HERE AND THERE MAINLY ABOUT PEOPLE AND PROGRAMME FEATURES

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 6, 18 August 1933, Page 22

HERE AND THERE MAINLY ABOUT PEOPLE AND PROGRAMME FEATURES

A PROGRAMME of the most raried nature has been devised by the Christchurch Orchestral . Society for performance on August 22, and it is in teresting to note that it includes the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s seldom heard piano concerto, opus No. 23 The greater part of Tchaikovsky’s com- ' positions for the piano were written to order, and show very little inspiration. or eyen ingenuity. Unlike most Russian composers, he had no special mastery of pianoforte technigue, such as had Balakirev, Liadov, and Stcherbatchey. e a % '[TCHAIKOVSKY’S single pianoforte sonata is heavy in material and in treatment, and cannot be reckoned a fine example of its kind. A few of his fugitive pieces are agreeable, and the variations in F show that at the time of their composition he must have been: interested in thematic development, but the world would not be much poorer for the loss of all he has written for piano solo. In combination with other instruments, however, he rises to a much higher level in his handling of the pianoforte. E) bad * IS first pianoforte concerto, composed in 1874, was very severely handled by Nicholas Rubinstein. Von Bulow, on the other hand, pronounced it "perfect in nature and in form, and full of style-in the sense that the intentions and craftsmanship are evyerywhere concealed." In after years Tchaikovsky must haye agreed with Rubinstein that the solo part was capable of considerable improvement, and the brilliant "duel between piano and orchestra," now so popular with pianists, is the completely revised version of 1889. ; + % 2 qt may be fairly said that the men who laid the foundations of Britain’s scattered Hmpire were the buccaneers and the men who: placed the keystone in position were the seamen who carried coal-the true secret of England’s might-to the four corners of the earth. To-day, with liquid fuel and "white coal," black diamonds are temporarily at a discount, but the time will come again when this crystallised power. will be the most precious possession of a nation." For a hundred years or more commerce has endeavoured to rid the earth of coal altogether, but the feverish bustle of the collier has now been halted, although ‘a few relics of: the’ once mighty trade still persist. Eyverybody is interested in how other people earn a livelihood, and listeners to‘1VA on August 24 will‘ hear "A Seaman" talk about "Life aboard a Collier-ship." m e . HEN body-line bowling ‘was on everybody’s tongue a Wellington lady astonished an Hnglish cricketer by asking: "Who is Larwood?" It may be that there-are some who have never

heard of Frank Kilby although his uame has been in the news since 1914, when, as a third standard boy, he played for his primary school’s first cricket eleven. He later captained that school’s cricket and football teams, and very early won renown in both fields when he went to the Southland Boys’ High School. Before leaving Southland he had won a fives championship, had made a mark in tennis, and had represented his province in cricket and _ football. * * & N the service of the Bank of Australasia Frank Kilby was transferred to the Capital City in 1927 and that season he played in representative football for Wellington. In 1928 he toured South Africa as a member of the New Zealand team, and in 1929 he re

presented Wanganui on several occasions and played for Taranaki during the same season. The following season saw him again representing Wellington, In 1932 he captained the North Island team and the New Zealand team that toured Australia. He has captained Wellington club from 1931 and Wellington province since 1932, and at the ‘last annual meeting his club paid him the honour of making him a life member. + % * S might. be expected, Frank Kilby belongs to a family prominent in sport. Dad was at-one time a member

of the Southland Rugby Union and president of the Ladies’ Hockey Association. Two of his sisters have represented Southland (champion province at the time) at the game and one has represented Wellington since. A brother played senior football in Invercargill, and one asks for trouble in disputing sporting facts with any member of the family. Frank, who is speaking at 2YA on August 26, intends to retire at the end of this season if footballers will allow him, although he says he feels good for many years. He has been one of New Zealand’s greatest all-round sports and we might expect to hear of keen competition among bowling clubs for his services, if his intention ig given effect. * IVTY years ago, in 1883, Sir William A, Smith founded the Buys’ Brigade in Hngland, and branches were formed in rapid succession in various parts of the Empire. The object of the organisation, with which is united the Boys’ Life Brigade, is attained by a combination of discipline and religious training. Iivery company is connected witha church or other Christian body, and. although its activities have of recent years been somewhat overshadowed by the amazing success of the Boy Scout movement, the senior organisation has had, and continues to have, a very marked influence on our social welfare. The inculcation of thoughtful forbearance and the promotion of physical development and hygiene have laid a'solid foundation to a healthy citizenship among its members. and listeners to 4YA on August 21 will hear much of interest about the brigade’s fifty years. of existence. z x: MesicaL -veterans may be roughly divided into two cldssés-those who should know better and, for obvious reasons, should stop performing. and those wé still long to hear but who are impelled by a sense of proportion and a resigned outlook to definitely retire. In the programme. of recordings to be submitted at 2YA on Augtist 20 by Mr. Karl Atkinson; in his gramophone lecture-recital; "The .Veterans | Entertaining," it may .be presumed that none. but the best will .find a place. cet ot ; % * . . Mvusic certainly conduces to longeyity despite the Mozarts-.and the Schuberts » who never reached the forties... One fine old teacher of singing, Manuel Garcia, not only worked up to and past his one. hundred and first birthday, but further placed mankind under his debt by inventing the laryngoscope. Another | fine old veteran,was Sir Charles Santley, who, being born on February 29, celebrated his twenty-first birthday (aged .84, of course) by,singing several songs for his friends. _ The title of the programme sounds intriguing, and Mr, Atkinson is sure ‘to recall some ‘ interesting anecdotes. ° st se .