Your Side of the MICROPHONE

Radio Record, 27 May 1938, Page 25

Your Side of the MICROPHONE

After this issue "Safety Valve’ will be closed in . the meantime, and no further contributions should be sent in until requested. Final prize-winners are: Leith Tullock, Gisborne (7/6); ‘‘Mephis« topheles,"’ Invercargill, Mrs. T. O’Brien, South-~-land, **1938.’’ New Plymouth, "Listeners,’*’ Lower Hutt (2/6 each).

CHIRPING sparrow calling himself (?3 "Tui" has written disrating opera. Now, 1 work ina P.W D. camp, where there is no wireless, and what would f not give to be able to stay at home on a Sunday night

and listen-in to those wonderful pro grammes. I have met people like "Tui" before, and, after explaining "the Story of Opera" to them, a new picture, alive with human interest, is presented tc them: when they hear the "world’s besi music." [I thoroughly agree with "Nicodemus"-learn the story first.

RITES CC ESE SEES ESTES ve besseseesseseseeee t am confident that in these days of increased leisure, the man in the street (sparrows included) will in the years to come, learn to appreciate opera. Until that happy day, we must cater for all classes, and give them "The Japanese House Boy" and Scotand Yard mysteries,

Howeyer, "Long liye opera’'!--"Mephistopheles," ‘ Invereargill. Points Of Law HAVE often heard the wish expres sed for a "Law Session." What an interest this would have for farmers and others who do not know many simple points. For instance, I listened to u droyer and a farmer one eyening. Both knew the law was "stock must he put in a paddock at dusk,’ but neither knew if the drover could demand a paddock from the farmer he happened to reach at dusk. It seemed unreasonable for 50 bullocks to be turned into the only paddock the farmer was saving for a little winter feed, but the drover helieved he could demand a paddock for the night. It was going to cost 10’6 to have the point decided. What a jot of questions could be ask@éd and answered in, say, 10 minute-~

over the air-

Mrs.

T.

O'Brien

South

land,

Why Home-Made? [ CONSIDER that the NBS could render valuable assistance to the secondary industries of the Dominion by presenting a series of talks upon the subject of "Modern Thrift," these to he delivered by our own able economisis. Visitors to this country often say our womenfolk work hard, but the truth is that many of them spend far too much time indoors ‘‘keeping up the oid tradition" of having things home-made. Seldom is it necessary these days for a housewife to turn her home into a miniature factory, or even a bakehouse tather should she take a share of the new leisure, and, incidentally, create employment for others. Descriptions of various industries. followed by logical reasons for not infringing on them in the home, would prove interesting, and, furthermore, would illustrate the commendable forin of patriotism which prompted a woman to remark, "I buy all my jam, pickles and sauces, It helps to keep somebody: in a job,"-"1938," New Plymouth.

Overlapping [TX a recent issue "Madame Butterfly," was listed for 8.380 p.m, at 4Y¥A4 on Sunday, and another "highlight" operatic programme was he-

ing broadcast from 2YA at the same time. Many of us wanted to hear both entertainments, but could not do s0, In recent issues of your paper unfavourable remarks were made (rightly) about the absolute "tripe" from all stations on Saturdays. Why not divide the operas and give us

one 0n Saturday nights? Now, regarding Talks: Most of these are very interesting, but ‘as in the case of operas (but not so frequently) they overlap. Surely this could be avoided?

Listeners

ower Hutt.

Yoo Fleard To Please if SEE many people seem to complain in "Your Side of the Microphone," but rarely is there a paragraph praising our radio programmes. Certainly some of the suggestions are very good; but I think that people like "Tui," of Timau, are very selfish in their views! She suggests omitting from programmes sopranos, operas, Wurlitzer organs and erooners. Eyen though I have a small eircle of friends, I can truthfully say that each one of those items is appreciated by most of them. I think that the programme organiser really tries to please all, and I challenge anyone on any one night to look through the programmes and not find a large selection to pick from. The trouble is that many people are too lazy (mentally) to try to find what they really like, or else they have not much idea of what ther

want,-

M.W.

H.

Wyndham.

t. PUERRDUREEERUSEREEEUALTQGEDOLSEDLUTESRERTERDGSAROLGRQGEEDUTROSEURERRAGREROGEREQTUTDERRDDEERRRDEOCUIEGEGSEEASEOREOREE UL ERSECSARGRTRDSERAEUERDEDROEDERDELEEIERRREODSS SUCLCSEETUEUDUCUTRECR TEPER EUEERRECED SPEEA REEED EEE ELT EEORERESUSTETES TENSES OPERA STARS Should Speak Their Own Language ‘THE presentation of Gounod’s "Faust’’ from 2YA on a recent Sunday lost much of its appeal by being translated into English, which robbed it of the natural fire of the Continental languages, more particularly as the singers were English themselves. Compared with the Latin races, the English, hedged in by reserve and inhibitions, lack expression and spontaneity; there is a coldness and absence of emotion. A great lover of grand opera, | enjoyed the rendering in English less than usual. It failed to touch the depths of appreciation, or rouse me to the heights of intense feeling which operas sung in their original language always do. So many of the little subtleties, richnesses of tone, and shades of expression are lost in translation. Please, NBS, let us have our operas in the language in which they were composed. Tell us the story before each act opens as is your custom, and then if a listener cannot follow the passionate expressiveness of grand opera stars, he should turn instead to ‘The Japanese Houseboyv."" or Eb and PUQSEURQUUESEDUREQUODECTUGETOQEEGRSOUETUDALELETQOGTLESELOTEGSEDSULDGEASEEREOQEDSSEDLURUGATEREGDEOSEROUSESESRUTELIEUESOOSETOGSEQUEERORSSGULORUSESOR RL INERSPSRSOROEE ETS

Zeb_

Leith

Tulloch

Gisborne)