Radio Rooms in Public Libraries

Radio Record, 17 July 1936, Page 19

Radio Rooms in Public Libraries

Suggestion to Make Broadcasting an Ally of Reading-Posed as Blind "Peter" and Nearly Got Away With It-Christchurch Antici- } pates its "Operatic Invasion" on July 29. :

DRE is, of course, little need to stress the importance of radio as a means of raising the standard of culture and recreation for young people, who, for one cause or another, left school with their education incomplete. "The Radio Record" was told in Christchurch. last week that radio could be made an ally of reading. A city business man expressed the view that the Government, while endeavouring to increase the number of homes possessing sets, could**make public libraries a "link-up." There were thousands of people in New Zealand who lived in boardinghouses, flats, who worked for others and who could not get near a set, he said, and suggested that the Public Library should set aside a radio room where listeners, as well as readers, could absorb the world’s culture. Both "A" ‘and "B" stations could be reached, he added, and it would not be stretching things too far financially if two rooms were provided. A week or two of experience would solve the whole problem, for listeners would soon make up their minds. A &00D story is going the radio rounds in Auckland just now concerning a man who has recently been posing as "Peter," the blind man, so well and widely known to listeners as the cheerful foil to Gordon Hutter at all wrestling matches in the Town Hall. It is said that this man attended a suburban secial gathering of an orphans’ Club and made a speech. They made a big fuss of him until a member of the Auckland Boxing Association arrived late and exposed him as an impostor. After apologising and admitting that he was not the real "Peter," he was allowed to go. GOMETHING in the nature of an operatic invasion will take place at B8YA, Christchurch, on July 29. Florence Austral, together with some other great stars, including John Amadio, Browning Mummery and Sydney dle Vries, will give listeners considerably more enjoyment than their license fee covers. Everybody musical knows all about the great Austral. Amadio was porn in Wellington, and at the age of 12 played a flute concerto for the Wellington © Orchestral Society, with Alfred Hill as conductor, At 15 Amadio was engaged as_ principal flautist to the Italian Grand Opera Company then touring Australia. His_ great opportunity came through the first Melba Grand Opera Company, and thereafter success followed successin Rome, Berlin and New York. Critics say that Amadio has done more than any other artist living, by his flawless perfection of tone and interpretation, to vindicate the flute as a solo instrument, Charity concerts will come a little later. * ,

Arbor Day LOHOUGH the Governor-General, Lord Galway, will speak from the Wellington station on August 38 -on "Tyee Planting and Preservation of Native Trees," his remarks will also be broadcast by 4YA on that-occasion. This will mean that his JExcellency will reach a larger audience, and additional interest will therefore be taken in the talk, which is to be given in connection with the Arbor Day proceedings, a nation-wide effort to encourage the growth and preservation of native trees. School children will be taking part in the Arbor Day observance, and probably some arrangements will be. made by local masters for their pupils to listen to the Governor-Gen-eral’s remarks.

Community Sings (COMMUNITY singing is tremendously popular in Auckland just now, particularly this last couple of weeks during the cold’ and stormy weather ‘which prevailed. Last week’s "sing," in the Town Hall, drew an Yttendance of 38000. , Real enterprise was shown by. the in arranging with the well-known music firm of Allan and Company, of Melbourne, to specially print an entirely new book of songs. More than 2500 have already been sold at 6d. a copy. The committee every few weeks receives advance copies of the latest songs from Australia. Again this year the popular song leader is Mr. Vernon T. Drew, who each week receives hundreds of letters

of appreciation from country listenerg concerning the Wednesday perform"ances, The total proceeds are being devoted to the Mayor’s Metropolitan Unemployment Relief Committee. The response by the public so far has been better than for three years. Tenacity Tells OY FOX and. his Band are featured at station 8YA on Tuesday, July 21, with guitar duets by: Ivor Mairants and Albert Harris as interludes. One of their duets-‘Spring Fever’-was..composed by Mairants. Roy: Fox was known in America as "the whispering cornetist." He- went to Hngland, and later opened at the Monseigneur -Restaurant with an.all- . Star British Band. When ill-health -eompelled him to give up the cornet, he had built up a reputation in Nngland for charm and capability as a band leader. He is now touring English music halls with his act, which includes Mary ‘Lee and Bobby Joy.- He also stars a combination known as the Three Cubs, which have banded together as a vocal trio since 19380, One of the Cubs is Ivor Mairants, the famous "guitarist, Yodelling TYPE of music which we do not hear very often in New Zealand, that of yodelling, will’ be somewhat revived from 2YA on Saturday, July 25, when G. D. Hall, a Wellington man, will sing several numbers, accompanying himself on a guitar. Really good yodelling is an art and is very fascinating, but it needs an atmosphere to it. We sometimes get it through the pictures with the singer sitting beside a campfire, dressed in the way-out-West costume. Or, better still, when the hero is sitting alone on the top of some Wild and woolly country sending his voice echoing and re-echoing in the valleys, ‘From Stage to Air OU will remember that little Scottish comedienne who travelled round. with the Long Tack Sam Company. Her name was Dora Lindsay, She was one of the most popular turns in the show, and her Palais de Danse and the characterisation of the little. girl who was simple, in particular, were very un-self-consciously done. She has now been booked for a six weeks’ tour of the national stations some time in August; and will appear in both charity and concert work. Hebridean Folk Songs CONTRALTO of Wellington in the person of Christina Young is featured in the programme for Friday, July 24, from 2YA with two songs at 9.19. and a further bracket at 9.51. These will be Hebridean folk songs and ballads, and they are following in the train of the brilliant series given early this year by that charming Scot, Miss Russell-Fergusson, who, with her harp, roused the public consciousness to this delightful music.. Farewell [ft was announced recently in the "Radio Record" that the Russian pianist, Paul Vinogradoff, who has been in’ New Zealand for four or five years, would be leaying for Australia

shortly after the complimentary concert to be tendered to him by the Wellington Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday, July 21. However, he has been booked for a final tour of the national stations with the following schedulé :- From 4YA; Thursday, August 20, recital; Sunday, August 238, operatic; Thursday, August 27, recital From 8YA: Monday, August 31,. chamber music; Wednesday, September 2, classical; Friday, September 4, recital.

From 1YA: Thursday, September 10, recital; Saturday, September 12, recital; and Wednesday, September 16, chamber music, Paul Vinogradoff will be playing a Rachmaninoff concerto at the Dr. Malcolm Sargent concert in August, It is anticipated that he will leave for America at the end of the Australian tour. What Was ThatP OW many listeners who heard the first of the Music Lovers’ ‘competitions from 4YA last week scratched their heads and murmured: "What is thé name of that piece? I know it as well as anything." Very many probably, beeause to most people there is always the same difficulty in trying to give a name to a musical composition on the spur of the moment. They are tantalising things these musical competitions that _ cut short each piece just as the title is conving to mind, but one does not like to admit that one is beaten so easily, so one continues to listen, always hoping. that the next one will be easy to guess. In addition, the money prizes offered are tempting, and one does not like to see such good money slipping away without making some effort to. arrest it. Hence the interest taken in the first instalment of the competition will naturally be maintained to the end. 3 Radio at Exhibition | Most of Auckland’s radio dealers are demonstrating a wide. variety of

models of receivers at the Winter Hxhibition, opened last week by the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Minister of Industries and Commerce. Nothing really new in the radio line is.to be noticed. Dealers generally seem to be realising the importance of efficient aerial installations to eliminate interference, these being ‘featured in most cases. Great interest is being shown in radio receivers, particularly by country visitors, and sales so far are reported to. be good. Suva and Daventry HH Suva station is now being received in Auckland with wonderful volume and clarity. Just below the wavelength of 1YX the Suva station is to be found. Another station being well receiyed here is the Empire station at Daventry, The transmission-on Tuesday of last week (when ‘besides a good musical. programme, a lecturer spoke on the romance of electricity) wags so good.that it was hard to realise that it was not a powerful local station. There was.an entire absence of fading: and distortion. Movie Stunt DISTINCTLY novel method of advertising a picture telling a story of the air was carried out by the proprietors of an Auckland picture theatre last week. Powerful loud-speakers

were hidden away on the top of a tall Queen Street building, and at frequent interyals during the day a special record was used to reproduce the drone of. a low-flying aeroplane. The reproduction.was so natural and so successful that hundreds of people in Queen Street could be seen looking skyward for the aeroplane. It was only when announcements concerning the particu‘lar picture wete made that the curious pedestrians realised that it was just another movie stunt. Expert on DX ‘HE Christchurch branch of the New Zealand DX Radio Associationthe people who take radio really very seriously-met one night last week tuo ‘hear a talk by Mr. C. R. Russell, of Christchurch, on his personal radio experiences, They had chosen a speaker who knows just about all there is to know about wireless, for he was with the R.A.F. and has had a good deal of experience in America, Mr. J..C. Stapleton was chairman. Mr. Russell was alive to the great possibilities of radio in 1907, when, in that year, he operated a coherer in Christchurch. During the war he went into the work of designing aerials for aeroplanes and later took courses at Wisconsin University and Harvard University; U.S. When he returned to New Zealand he put together probably the first super-

heterodyne set in the Dominion. When not studying the latest in radio equipment, Mr, Russell, a popular member of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, gives up a good deal of time to the preservation of native fish, flesh and fowl. The Christchurch DX Association, by the way, now has a membership of 1044 and it is rapidly increasing. . Hoots Awa’ ALWAYS an accepted feature of Friday’s broadcasting service in Dunedin, the mid-day. community sings relayed from the Strand Theatre continue to entertain listeners. On a recent Friday _ the Community Singing was fortunate enough to secure the services of a clever Scottish lassie, Miss Dora Lindsay, who is touring New Zealand with the Long Tack Sam Company, and she kept the audience highly amused for quarter of an hour with her songs and jokes. Her’ audience was reluctant to allow her to vaeate the stage, but Miss Lindsay gave them some satisfaction when she announced that she had accepied a six weeks’ engagement with the National Broadcasting Service to begin when her tour with the vaudeville company ended. Not only those who were present in the theatre weuld be pleased at this announcement, but it must have been very welcome news to all those listening-in to learn that such a clever artist has been booked for broadcasting. Boxing . OXING is being revived in Dunedin. One bout has been fought so far this season, and there is a probability that many more will be staged later. The 4YA microphone was present at the first match, and the station’s sporting announcer, Mr. R. McKenzie, did the talking so well that he has been the recipient of many congratulatory remarks, both verbal and in the local Press. His comments have evoked general approval, and several have inquired whether the broadcasts will continue when future bouts are arranged. In all probability listeners will have the pleasure of again hearing Mr, McKenzie later on, as no doubt he will officiate if arrangements are made to relay coming ring events. Recognise Brilliance MOUSsican genius is recognised in Christchurch. Last week the Mayor and Mayoresgs (Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Beanland) held a morning teaparty for Jean McLeod, a young pianist, before she left for Mngland, to take: up a scholarship tenable for two years at the Royal Academy of Music, London, Mr. Will Hutchens, who had been impressed by Miss McLeod's ability when he had heard her at the competitions, said. a lot of nice things about her, Mrs, R, J, McLaren and Mrs, L. L. Cordery, president of the Eroica Club, had something to say, and Mrs. W. Allen reminded the gathering that Miss McLeod was the second young artist from Barhour Street, Linwood, to continue study abroad, the first being Kenneth Mackwell. Miss Irene Lassen, Miss McLeod’s teacher, thanked the Mayor and Mayoress for arranging the farewell, . .