performances speak his great powers of characterisation and all-round ability to portray comedy as well as tragedy, coupled with excellent and cultured diction and @ rich, resonant, and melodious voice. Mr. Johns is presenting the following selection of numbers by modern writers from 2YA on January 5: "He Fell Among Thieves," Newbolt; "The Old Grey Squire rel," Noyes; "Be Fit," Kipling; "Song of the Market-place," Buckham; "Will She Be Waiting?) Up?" Hayes; "My Family," Anon. Dame Sybil Thorndike. A last-minute ame! nouncement comes to hand that on Thursday 2YA will broadcast 2 reception tendered to Dame Sybil Thorndike, the eminent English actress, who is making her first: tour of New Zealand. Her N.Z. plays inciude! Bernard Shaw’s "Saint Joan," which the author wrote especially for Miss Thorndike. Her performance of."Saint Joan,"’. although it poignantly touchés the deeper notes of the maid’s tragedy, is also shot through with lively shafts of humour and folk comedy. Her "Joan" is a vividly living girl, as well as an inspired’ saint. Miss Thorndike’s international reputation is. from the point of view of the man in the street, perhaps most closely associated with tragic and classical work, her remarkable successes’ in the impersonation of thd

High Spots in the Programmes "THE DUMB WIFE’-I1IYA, Monday. "A PANTOMIME OF PANTOMIMES’--2YA, Monday. "MUSIC OF THE SEASONS’-4YA, Monday. WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS BAND--2YA, Thursday. HOGMANAY PARTY-4YA, Saturday. AUCKLAND MUNICIPAL BAND-1YA, Sunday. The Talks "THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN TURKEY"’-4YA, Monday. "CAMPING’-3YA, Thursday. "THE YEAR REVIEWED" -3YA, Thursday. "LOOKING BACKWARD"-2YA, Sunday. .

feading Shakespearean and. Greek elassical roles having associated her, in the popular mind, with the more serious drama. As a matter of fact, she is quite as good a comedienne as 2 ‘tragedienne. Artists of. the class of Duse and Bernhardt ‘have, of course, been specialists in one particular range of work, but Miss Thorndike is recognised throughout the Mnglish theatregoing world as an extremely versatile artist.,