A Child Prodigy Who Behaves Like A Human Being

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 18, 9 November 1934, Page 12

A Child Prodigy Who Behaves Like A Human Being

Philip Hargrave, the Boy With a Good Memory

Written for the "Radio Record."

‘Radio Record" representative. when entering the. Hotel St.-Georgé to interview Philip Hargrave, the amazing Australian child prodigy who is drawing crowds of curious and delighted musiclovers to his pianoforte recitals in the Dominion at present. — Spoilt? Nota bit of it! Philip contradicts. all the "T SUPPOSE -he’s rather spoilt," thought the

accepted ideas Or child prodigies, and the -honours due to his successful upbringing fall) to | Miss H. Garnaut, who has. been his sole guardian since’ he was five and a. half years old. When discussing his brilliance’ with " anyone, Miss‘Garnaut -belieyes~ in keeping Philip out of hearing so that he will not get any exalted ideas about himself. There is nothing either artificial or ethereal about Phil, who is the picture of health, with large, bright blue eyes and firm, clear skin. Occasionally he brushes

‘us Straignt Drown Nair across his unusually broad forehead with his hand, when he speaks. Apart from his massive head, Phil looks a typical boy, dressed in neat browns. As he lifts his left hand a silver banded wristwatch gleams’ beneath his cuff. Philip has no school lessons while on tour, -but when at home in Adelaide he attends the Christian Brothers’ School. He has a special tutor, but. finds no difficulty in keeping up with his school fellows. In the interview with Philip it was easy to note that he had an outstanding. memory. He remembers the names of many people he had met on his tour, and while his guardian was racking her brain for the name of a stranger who had rung them on their arrival in Wellington that morning, Philip was able to give it. It is this power of concentration at memordsing that has brought young Hargrave such remarkable success in the study of his beloved music. He has

mastered the most difficult compositions.and puts in hours of practice to perfect them. At the age of seven he learnt Beethoven’s "Moonlight Sonata" in ten minutes, and could then play it from memory. He has won a number of University Scholarships and gave his first recital in Adelaide, two years ago, at the age of ten. : Phil ‘is really thrilled about his first visit to New

Zealand, and is thoroughly -enjoying the motor rides which people are giving him. In Auckland he. went fishing with the sons of a well-known doctor, but Phil says. that all they caught were little sprats. He is very keen o2 wrestling, and it is the terror of Miss Garnaut's life that he will hurt his fingers. Phil is beginning to realise the sad truth that he cannot hope to play at both wrestling and the piano with any degree of success. In the way of books, his present enthusiasm is Kiv-

ling, and he also has a weakness for the "Bulldog Drummond" series. Phil’s special pal is’a boy who lives in Adelaide. Philip divides his spoils in the way of any chocolates which he receives at concerts, to the New Zealand boys he meets. In Adelaide, he has a splendid library containing all the ‘books which he has had given to him. oe During the 1YA and 2YA children’s sessions, Phil has.given bright talks on what he saw at the Melbourne Centenary celebrations. Despite the drawback cf feeling slightly seasick, he found plenty of time to explore the ship and get up to all sorts of boyish pranks ‘on the trip across from Australia. : Miss Helena C. Fisher, the attractive niece of _ Miss Garnaut, is accompanying her aunt and Philip. She is a talented violiniste and holder of a travelling scholarship. (Continued on: page 21.)

Philip Hargrave ~ Interviewed. ee (Continued from page 12)

scholarships. Miss Fisher has fre quently broadeast from 5Ch, Adelaide, and has a genuine Stradivarius violin (1699). It is said that there are only two of these violins in Australia. The one belonging to Miss Fisher was brought out from Hill’s, London, by Mr. Gerald Walenn, of the Sydney conseryatorium. "We are longing to visit England and the Continent, where Philip will be able to study in the right atmosphere," said Miss Garnaut. "Travelling is such a wonderful education, too, and this visit to New Zealand has broadened our minds considerably. The people here are being so kind, and it seems strange to feel that we are ‘ships that pass in the night’? and must break away from friends and acquaintances almost as soon aS we meet. It makes us sad haying to say so many farewells." It is quite safe to say that all those who have the pleasure of meeting this delightful trio of visitors are equally sad when farewells are made, because all three have that -happy asset of drawing people towards them with bonds of friendship.