PERSONALITIES ON THE AIR

Radio Record, 18 March 1938, Page 18

PERSONALITIES ON THE AIR

ARLY last century a miningengineer (ex-cathedral choirboy) noticed that while down in the mines in France, as soon as a miner would start singing the others always joined in. This man, Joseph Mainzer, had to stop mining because of his health, so he studied for the church and was ordained priest in 1826. He then set out on his travels in Germany, Italy, France and England, and started people singing wherever he went. It was in the North of England that he succeeded best. Charging sixpence a month for weekly lessons, at one time he had 20,000 people attending his various classes every week, and he sold 200,000 copies of his songbook, "Music for the Million." Station 1YA features a recorded presentation, e2YD Community Sing," on Friday, Mareh 25. HE WAS SUCH When Robert SebuA mann made his first LITTLE CHAP. appearance in public as a pianist, he was such a ‘i.tle fellow that he had to stand up at the keyboard instead of sitting-perhaps those revolving piano stools weren’t invented before 1820. When he finally abandoned the idea of mmc

becoming a lawyer and took the plunge into the musical profession, he set himself with tremendous zeal to become a front-rank pianist. As a short cut to mastery of the instrument, he invented nu device for strengthening the weak fingers, ‘This ended in disaster, as he completely crippled one of them, had

to give up the piauo and turn to vomposition and criticism. Station 2YA features Madame Betts-Vinecent in an annotated Schumann piano recital, Tuesday, Mareh 22. THOUGH BLIND Veteran of broadHE casting at the BBC, SINGS GAILY. Ronald Gourley is one of the few pioneers of microphone vaudeville who are as -popular to-day as ever. 'Though blind he has a cheerful persvnality Which "comes over" admirably as he sings, whistles and fools about with the piano. Children’s hour listeners adore

him as the composer of "The Dicky Bird Hop." Station 1YA listeners will hear him on Saturday, March 26, in Mercer’s ‘Dog Version of Lazy Bones," and his own whistling solo, "A Woodland Romance." "JOHN WESLEYS" A faculty for blunt WANTED expression is the IN MUSIC, common attribute of most Yorkshiremen, and Sir Edward Bairstow, York Minster organist, is no exception. Discussing the state of music, he recently urged musicians not to stand idly by and watch English music go to the dogs. Sir Edward drew a_ parellel with the churches, so many of which were empty owing to "dead" sermons, and he asked if some musicians, too, were not musically dead or balf-dead. The future of music depended on the vuumber of "musical John Wesleys in our ranks,"’ he said. The Royal Choral Society will be heard at 4YA under the baton of Sir K. C. Bairstow, en Sunday afternoon, March 29. SCHOOLED IN Well known = in ART Dunedin when the -OF ELOCUTION. city had _ seven . radio stations was. as an announcer at 4ZB. Before. his entry to southern . commercials, he had been heard on most of the Dunedin stations, acting for 4

time ag relieving announcer at 4YA, Schooled in the elocutionary arts and possessor of a well-rounded: singing hass, Mr. McConnell has also been a. universal favourite with conc¢ert. and, theatregoers in Dunedin for many years,

HE hia Cables announce the death of Sydne OWN "DESTINY.’ ‘Baynes, 7 os famous for his Destiny" waltz composition that Swept through the world over two decades ago like a kind of British "Blue Danube." From this popular dance tune did Sydney Baynes reap a rich harvest (more than a million copies Were sold in the British Empire alone). ‘but others did well out of it because films were built around it and novelists based plots upon it, Baynes, like so many before him, began as a church organist at £10 a year when he was a boy of thirteen. Sydney Baynes and his band figure from time to time in NBS radio programmes, GARBO SOON According to the , ABLE cables, dd-year-old GO HOME." JLcopold Stokowski will shortly lead 41-year-old Greta Garbo to the altar. so perhaps, after all, Greta avill soon have @ proper home to go to. Her advertising tag, ‘I tank I yo home," may lose its point, but there is not one of the millions of admirers of this brilliant couple who will not cordially wish them long life and happiness, and the good fortune to set many of their fcl-low-entertainers a decent erample in domestic felicity. Leopold Stokowski and his Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra will be heard at 3YA, Wednesday, March 23. DOES NOT GET There is more than BLACK a suspicion of deIN THE FACE! termination in the background o f Louis Armstrong’s beginnings. Born in New Orleans on July 4, 1900, Louis seemed fated for "independence." He was educated in the Municipal Boys’ Home, where he also learned to play the trumpet. At 15 he played this instrument in a small symphony orchestra; at seventeen he decided to devote his life to jazz music. This amiable musician doesn’t get black in the face through playing long notes on _ his trumpet-he’s that already. His Orchestra plays in 1YA’s danee session, Thursday, March 24. "ONE OF At Ann Penn’s tryUS out as a mimic durIS ROTTEN." ing a rehearsal of a new piece the manager asked her if she could imitate a certain artist in the cast. Miss Penn, who didn’t know any of the lady’s songs, said if one was produced she’d imitate the absent one’s voice. When the song was finished the original Miss X walked on to the stage. Ann Penn smiled blandly and said, "If you heard me singing just now I suppose you’re thinking if that’s like you, one of us is rotten." Miss X did not think so, and that imitation changed Miss Penn from an'actress to the most distinguished female mimic before the public. Station 2YA’s music, mirth and melody session features Ann Penn on Thursday, March 24. TENOR WAS ‘The fine work of HELPED Dino Borgioli, tenBY HIS WIFE. or, with the Melba. Opera Company, is remembered still by many of those fortunate enough to enjoy that epoch-mak-ing season of grand opera in Australia, He sings in four languages, and as one-of these is English he gives much eredit for this to his Australian

wife, formerly Miss Patricia Mort, of Sydney. The Borgioli couple make their home in Florence, but they also have a flat in London and they spend a great deal of their time in England. This is necessitated by his grand opera engagements at both Covent Garden and Glyndebourne. Dino Borgioli sings from 1YA on Friday, March 25. SON OF PARENTS The son of parents, WHO both of whom were WERE SLAVES. slaves, John Payne. celebrated negro singer and chorus-master, was born in Alabama. He has had _ experience since 1919 in London theatres, acted as chorus-master for "Show Boat,’ appeared in Edgar. Wallace’s drama, "Smoky Cell," and has played lead in the play, "Abraham’s Bosom." He finds people mix up his name with that of the two Jack Paynes, Dance Band Payne and Whistler Payne. With Turner Layton, tenor, the John Payne Choir will be heard from 2YA-on Friday, Mareh: 25. ‘ DUNEDIN’S ~ In 1924, Dr. V. E. BORN Galway was invited COMMENTATOR. to give a course of : lectures on "The Appreciation of Music" at the Univer- ° sity of Otago. This was repeated in

1925, in which year an additional course on Wagner's "Nibelung" Trilogy was also given. In 1926, a benefaction of the late Mr. John Blair facilitated the starting of classes in harmony and musical appreciation at the University. From these origins, Dr. Galway has developed additional theoretical musical subjects, and now broadcasts comments on "Masterpieces of Music" from 4YA, He will be heard again from 4YA on Thursday, March 24. HAPPY iN Loug before he ever BEING set eyes on Malabar COCKSURE. Hill, Macaulay had made one of the finest speeches on India which ever issued. from an Englishman, and years after, when he had held high office there, had set firm its laws and remodelled its education system, he came back, just the same Macaulay, making just the same speeches. He had the knack of knowing his subject. "I wish," said witty old Lord Melbourne, once, "I wish I were as cocksure of one thing as Macaulay is of everything." From Macaulay’s famous "Life of Clive," Mr, D’Arey Cresswell . will read extracts at 1YA, on Friday, March 25. SHE KNEW The mother = of MORE Lady Mary WorthTHAN PAPA. ley Montague died when she was a baby. Her father, the Duke of Kingston, was too busy with society affairs to bother much; but she taught herself, by the time she was in her ’tcens, more than papa ever knew. One of the first "society ladies" to write a spicy and rather libellous book of reminiscences, She was the reigning toast of the KitKat Olub when she was eight. This 18th Century pioneer of women’s rights is the subject of a talk at 4YA on Tuesday, March 22, by Miss M. W. May, M.A. FOUR VERY From Budapest LIVELY comes one: of the MUSICIANS. most popular string quartets before the public. This is the Lener String Quartet, headed by Jeno. Lener, first violin, the other members’ being Joseph Smilovitz, second violin, Sandor Roth, viola. and G. Hartmann, 'cello. Here is a catalogue of their respective hobbies. Mr. Lener plays tennis, fast and furious; he also won a Silver médal in Florence at a fencing competition. He is a fine swimmer, plays a-good game of golf, is a keen motorist, paints pictures, and is a great photographer. Mr. Smilovitz, besides being a clever caricaturist, rides a horse and plays golf. Mr, Roth, the viola player, is also good in fencing and ‘swimming. He once saved two Italians from drowning in a river near Padua. Mr. Hartmann, the ’cellist, is too absorbed in his ’cello to indulge in sport, though he has been known t6 talk in his sleep and address an audience as though he were & member of the Savage Club. Station 4YA listeners will hear the Lener String Quartet on . Friday, Marech:.18, in the eelebrated "Kmperor"’ Quartet ty Haydn.

No. 23 AS THE ARTIST SEES THEM BROADCASTERS