In the Wake of the Week's Broadcasts

Radio Record, 13 May 1938, Page 6

In the Wake of the

Week's Broadcasts

HE TALKS TO A MENTAL PICTURE.

If ever there was need for a leisurely delivery in radio talks it is in the NBS "Whirligig of Time" series now on the air from the main statious. For thousands of listeners the facts are

new and strange, or half-forgotten with time. And if these facts are given with speed, the poor

listener is led over continents and and throngh past centuries at 2 pace that is exhausting, This is my complaint against more than one speaker, and the latest offender way Dr. A, C. Keys speaking from 2YA last week. He fired off his good material like a buman machine-gun, and left at least one listener almost lifeless in his chair. Listeners like to be couxed and wheedled aud treated geutly in radio talks. After all, radio talks are like conver-

sation. One talker I know has a good system. When he speaks into the microphone he has a picture in his mind of his wife. He gives his radio talks to her.

MEMORIES OF IRVING AND TENNYSON.

Last week Mr. L. D. Austin’s informative talk at 2YA. on the Lyceum first night of Tennyson’s "Becket" stirred many memories of Sir Henry Irving. As Mr.,Austin reminded lis-

teners, It Was 10 this role that the great actor suddenly received his last call. This was

at the Theatre Royal, Bradford, on October 13,-1905. As he fell beneath the strokes of the four knights in the last act of this spectacular tragedy, Sir Henry uttered the words, "Into Thy Hands, O Lord-into Thy Hands!"

They were the last lines ever spoken by the great actor. The talk reminded one listener of a remarkable ‘thing that took place on the day after Tennyson’ death in 1892. Immediately after the’ boet ‘s death was announced, there was a sudden appearance in the streets of one big English town of dozens of men selling pirated versions of a musical setting of Tennyson’s "Crossing the Bar." The hawkers did a_ thriving business. Nearly every passer-by had two penn’orth of Tennyson's very popular short poem. The Poet Laureate was buried in Westminster Abbey thirteen years within a day, before Sir Henry Irving’s dramatic exit.

I made up my mind that I would listen to A. G, Fleming’s studio presentation of John Harvey’s play, "Peace

NOT MUCH ROOM FOR SENTIMENT.

by the Derwent," from +YA last Moundav in a strictly non-critical frame vf

mind. I bad begun to wonder if listening critically had ‘destroyed my ayp-

preciation of recent plays. 1 haven’t solved the problem yet, because, whether or not it was because of my attitude, I found the play enjorable. It was sketchy, being broken up into six sequences, spread over the years 1913-1987, but the sketches seemed to hang together quite well. The theme was idealistic, and really concerned one man’s intense desires for a grand and glorious peace, his first hopes being bitterly crushed when the war broke out. After the war he found things no better, for, as we all know, the last 20 years haye not been exactly a peaceful peace, The story switched from Tasmania to England and back to Tasmania, where the idealist found his peace by the Derwent River n company, with u pre-war love. J liked the sentiment, I liked the way it was handled, and I certainly did like the voice of the man taking the part of Leonard Henderson, the idealist. Possibly all these likes came about because I had made up my mind not to be critical. I don’t know. I do know that other people I've spoken to considered the play sen: timental rubbish. I suspect the idealistie theme did not appeal; there isn’t wuch place for sentiment and idealism in the world to-day. Ye

APPALLING PIANOS IN CONCERT HALLS.

All tov often in the "vonecert halls" of New Zealand one finds a stock piano that tonally is far from up to the mark, The keys are hammered by al] und sundry, aud, although there is no

lack of tuning experts, their services are called upon only for special oeca-

sions. And so wheu Miss Cara Hall, winner of the 1987 Royal Academy of Music scholarship, and a welcome performer vver the YA statious, presented a pianoforte recital in the Jellicoe Hall, Christchurch, the other night, she wus very much "up against it.’ But the very fact that she had to play on u poor piano redounded to her credit From this instrument she drew tonal qualities that were amazing. Radio listeners kuow already what Miss Hall ean do

with a piano in first-class condition. Brahms, Bach, Schumann and some modern arrangements were on her programme, which was altogether delight.Tul wes

HE MUST BE A STUDIOUS MAN.

Week in, week out, yeur in, year out, J. T. Paul sits himself before 4YA’s microphone and proceeds to discourse for 20 minutes on ‘World Affairs." Mr, Paul has a pleasant, unhurried

Style of speaking, yet he always carries conviction, and seems to be an unquestioned author-

ity on world affairs. It doesn’t matter what happens in Europe or elsewhere ; no matter how confusing and conflicting cable mesages may be, Mr. Paul quietly elucidates things for the listener. T admire Mr. Paul and his dissertations, but I admire him most of all in those quiet weeks when the most exciting cable news is a Hollywood romance; for, unperturbed, Mr. Paul delivers something instructive on the domestie affairs of European countries. I don’t know, of course, but I strongly suspect Mr. Paul eats hig meals with encyclopedias and cables propped all about him, and spends half his time with his head wrapped in wet cloths und drinking caffeine and aspirins as he struggles to make order out of chaos and present facts in such a@ manner that even the dullest of listeners can fully understand "World Affairs." Ad

OFF-SETTING THE LOWBROW

Time and time again critics huve vastigated the commercial stations for their "low-brow" presentations, After ajl, the very term means only a flick wf the lines that grace or mar the

torehead of the average human being. That it has its high-brow, moments more franvantic

BO i af thay the critics kuow, has been demonstrated recently by 3ZB. Granted, this station gues in for a yood deal of dramatisatiou, but 1 euters that field with a due sense of responsibility and the fitness of things. There has been u very noticeable improvement lately. both in the choice of musie, as 4 background for serious muiters, and in the writing of seript which, to-day, is excelleut. When this station sets itself out tw duu dramutised job, it ean be relied pou to turn out a really urtistie effort, iu spite of its youthfulness on the air. Ww

JUST TO START AN ARGUMENT.

What I want to know is: Why do NBS announcers attempt to thrust upon listeners the strictly correct pronunclation of Maori words when = referring to plaves or to stenmers.

Tt’s being pedantic, ‘to suy the least. Authorities generalle rrep that

What comivon usage decrees is correct. Why should NBS announcers say what is Very neurly Mah’no, when everybody elsé says Maheuy, with emphasis vu the "he"? Wakari, in Dunedin, is Wa-karry -to everrbody excepting ‘the 4YA announcers who make it Wa-ka-ri. No doubt the latter is more strictly correct in Maori, but ninety-nine per

vent. of Maori names are uttered in an Anglicised form, and that Anglicised form should be good enough for announcers. I have even known people wonder just what place is meant because an unfamiliar pronunciation had made it sound like something else. I agree it is a matter for argument, yet I insist that common usage makes & place-name correct. Not that NBS, an: nouncers are consistent. Everyone says Timaru with emphasis on the "Tim," but I haven’t yet heard an NBS announcer say Tee-ma-ru, which should be more nearly correct.

HAS SET THE CITY BY THE EARS

Oceasionally, very vecasionally, Mr. Gil Dech, conductor of 83YA Orchestra. appears nowadays in public, for his duties keep him busy at the studio. Recently. however, he was guest

conductor. for the Christchurch Laurian Club. Undoubtedly he and his orchestra set

Christehureh by the ears, for the playing was of the finest heard here for many years. Mr. Dech, as well ag being a fine musician, is a man of very genial personality and his orchestra supports him to a man, Several of the members were with him at the Laurian Club’s recital, which was all to the good for the club.

PLEASE, NOT BY THEIR CHRISTIAN NAMES.

Announcers at 4ZB have been pilloried lately by newspaper correspondents objecting to the too familiar manner of making announcements. The protests have been rather em-

phatic, but it is a question whether they are fully deserved, NBS announcers are too

formal and unbending in their manner of speech, and there is room to-day for brighter announcing. NCOBS announcers provide this, but admittedly, there are times when they do go tou far. Lately, in announcing election meetings candidates have been freely referred to by their Christian names, und such broadcasting familiarity does jar a little. Freedom in announcing is welcome, but, please, 4ZB, do not overdo it.

MAORI SINGERS WHO ARE PAKERAS.

Listeuers who liked the traditional Maori numbers given from 1YA_ by Itangi and Hine early last week will be interested to know that these two fine harmonisers are not Maoris. but

pakehas. You would never tell it, because they have the vorrect Maori intonation. and pre

sent their songs in the proper Maori style. These two young ladies some time ago made a tour of the North Auckland province and collected all their materia] on the spot from the kiangas. So fine was their broadcast that many people telephoned the station to ask who the Maori singers were, Ore man, obviously a Maori, telephoned, "What the name of these girls?’ Knowing that the duo were supposed to be anonymous the operatur stalled and said he was unable te find out at the moment. "Orright."’ said the Maori at the other end of the ‘phone, "but I think I know them." As a. fact he did not know the singers. But he had heard the same songs sung by maidens in his own pa.