Big Farewell to Owen Pritchard

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 31, 8 February 1935, Page 21

Big Farewell to Owen Pritchard

A Final Community Sing to Popular Programme Organiser-Unique Dual ) Recording by Tauber-Listeners and Their Musical PalatesMaori Dancer’s Part in Theme Programme.

. Pus biggest laugh at the community ¢ ! N sing to farewell Mr. Owen Pritchard last Wednesday, was raised by a letter which ran:"Dearest Owen,-I am so sorry you are leaving us and I am sure I don’t now what we are going to do without you. Best wishes to Mrs. Pritchard and yourself. I once wrote to you and said I would like to send you five pounds--albs, of rice and 2lbs. of treacle." There were shrieks of delighted laughter from the audience when the five pounds of rice and treacle were held up. ‘However,’ continued the writer, "although there is no sub. jn the letter I put something in the box at the door," PHE most striking tribute to Mr. Pritchard as song leader was that the Town Hall was packed to capacity, nothwithstanding the intense heat. Frank Cooze, the New Zealand composer wrote humorous verses which were sung by Mr. Will Mason and Mr. Herbert IF. Wood, and many letters and other verses from Mr. Pritchard’s (admirers were read out. After thankVi ing Mr. Pritchard for the great jnterest and help which he had given to \ the community singing, the Mayor, Mr. TT, ©. A. Hislop, presented Mr, and Mrs. Pritchard with a beautiful clock with full Westminster chimes. In the audience was a visitor from Pathurst, New South Wales, who has for some considerable time been an enthusiastic Australian listener-in to Myr, Pritchard’s singing. As a result of this farewell community sing the sum, of £21/15/10 will be added to the Mayor’s relief. fund. RICHARD TAUBDER was heard singing a duet with himself, "I Would That My Life Might Blossom" (Mendelssohn), from 2YA on Wednesday, February 6, This delightful recording was made by one part being recorded in the ordinary way then the singer listened to that with earphones ( when singing the second part in order y to keep both in time and tune. The two ‘ pecordings were then mixed and _ the final composite recording completed. "TE STRONGLY suspect that the underlying trouble with those people who are inclined to find fault with radio programmes lies with the listeners ‘themselves,’ said Mr. Stanley Oliver, conductor of the Royal Wellington Choral Union during a recent . interview. ‘Listeners,’ he continued, "should try and exercise the same diseretion in their listening as they do in their concert-going or in choosing a meal from an exhaustive menu, : You cannot eat everything that js provider -you simply follow the dictates of your palate and choose such dishes as are to your liking. That is the only. gensible and reasonable way of listen-ing-look over the programme and listen-in only to what you fancy wil

entertain you. I might add that, glancing. through the programmes there is seldom a time between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. when I cannot, at one station or another, renew my acquainiance with some fine standard work, oy hear some new work well worth hearing, which I would not otherwise have the opportunity of hearing." TALENTED, but very modest, Maori maiden, Miss Miriama Heketa, was the narrator of the theme pro‘gramme, "The Great Love Story of Tutanekai and Hinemoa,"’ which came from 2YA on February 5, Miss. He-

feta is Mr. Joe Knowsley’s assistaut at his school of dancing in Wellington, where she has been training for ten years. She has won two championships and overseas dancers visiting New Zealand who see her dancing declare that her talent is wasted in such a small country as this. There is talk of Miss Heketa’s going to Australia in June for her degrees andi later it is probable that she will go farther afield. : HIS Maori givl was oie of the queens at a recent Queen carnival held in the city. She also belongs to the representative Maori troupe in Wellington. Miss Heketa possesses great charm and the inborn rhythm which is a characteristic of the Maoris is a great asset in her singing and dancing. ._It is remarkable that a native girl should be ahle to adapt herself to the artificial movements of ballet, which are its peculiar charm, Although other Maoris might possibly haye inborn talents equal to those of Miss Heketa, they could not be as outstanding .unléss they exerted themselves to put in 9s much 'strenuous study ‘as this artist, which is undoubtedly the’ secret of her suectss. r[HOUGH there is unfortunately little hope of anything as startling as

last year’s prices being announced, farmers all over New Zealand will be listening eagerly to 2YA on Wednesday morning, February 18, at 9 o’clock, when the proceedings at the second Wellington wool sale of the season will be broadcast. Prices seem to have been stabilised at recent sales, and it seems doubtful whether any fireworks can be expected next Wednesday, but farmers will no doubt be anxious to hear for themselves how the sale is going.