Christchurch Wants First Turn

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 7, 28 August 1936, Page 19

Christchurch Wants First Turn

"Start Tours of Visiting Celebrities There For a Change" — Radio Navigation Aids For Aeroplanes Promised By. Government- — Hileen Joyce in Auckland’s Third Charity Concert... ~~

T was suggested to the Christchurch representative of.the "Radio Record", the ,other ‘day by a prominent musician that the National Broadcasting ‘Service might .consider ,.starting tours of overseas celebrities in Christ-., church for a change. ""Whiie the stars are always welcome," he said, "Auckland and Wellington get the cream of their work, to the extent that by the time they reach Christchurch, we know all.about them. It would be greatly appreciated by listeners if the Service occasionally gave: Christchurch a turn with the initial performance." Pos sibly, this man added, such a move would awaken the civic authorities ani the public generally to the crying need in Christchurch for a Town Hall or concert chamber large enough to accommodate about 3000, instead of having to convert a small picture theatre for concert work. A reasonable argument! S was recently forecast in these notes, the Government has now decided to install radio navigation aids for aeroplanes in New Zealand. Four plants .have- already been "taken from, Union Airways, and others are on order. -Action is pro‘ceeding by the Government along lines indicated as desirable, in the report made to the Government. by Mr... H. R. Green, If.8e., radio engineer of the Chief Post Office, who recently investigated mutters ‘of this kind. in several European countries and the United States. ANOTHER big charity concert is to be presented by the National Broadcasting ‘Service’s radio artists in Auckland, in the Town Hail on September 30. So far the full list of performing talent is not available, but it is known that Bileen Joyce, the famous pianist, will.be featured. Miss Joyce, considered to be the greatest female pianist in the world, unfortunately had to postpone her'New Zealand tour, which should have been commenced last week. It is to be hoped that this concert will be better supported by the public than the last tw %» both in aid of worthy causes. 1937 Sets PECIFICATIONS and technical data which have been received in Auckland regarding the radio sets shown at the big radio exhibitions in England and the United States indicate that there will be very little that is new in the 1987 models. Most manufacturers are using all metal valves in their sets. The present range of mantle and console receivers seems to have been standardised, although most manufacturers are releasing a modern chest model. A.O.-D.C. sets are not being widely featured. The medium-priced and quality receivers are being fitted with cathode ray-tuning indicators. Little prominence is being given to the radio-gramophone combination. It ‘is

‘rather early yet to say, but it is believed . prices for 1987 models will be . higher than: for current models. Invasion T the end of this week and the beginning of nert, touring talent will take charge of portions of the evening programmes from 4YA. Three comic artists, who have been scoring successes in the north-Freddy Cholmondeley, Vincent Ryan, and Dora Lindsaymake a start before the local microphone on Friday. Of these three Dunedin knows only one in person, this being the lady member of the troupe, who acas seen at His Majesty's Theatre avith the Long Tack Sam Company. . Hveryouc knows what she can do, and many,

through: listening to: the. Northern stations, have a goddidea of the merits: of the other two. -Then there is Dave Howard;: with his Saxophone and fund-:of -humour. Just to add-a little’ balance to the programmes of: the-comics, EBileen Boyd, Australian: contralto, and ‘Senia Chostiakoff,* + Russian | tenor, will be fitted into: Sunday? 8 broad‘easts. . Golfers ALTHOUGH Gene Sarazen and Helen Hicks-great~- golfers-were not heard from 3YA in. a: talk about the little white ball and .what to do With it, the other day, the Christchurch station served listeners very well with a description of the exhibition match at Shirley with C, J. Ward and:H. R. Blair, Again, in the news session,

the game was most aptly reviewed by Mr. A. R. Blank, one of the foremdst golfers of Christchurch, and headmaster of the celebrated Fendalton Openniv Sehool, This broadcast was so admuirably carried out that listeners were nlmost on the tee. Sneaking Out T is not everyone who can leave work on a Wednesday afternoon to watch a football match, so those left in town when a game is on have to find some other means of following its progress. This year the most important games in Dunedin have been the Ranfurly Shield matches, and in order to meet "ll its challengers, the Otago team has had to play on two or three Wednesday afternoons. Although there have been big gates on these occasions, many enthusiasts have not been able to be present, which may account for the remarkably large number of excuses various employees have made for leaving their own buildings to conduct "business" in other parts of the city,

Once they are in the streets they can usually snatch an odd ten minutes to listen to the 4YA announcer’s story of the game; hence the groups of listeners standing round the radio shop doorways. . Talks to Come NINE-FIVE p.m. features, so popular at 8YA, will be continued on: August 81 when the second talk on the British Commonwealth and Civilisation series-"‘Enghind’s Contiibution"will. be delivered by Dr. James Hight, Rector of Canterbury University College, ‘Then on September 1 there will be. a B.B.C. recorded talk on "Conquests of the Air, No. 6." We will then, in company with Mr. Leicester Webb, Christchurch journalist, go into "World Affairs" on September 3, and the following evening another journalist, Mr. Allen Curnow, will endeavour to chase away the "Bogey of Modern Poetry." Who’s First? ERBAL maimen will wrestle with words on September 8. The National Broadcasting Service will send over the air a debate between two experts on the seenic merits of the’ North Island as against those of the South Island, and the speakers will be, respectively, Mr. F. W. ¥ossler (North) and Mr. C. H, Clibborn (South). The Rotarians are responsible for this interesting piece of verbal brick-batting and, if the listeners don’t get "all het up," it will be just too bad. Daily newspapers have given literally yards of space to this vital question, from the tourists’ point of view, and there is every indication that the debate will be a decidedly bright spot in the week’s broadcast. Radio in Schools (URTHER proof that the Bducation Department is anxious to see all schools equipped with radio, wag provided at last week’s meeting of the Auckland Education Board, when the department wrote stating that in approved cases it was prepared to make a grant up to £3 a school toward the cost of installing radio sets, A similar amount would be available toward the cost of batteries for the operation of sets in those schools where electricity is not available. The letter stated that it was to be understood that no part of the grant was to be devoted toward the cost of the set. In School OME of the Otago schools’ headmasters still look unfavourably on the radio as a means of instruction to the children in their charge, They maintain that a good teacher can give just as valuable talks to the pupils as those who take part in the afternoon educa. tional sessions, and that the former, because they have a elass before their ,

eyes, can hold the attention of the children better than the radio speakers, There is something to be said for this argument, of course, but, on the other hand, the fact that so.many schools have found the educational broadcasts a valuable supplement to the ordinary

i Pit Pee Tid 20s Sit Pie ttt curriculum is proof of their worth. Unfortunately, the separate committees responsible- for the guidance of the schools still have to find the necessary finance for the purchase of sets, and many: are unwilling to start a fund which they might not be able ‘to-com-plete, ‘ ao Back Again | PERSONALITY, with a, capital "P," is in the make-up of Mr. David .McGill, populay Christchurch tenor. . For several years in Christchurch he has delighted concert-goers, and, just after the Great War, he was a favourite with

Fuller -Circuit patrons. Some little time ago he failed to appear on Christchurch programmes and the city dis‘covered that his firm had transferred him to Wellington. However, he is back again and was heard the other

night in numbers which showed that his voice is as clear and as appealing as ever. Naturally he has had a great welcome home from his musical and other’ friends, Hospital Radio . AT last week's meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board, tenders for the installation of complete wireless equipment of the large Wallace Wards were referred to the finance committee. It was further resolved to obtain the services of an expert to advise the committee, At the same meeting a request from the Onehunga branch of the Hospital Auxiliary for a grant toward the maintenance of the wireless installation .at the tuberculosis shelters drew comment from.the chairman of the Hospital Board, the Rey. W. C. Wood. "The matter opens up the bigger ques‘tion of whether the board should not take over the wireless, which I regard

as an essential part of the hospital," It was agreed by the board to assume responsibility for the maintenance of the wireless, The East VERY now and again one radio Speaker will be given more public Tecognition than some of his confreres, It may be that the talks broadcast these days are so frequent that listeners cannot possibly hear the issue, but the fact remains that some come in for a good deal more audible comment than others. It seems that Mr. John A. Brailsford is one who’ is treating an interesting subject to the satisfaction of his hearers, as many have been heard discoursing on the amount of pleasure they have. received from his addresses on various aspects of the East. Mr. Brailsford has now given two of a series of talks from 4YA, and probably the last will be heard early the week after next, as he is appearing every second week only. Hay Fever HIS paragraph is in no way counected with the "Hay Fever" which helped to make Noel Coward famous, but concerns that. annoying complaint which is highly seasonable about this time of the year when the wattle, the pussy-willow and other trees are in

bloom, At 9.5 p.m. on Friday, September +, a member of the medical staif of the Auckland Hospital is scheduled to deliver a talk on "Asthma and Hay Fevyer-Their Cause, Cure and Treatment," Listeners who suffer from the above complaints-and there must be thousands-would be well advised to tune in to this timely talk to be given by an expert, Good Tips | YA listeners had a treat when they heard the measured tones of Ar. Farquhar, much beloved old actor and voice producer of the city, detailing some of his racing vreminiscences, Not so long ago he ' told of the old theatrical days, and couched his descriptions in the style that is inimitably his. From what he had to say about brilliant horses of the day and their backers, astute and otherwise, young listeners learned something that "should stand them in good stead in after life." Brightened Up N the comparatively short time that Mr. Gil Dech has been music director at 4YA he has introduced many new forms of studio presentations to listeners, and has earned their thanks

for his efforts. Beside being conduetor of the 4YA Concert Orchestra, Mr. Dech is director of the 4YA Chamber Musie Players, who have been heard from time to time in many artistic programmes. These players, who have gained the attention more especially of the music-lovers of Dunedin, are to be heard playing a Brahms composition early next month. This will be "Quintet in F Minor," Op. 84, which has only previously been given to listeners as a recorded item, and as it is one of Brahms’s earlier works and is: unusually wealthy in melody, it will be refreshing to hear this studio performance by the Chamber Music Players. Concert HEN the first "Hear Ye," of the aria, "Hear Ye, Israel,’ from Mer delssohn’s "Wlijah," rang out in the Civie Theatre, Christchurch, the other night, the audience knew at once that Florence Austral was a great singer. Thereafter every moment of Madame Austral’s singing Was pure joy. Her popular husband, John Amadio, gave a magnificent exposition of the powers of the flute, playing both in obbligato work With his wife, and in solos. Sydney de Vries, too, received a great reception, and Browning Mummery’s songs, as with the other artists, meant several encores. Miss Gladys Vincent, of Christchurch, solo violinist, and the 3YA Studio Orchestra, under Mr, Har-

old Beck, also had honoured places on one of the finest programmes heard in Christchurch for years. Mr. Carl Bartling and Mr. M. T. Dixon played the accompaniments. The National Broadcasting Service was responsible, and the Mayor’s Fund for the relief of distress will benefit, "Macbeth" from LYA AFEW weeks ago when Professor W. A. Sewell, Professor of English at the Auckland University College, produced "Macebeth" in a modernised version, much favourable comment resulted. Listeners will shortly be able to judge how well the young English professor succeeded, for he has been engaged by the National Breadeasting Service to produce the Shakespearean play in the studio of 1YA on Sunday next, August 30. Mr. Kenneth H. Melvin will not be available to enact the role of "Macbeth," so the professor is going to portray it himself, Something New "Givi us something new; give us something different!" the younger generation of listeners is inclined to ery frequently. Very well, the National Broadcasting Service will provide something snappy enough on September 1, when a two-way conversation, between the new inter-colonial

steamer, Awatea, and the shore, will be broadcast by all YA stations. There may be a spot or two of the ‘Yo-heave-ho" business, and, again, there may not. The chat may be brightened with conjectures as to the name Of the new (lirector of broadcasting! At any rate, it’s bound to be interesting, Seamen may be on land and landsmen-may be all at sea! Bands HE second of a series of brass: band concerts by the Dunedin City Tramways Band was given from 4ZB last Thursday, when a light and popular programme was presented. There is no doubt about the popularity « of brass bands. Their music always finds favour, besides being a welcome change from "canned" music. The band, which is under the baton of Mr. E. H. Logie, is enlisted entirely from among workmen, many of whom are quite young. It was announced that the next concert would be given in six weeks’ time. Stood Up to It INCE the high-powered transmitting station hag been in operation at Higheliff it hag only once undergone the real test of its resistance against severe weather. Until the other weekend the worst the plant had had to withstand was an occasional high wind, none of which. caused any damage, even to the gigantic lattice mast on the hilltop, but now the engineers in residence at the transmitting site are highly pleased, because the complete apparatus did not cause the slightest trouble either during or after a snow storm. Admittedly, the storm was not of long duration, but during the night the snow became frozen, and it was thought that the valve water cooling apparatus, might have been disorganised in consequence. However, an inspection showed that ice and snow, against which it is somewhat protected, had not affected the equipment, and so all remained well at Highceliff. Roy Hill QGYDNEY hag treated Roy Hill, of Wellington, to a broadcast or two since his recent arrival there from New Zealand, and in aq letter to the "Radio Record" he states that he will appear again from 2BL on Monday, August 81, when he will broadcast "Over the Sea to Skye," by Arthur Clarke, in a "New Zealand Musicians of To-day" feature. The other members will be "Pierrot at Fifty," by Claude Haydon, "My Dearest Dear,’ by Erie Waters, and another group by Peter Warlock. On August 15 and 21 the tenor was also broadcast from 8AR and 8LO respectively. When he returns by the Wanganella next morth he hopes to broadcast from 1YA before proceeding to Wellington. Dr, Keith Barry, who. beard a recording of Roy Hill’s singing, promised the tenor concert engagements if he could stay long enough in Australia, and Harry Thurston wanted him to go into musical comedy,