In the Wake of the Week's Broadcasts

Radio Record, 29 April 1938, Page 6

In the Wake of the

Week's Broadcasts

NEW ZEALAND’S RABIO TALKER NO. 1.

Radio talkers conld Jearn oa good deal from listening to the address given over the air by the Prime Minister last week, The manner of delivery in the main was easy, natural and eonver-

sational. The address wus given with the sincerity which no one doubts though many hold

misguided-and sincerity is a prime quality that somehow comes out in the tone of the voice. There was a pleasing variation in mood from humour to deep feeling, The voice was pleasing. Whatever one might care to think about him @s Prime Minister, I can honestly name him as New Zealand’s radio taller No. 1, And in this category, curious

ly enough, he lines np with Hitler, Mussolini and Franklin D, Roosevelt.

PERFORMANCE? YES, CHOICE? NO.

No doubt about it, the 8YA_ orchestra has improved out of sight during the last few months. It has more solidarity and achieves a fine organ tone in its legato passages, alternating, neces-

sarily, with enhanced brillianee in the more rapidly-mov-ing phrases, But one might reason-

ably complain about the choice — of works. The other night I heard the "Charles Il" overture, The orchesira played it well. but, while Montague Phillips is in the top rank of composers, there are some of his works

fhat simply don’t appeal to New Zesland listeners. Nearly an later the orchestra. after an interlude with some well-played Tsehaikowsky, was heard again in the Mozart Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor with Gil Dech as pianist. Possibly a trifle heavy for general consumption agai. but delightfully presented. Orchestr: broadcasting-and to my mind there is no finer combination-have surely a library eapable of showing off their musical worthiness without having recourse to obscure numbers. There is no need to "go all popular," but there is decidedly a eall for "tuneful" works. A little more attention to choice, therefore, would make 3YA’s orchestra ae top- ranker in the Dominion, That's my idea, at any rate,

OUR MODERN MASTER OF MAGIC.

On Good Friday evening, station 4ZB fave a very pleasant session devoted entirely to tunes from Disney cartoons. The tunes were interspersed with references to the life and work of the

greatest of all sereen cartoonists, and these were given in a manner that indicated a full ap-

preciation of his activities. Disney is truly the modern master of magic. and his name will live along with the names of Hang Anderson and _ the Brothers Grimm, for Walt is immortalising the fairy folk just as those writers did. Only more so, for Disney's creations possess vigorous life. This particular session gave a wonderful idea of the wide range of really delightful and whimsical tunes that are favoured by the cartoonist, ranging from the strident "Who's Afraid of the Big. Bad Wolf?’ from the sensational "Three Little Pigs." to the sweet little Jullaby from ‘"‘Lullabyland." Sessions of this type are decidedly worth — eney) raging of

1 DO A SNAKE'S CRAWL.

Having felt disgustingly superior up to now about listening to rhythm boys and rhythm girls in. radio, it is only fair to admit that I am obliged to bow and pay a small tribute to the Four

Kings of Rhythin, whom I heard for the first time from YYA last week. They are all right, and 1

heg their pardon for suspecting anything else. I had a horrid idea that they blew saxophones in frantic misery and saug and played snappy accordeou solos. Instead I found they played four pianos in a manyver in which the music Wis not subjugated by the rbythm and that they made a happy interlude in the somewhat starched and frilled National station’s programme. Next Thursday night, they said. is their birthday anniversary and they are to celebrate with a special programme. Ww

CHORAL ART IN CHRISTCHURCH.

I listened Easter Sunday morning to a relay by 38YA from the Christchurch Roman Catholic Cathedral. sarbadoes Street. and heard some of the finest choral music in a long experi-

ence, Orgunist was Miss Kathleen (YConnor, and conductor Miss Mary O’Connor. Clarity

of tone, sympathy of expression, and due vilues given to phrasing-both in words wid music-were outstanding. "Excelant"? is the adjective to describe this nroadcast,

CHOIR WORK WAS STRONGER THAN SOLO.

Stainer’s "Crucifixion" was performeq in 4YA’s studio on Good Friday night, T enjoyed the part singing very well indeed, and thought the conductor. Mr. Firnest Drake, was deserving of 4

pat on the leick for the manner in which he drew real harmony from his choir in music that.

without the proper light and shade, would have been meaningless. The pumber, "Fling Wide the Gates," came over the alr so that it provided a gennine thrill, and almost every word could be distinctly heard. I wish I could say

as much for the bass singer, Mr. A, J. H. Jeavons, but I simply could not pick out his words, although I liked his voice. Mr. Drake, the tenor, too, was not us clear as I would have desired. Perhaps it might not be thought necessary in a piece the theme of which is so widely known, but, nevertheless, I could not help considering that an outline of the theme, as presented, would have ensured u wider clarity. I thought the order of events was slightly disturbed. a

1 WAS ANGRY THAT NIGHT, P.M.

Thinking the fault might be rectified sooner or later, I have so far refrained from commenting on the "to-morrow night at 10 p.m." busivess, but when u 3ZB man fell by the ruadside "the

other night at 10 pan." I turned off the radio, switehed ou the typewriter, and let myself go.

This paragraph is # very mild version of what I wrote the nigh’: (p.mn.) before. The morning light (a.in.) brought a more charitable view of announcing in general, but, oh! there’s a tremendous amount of leeway to make up before many a commercia! announcer may safely consider himself "peppy but correct." And so, "Good morning, this a.m., everybody !" t

LISTENERS LIKE THE REAL THING.

‘Lust year 4ZM made a practice of broadcasting the Town Hall dances, held regularly on Saturday night. Even if, as was often the case, the musi¢ played was no means up to the stan-

dard set by recorded bands, most listeners enjoyed the association with 2 venuine danee and

flesh-and-blood performers, and preferred to tune-in there rather than listen

to stereotyped recorded numbers, Se far this year 4ZM has not broadcast these dances, but last Saturday they went over to the Embassy Salon and relayed a special dance held there. The Mayfair Dance Band proved itself an excellent combination, being every bit as much at home playing old-time music as playing up-te-date swing aud hoteha jazz. The full jollity of the evening was admirably captured by the microphone, and the relay, taken by and large, was a welcome change from the ordinary. Ping

ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

Heard from 4YA the other Wednesday night, the Novelettes Trio, instrumentalists. Miss Muriel Caddie, pianoaccordion, Mr. Wally Sinton, xylophone, and Mr. Alf ("Community Sing’)

Pettitt, comprised the trio, who gave two broadcasts consisting of four nuinbers. Personally, [

huve never heard a finer studio performance in this class of work, the balance and the lilting rhythm obtained being almost too good to be true. As a matter of faet, | tuned in to the station just after the first item began, und, listening for a few moments, I decided that a record had been substituted, ag I did not think local talent could give such a skilled rendering. My surprise when I found out that the eombination really was the Novelettes Trio, was equalled only by the intense enjoyment T derived from listening te their second appearance half an bour later, Incidentally, Alf Pettitt arranges most of the numbers to suit the limitations of the tris. He knows his job.