PERSONALITIES of the WEEK

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 7, 28 August 1936, Page 10

PERSONALITIES of the WEEK

Cricketing Baritone KEITH FALKNER, one of the most popular baritones of our time, has been singing ever since at the age of nine, he became a chorister at New College, Oxford, ynder Sir Hugh Allen. After serving as a R.N.AS. pilot during the war, he studied under Albert Garcia at the Royal College, singing also in the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral. Fur. ther study with Plunket Greene, with Lierhammer in Vienha, and Madame Dossert in Paris, helped to make him the artist of wide culture that he is. Vienna, Prague, Paris and the United States have all welcomed him, as weil as the great English festivals and concerts. He igs a member of his own county cricket team as well as that of the M.C.C., and he has been a member of the Middlesex hockey team. Keith Falkner sings frequently from the various national stations, and the limited number of recordings available prove him to be a fine singer. Mabel’s Ideal. "THE warm heart of Mabel Constanduros, founder of the Buggins Family, is revealed in her one-time confession on her idea of the best way to spend a bank holiday. "I would wake up on August Bank Holiday," she said, "if I could-on the wide veranda of a house overlooking the sea, to a cloudless day with a gentle breeze from the water. The morning I would spend in sea and sunbathing. All sorts of amusing and pleasant people would arrive to lunch with me, and would depart afterwards upon their several ways, leaving me to spend a lazy afternoon in a hammock with a book. More guests would arrive at about six o’clock and have a swim before dinner. ... The sun, the sea, a garden and my friends. Four things which make, for me, a perfect holiday." The Blacksmith’s Daughter. ONGFELLOW’S "Village Blacksmith" heard his daughter’s voice singing in the village choir» which made his heart rejoice. When Anna Case, the American ‘soprano, was a girl she gaye her own father, the local blacksmith in South Branch, ‘New Jersey, the same delight,

The dire poverty of her early yeurs was only brightened. by music-for she was taught by her father to play the organ and the violin. She had ambitions to be a singer. The father, a_ strictly religious man, was indignant ¥ at the idea, and she had to be content, as the outlet for her musical urge, with presiding at the church organ and learning such classical art songs as she could obtain. Within eighteen months of having~ her first singing lesson (paid for by friends) she was engaged to sing at Metropolitan Opera House, New York. Anna Case’s voice, per medium of her all-too-few recordings, is heard over the air from time to time. — Carroll’s Confession (CARROLL GIBBONS, pianist (whose name appears on 3YA’s programme on Tuesday, September 1), made a con-. fession recently. He said: "By virtue of the fact that 1 was lucky enough to be employed. at the Savoy Hotel when the old Orpheans (under the direction of Debroy Somers) were doing pioneering work for 2LO twice a week, it should be easy to tell what it is the listening public want. I’m sorrybut I confess I’m still learning. I do know it’s quite impossible to please everybody, so-quite early in my career-I decided to bear in mind two things: (1) musicianship, (2) simplicity. I like good orchestratio7}s which, without being nretertions he only give my musicians a chance to show their capabilities, but also show the tune itself to advantage, ... I repeat, it is impossible to please everybody, but I am always interested in ideas and suggestions put forward by members of the great British publie." : Composer-Conductor HE name of Issai Dobrowen is not very well known in New Zealand. even in musical circles. This young Russian musician has achieved considerable reputation as composer, piano-virtuoso and conductor. Born in 1894 at Nijni-Novgorod, he received his musical training at the Conseryatory of Moscow. winning the gold medal for piano and composition at sixtecn years of age. The appointments held by Dobrowen since his student days have been both important and interesting. In 1917 he became leading conductor of the then Imperial Opera at Moscow, Five years later, he turned

up in Dresden ag co-director with Fritz Busch. Since then he has directed opera in Berlin and Sofia and his present post sees him in charge of the Fiiharmoniske Selskap in Oslo. Music under his conductorship will be heard from 4¥YA on Thursday, September 3. Cyril Scott’s Surprise. YEAR or two ago the "Daily Telegraph" (London), acting on a sug: gestion made by Sir Henry Wood, offered three prizes of £100, £75 and £50 respectively for the best concerr overtures entered in their competition by British composers. Sir Henry pointed to the dearth of first-class coneert overtures, especially by British composers. The playing timeé of the pieces was to be not less than seveu and not more than 12 minutes, and they were to be scored for full orchestra. Out of 223 scores received (all by people whose identity was unknown to the judges), one bore a Greek epigraph, ‘And let them be welcomed t« our festival by chant-like strains, and sinuous melodies, and a flourish of trumpets, and may their hearts be filled with devotion, love and valour." The breadth and stateliness of this work made such an appeal to the distinguished judges, Sir Hamilton Harty, Mr. Frank Bridge, Mr. Arthur Bliss and Sir Henry Wood, that they unan!mously awarded the first prize to its composer. He turned out to be none

other than Cyril Scott, apostie of mu. sical modernism and a brilliant pianist. The overture was broadcast . shortiy after the decision was announced. As yet, Cyrfl Seott’s "Festival Overture" is not’ on the records, but two of his attractive piano solos played by the composer are available and wil) be heard by 4YA listeners during the afternoon programme on Sunday, August 30,