AGED ONE YEAR

Radio Record, 29 April 1938, Page 13

AGED ONE YEAR

Wellington’s "Commercial" 2ZB Plans a Week of Birthday Entertainment-And a Big Party

Special To The "Record" By

NORMAN

McLEOD

HIS week the Wellington Commercial radio station, ZZB, will celebrate its birthday by presenting a series of special programmes, and on Sunday, May 1, an ambitious Maori concert at one of the city’s largest theatres. More than 80 performers will take part in the entertainment, which is expected to be one of the most spectacular ever produced in the capital. Listeners will recall that commercial broadcasting was introduced to New Zealand at Auckland on October ~9, 1986, and that it met with an almost immediate locul success, That success, however, did not by any means make the sponsors of the service completely confident that success of the same degree could be repeated in other parts of the Dominion. It was felt that New Zealanders were conservative and that a favourable response to radio advertising was particularly doubtful in the south. The establishment of 2ZB, therefore, was cousidered to be the crucial Moment in the development of a national commercial service.

Realising that a great deal would depend on first impressions, no effort was spared to perfect the Wellington station’s first. broadcast. Strenueu rehearsal and thelrough organisation of every detail resulted in one of the most memorable listening days in Wellington’s radio history. The attention of the listening public was immediately attracted and held. From that date commercial radio realised that it could be organised successfully on a Dominionwide basis. From Tuesday this week the progress of 2ZB will be reealled in a_e series of broadcasts, which will close on Sunday with a presentation of the

Maori play, "Reo iri Rangi," at St. James Theatre, Wellington. This "2ZB Cavalcade of the Year," as it will be called, makes mention of the best of the year’s broadcasts in chronological order. On the opening night, the months of May and June will be featured; on Wednesday, July, August and September ; on Thursday, October, November and December; on Friday, January and February; on Saturday, March and April. . The programmes have been specially arranged. and will recall many excellent and popular sessions. PoE highlight of the birthday week will, however. be "Reo iri Rangi’ (The Voice of the Heavens). The play is a spectacular dramatisation by Oriwa Tahu Haddon, of the great migration of the Maori race in the feurteenth century. It will be interpreted by over 80 Maori singers, actors and dancers, drawn from every tribe iu New Zealand. Practically all the performers have, at one time or another, toured in other countries with celebrated groups of Maori en

tertainers WV RITEN in four acts. "Reo ivi Rangi" is really divided into two mein parts, first of which will deal with the ancient Maori, the second part being devoted to the Maori of modern times. Costumes have been specially designed. After an opening chorus the company will sing, "Reo iri Rangi" behind = the curtain to deseribe for the audience the long yorage to Hawaiki, where, on arrival, the curtain is raised, On the marae in Hawaiki the chief will be aecolpanied by the party in the "Con‘templation of the Migration." (Continued on p, 43.)

Aged One Year.

2ZB'S BIRTHDAY

(Continued from page 13). This will be followed by an ancient supplication to the gods for guidance and safety. , QCEND two dipicts the preparation for the migration "upon the bosom of Tangaroa" (the ocean), after whica the party will rise to set itself in canoe formation ready for the sea voyage, when the farewell song of the yoyagers "Poroporoaki" will be sung by the eanoeists with appropriate action. Led by their respective chiefs, the party will here portray the assembling of the canoes of the fleet, one of the action songs for which will be "Nga Waka E Whitu." After further picturesque ceremony, the fleet puts to sea, and the ‘audience will visualise + the voyagers on the bosom of the ocean. ? The scene ends with the landing at Aotea-Roa. third scene opens with the players relaxing on the shore after their long and perilous voyage. They build a pa and a "marae." Here the full beauty of Maori poetry will be re-expressed in the song "Titiro Mai E Te Whitu," a thanksgiving to the celestial bodies for safe guidance across the ocean, after which the chiefs will sing ancient calls and chants to the responses of the full party. After a patu display, a chieftainess will hurl a challenge to the wahines by placiug a piupiu directly in front of them, Poi dances and rythmie drills will prelude the challenge to the warriors who will accept it with a rousing haka to which the wahines will reply with the action number "Titi Torea." ‘Traditional Maori games and pastimes will follow, the climax coming when two warriors will step out to do "Hei Tama Tou Tawa." This is a challenge for the right to claim the hand of the chieftainess, after which two sets of warriors, the home party, and the invading party will battle with taiaha and mere. This is expected to be one of the most spectacular single acts of its type ever presented on a New Zealand stage, and it has been carefully rehearsed for several months. INALLY, the invading chief succumbs to his wounds and the priest recites incantations for his recovery. Peace is declared in a bril(iant courtyard scene which ends with '\another grand taiaha display. The last scene tells of the life of the Maori of recent date, and will be deyoted mostly to action songs, quartettes, hakas, pois and other numbers so popular with pakeha audiences. Other attractions will be the famous Ratana Silver Band, comprising 24 full-blooded Maoris, and a full orchestra under the able direction of Paikea. The players have been in active rehearsal with the orchestra and band for more than three months. The entertainment should provide a brilliant conclusion to 2ZB’s first year of broadcasting.