RECORDS

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 15, 20 October 1933, Page 10

RECORDS

Whoh Wlo and Wats WaE

(By

Bolton

Woods

Records To Buy THIS WEEK’S SELECTION "Poticd Overtures," Organ Solo, by Terence Casey. (Col. DOQ52). "The Bell Ringer’ (Wallace) and "Out on the Deep" (Lohr), ‘sung by Malcolm McHachern, bass. (Col. DOX 875). "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (Danks) and "When You and I Were Young ‘Maggie’ (Butterfield), played by the Victorian Quartet (refrains by vocal quartet) (Regal-Zono. G217T70). (Q)THER dances we tolerate; the waltz is a necessity of life... Nature tried her ’prentice hand on many charming things-women, wine, tobacco, birds and flowers-and then she made the waltz-Drnest Newman.

An Old-time Song SONG that enjoyed an immense vogue about eighty years ago is "The Fine Old Hnrg:lish Gentleman." With its appearance on the gramophone records a kind of re- . vival has set in, and many vocal medleys ‘include the song in some part or other. It is really founded upon an early 17th eentury ditty called "The Queen’s Old Courtier"’-a _ chanting air, Samuel Pepys refers to it in ‘this Diary, in which he says the song "did ‘please me mightily, and I did cause Mr. Hewer to write it out." In various guises and under various titles the

song came through nearly three cen‘turies to its present form, for which C. H. Purdy is responsible. Harry Dearth made a splendid recording of -the old -ballad, which will be heard from 3YA on Monday, October 23, at 9.30 p.m. ‘Dale Smith-LInterpreter. HAT stout Lancastrian and satisfying singer, Dale Smith, is.to be heard in a representative selection of items at last in New Zealand. From 2YA on next Wednesday’s programme listeners will have a treat, because no less than six numbers will be presented by Dale Smith per medium of his recordings, This is one of those

commendable little innovations that makes listening so worth while in these days. He is above all a great interpreter of song who, from the days when he was "Master Joe Smith," aged 12, solo chorister in Manchester Cathedral, has won the affections of concert-goers throughout his native country. He is now 389, but as long as ten years ago he gave a series of song recitals at 2ZY, the Manchester station of the B.B.C. "Dangerously Attractive." EB sang over 150 of the best British and foreign songs, and the series formed a truly noteworthy landmark in the artistic development of that station. Ever since he has remained one of the most popular and frequent of

broadcasters, Dale Smith’s accompanist once gave his charlady a ticket for one of the-singer’s recitals. Her comment next morning on the concert was: "Your friend is dangerously attractive to women!" ‘This unsophisticated remark was actually a remarkable tribute to his personality. His art ranges the whole gamut of song from such oddities as "On Ilkla Moor" to Bach’s immortal Passion Music, which he sang in no less than 30 different German towns six years ago. "Tom the Rhymer." [t is good to hear an artist such as _ ,Richard Tauber in worthy music. He sings, for example, a bracket. of

Car] Loewe’s songs, "Tom the Rhymer" and "The Clock," in a perfectly delightful manner. That prodigy who was a contemporary of Schubert, and survived him by over forty years, left a great legacy in his songs, among which are "Edward," "Prince BHugene" and "Archibald Douglas." German song-writers always were attracted by Scottish subjects, and among Loewe’s miscellaneous works is a set of "Scottish Pictures" for clarinet and piano. "Tom the Rhymer" is an historical personage who lived in the 18th century. ‘*Alias Thomas Learmont."’ (THOMAS OF ERCELDOUNE, otherwise Thomas Learmont, was a Scottish poet, and by tradition a poet. It seems that among his works was 2 translation (probably from the French) of an ancient bit of Tristan folk-lore

concerning a knight and the queen of the fairies; and when with the passing cf time Thomas became himself a legendary figure — under the title of Thomas the Rhymer-the . story affixed itself to him, became a subject in the national poetry of Scotland, and eventually inspired Carl Loewe’s lovely ‘song, "Thomas the Rhymer lies resting near a brook." In the opening piano prelude is the rippling of the water. The music changes. We hear bells, and into the scene comes a fair lady, riding a milk-white horse. The horse’s mane is plaited, with a little bell tied to the end of each plait.

Poet and Fairy Queen. HOMAS, enthralled, doffs his cap, kneels, and says: "Thou art the Queen of Heaven! Not of this earth art thou!" But the lady tells him she is the Blfin queen. She then bids him take up his harp and play and sing to her; but, if it so be that he is moved to kiss her, he must for seven years endure her company, without break or freedom. That fate doesn’t frighten Thomas-he kisses her and she kisses him. "Now," she says, "thou art mine for seven years." The music changes to allegreto, and away the Dlfin queen rides through the green wood with Thomas at her side. And the bright bells are heard again as they travel,,

From 1YA on Monday, October 23, Richard Tauber will be heard 10 Loewe’s "Lom the Rhymer" and "The Clock" at 8.47 p.m. Parlo, AR1078.) Falstaff, the Boaster. HERE are many operas on subjects from our own Shakespeare by Continental composers. That industrious fellow, the cultured European, studies England’s immortal bard rather more

thoroughly than we do _ ourselves. Nicolai was one who in his opera, "The Merry Wives of Windsor," followed closely the well-known amorous adventures of Sir John Falstaff, the merry activities of Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page, and the encounter with the supposed elves and sprites in. Windsor. Forest. . It .also ineludes, of course, the famous "wash-

basket scene." In his solo, "When that I was a tiny boy," Falstaff, who is in Alice’s room, boasts of his slimness as a youth. She would hardly believe how slim he was aS a: page, he avers. Robert Radford will be heard in this sparkling solo from 4YA on Monday, October 28, at 831 p.m. (H.M.Y. E498. ) "Chopinata." NDER the above intriguing title Silberman has concocted a delicious mixed salad of Chopin tunes and pieces. In his pot-pourri, which is splendidly played by Marek Weber’s .Orchestra, the thing that appeals ‘to me is the introduction of delightful piano interludes which emphasise tne characteristics of the music. I sincerely recommend this record. (H.M.V. C2549.) Samuel Plays Bach. HE "Partita" in C minor by Johann Sebastian Bach is really an overture in half a dozen movements. On the record so exquisitely played by one of the world’s most authoritative Bach exponents, Harold Samuel, the two dises contain Sinfonie, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Rondeau and Caprice. The lovely simplicity of these six sections will appeal immediately to the Bach lover. As the supplement neatly summarises it, here is musie of the mind rather than of the flesh. In this day of the revival in the general appreciation and playihg of the piano these records deserve 2 big sale. Col. DOX 371-872.)

Neglecting the Words. HAT shall it profit any singer ‘f every care is freely lavished 5n tone and tune and the words are neglected? If the average person were to sit down and try to write down the words of "Great Jehovah" as sung iy Essie Ackland on her latest record (H.M.V. ©2585), it is questionable whether fifty per cent. could be ‘listinguished. With all due respect, 1 suggest Miss Ackland should look in on Plunket Greene or John Coates for a few hints. The reverse side of fhe same record is her rendering of "She is Far From the Land," from "Mignon" (Thomas), which proves she can sing words fairly distinctly-if once, why not always? Notwithstanding toy opinions, many people will add this dise to their collections.