PERSONALITIES of the WEEK

Radio Record, 21 August 1936, Page 10

PERSONALITIES of the WEEK

ANOTHER MIDLANDER THAT most musical of Wngland’s Midland cities, Birmingham, claims Tom Jones, the conductor and violinist as one of her sons. His parents were Irish, not Welsh; his grandfather had such a large family that they were able to form a complete orchestra amongst themselves, and enjoyed quite a reputation in the Midlands. Tom’s father made him learn the violin, and took a slipper to him until] he practised regularly. This is rather reversing the custom of Handel’s father, who along with the fathers of quite a number of our great composers, did all he could to keep hig son from music. Tom’s dad saw his youngster among the first violins in Sir Thomas Beecham’s first permanent orchestra in Birmingham, by the time he was fifteen. Tom Jones and his Orchestra will be heard at 38YA on Friday, August 28. "GERT AND DAISY" "DORIS Waters is dark and Daisys Bisie is fair and Gert’-there you have it in a nutshell, on the authority of Guy Fletcher. How "Gert and Daisy’ were born is a very vital fact. It appears that qg gramophone company heard them on the air in their earliest broadcasting days and made an appointment for them to record. On: day they made one side of a record and simply hadn’t a song to put on the other. So they decided to make ag talking sketch for a change, and there and then made up a sketch ‘of two Cockney women watching a wedding. The record was made, and they thought no more about it. Then one night when they were entertaining in a concert hall, the audience, to their amazement, called for Gert and Daisy. They dashed behind the scenes, borrowed two hats and put them on back to front. Elsie snatched the silk handkerchief from her violin.case and tied it round her neck. Thus Gert and Daisy appeared for the first time. This inimitable pair will be heard in 4YA’s music, mirth and melody session on Thursday, August 27. THE "FEMALE KREISLER" SINCH the days of Lady Halle, one of the first and most famous of women violinists, many of her sex have followed her example, and the best of them can hold their own with the first violinists of the day, irrespective of their gender. Rene Chemet is one of ti most justly popular violinists of the present time, and has even been called the "female Kreisler." She has a full and very beautiful tone, her readings are impeccable, and with the whole range of the repertory at her fingers’ end, her playing is as distinguished in the classics ag in lighter selections. Born at Boulogne-sur-

Seine, she graduated with the highest honours from the Paris Conservatoire. Her violin is her first love-but it must be remembered that she was originally trained as a singer. Rene Chemet had not long reverted to the violin before it was evident that her playing, though authoritative in the highest’, degree, possessed a lovely feminine grace. Madame Chemet’s favourite violin is a Gagliano of 1781, A regular visitor to England, she has visited many Countries in Europe and in the Western Hemisphere in the course of her tours. 1YA listeners will hear Renet Chemet in the dinner music session on Monday, August 24. ERNEST’S GARDEN GARDENING is a hobby that has many entertainers firmly in its toils, and they one and all bewail the fact that it is impossible to give their gardens as much attention as they deserve. Among these is Ernest Butcher, whose tuneful and amusing ditties, both solo and with the versatile Muriel George, are favourite numbers on the records. He has a great variety of plants in his garden. He is especially fond of old-fashioned flowers, the beautiful heavily-scented Mrs. Sinkins pink, with its large white flowers, being a favourite, as well as lilies of the valley and rhododendrons. He is justifiably proud of an old grape vine which climbs over the veranda. He admits quite cheerfully that the grapes are quite uneatable. but it looks very decorative and unusual, and the leaves are pretty! They have an orchard that includes many morella cherry trees, and from this fruit Muriel George makes cherry brandy. 1YA listeners will hear Ernest Butcher during the music, mirth ang melody session on Friday, August 28. VERSATILE LEW L=w STONE, the man with ideas about dance music, pianist, arranger, leader, has reached the peak of dance-band fame in record time. His first musical recollections are of being taught to play the piano as a child. In fact, he was something of an infant prodigy; star performer, when only eight or so, at the Londyn schools’ concert, One day when the growing lad was in his father’s business an expert was called in to pass judgment on some old pianos there. This expert was reputed to be getting £12 per week at a night club, but Lew soon found that he could play better than his visitor. This put ideas into his head, and shortly afterward he signed up with Bert Ralton’s Havana Band, one of the best in the profession. Then fate took a hand again. A number had to be arranged in a hurry, and none of the bandsmen knew a thing about orchestration, but Lew had a shot at it, and

won through. Lew Stone and his Band will be heard on Tuesday, August 28 from 4YA, DICK SPEAKS UP Dick POWELL can do more things than sing, apparently. He tells a good story, and if the yarn goes against one of the Hollywood bosses that doesn’t deter Dick from speaking his piece. Here is an example. One afternoon an "executive" attended a garden party in Beverly Hills. While strolling around the yard with his host, he came upon a sun-dial and asked puzzledly: "What’s that?’ The host auswered, "A sun dial": The "executive" viewed it carefully. "A sun dial," he said, "What’s that for?" The host explained, "You can tell the time by it." The "executive" shook his head. "They’re always thinking up something new aren’t they?" COMPOSER AS STOPGAP SIR GEORGE HENSCHEL, that most inimitable of singers, was one of the most versatile musicians of his time. As a conductor he had to his eredit a most adventurous record, as a composer he made a very real, if

limited, contribution to the general heritage of beauty; but as a singer he stood alone-hearing him sing, you wished never to hear anyone else sing that particular song but himself. As for his ready versatility no better example could be cited than an incident which they still remember in Dresden. One of his operas was being given a first . performance there-a nerve-racking experience for any composer. At the very last minute the leading baritone fell ill, whereupon George Henschel (Mr. Henschel as he then was) stepped on the stage and carried the whole part through himself.