THE IRISH BELIEVE IN FAIRIES

Radio Record, 17 June 1938, Page 8

THE IRISH BELIEVE IN FAIRIES

The Story of Danny Malone as Told to 7 } c EMILE

my BE young fair-haired [rishman. only a few vears into his twenties, was singing tu a queue iq outside a London theatre. , It is a common enough sight in London ‘Lhe queue of people standing in a long line on the hard grey pavement veaiting for the doors of the theatre to open are usually given these turns by the street musicians to beguile the tedium of waiting. QFTEN in the grey dusk of evening, while vou are waiting to hear Menuhin perhaps play a concerto, you will hear in the queue outside a pathetic tune on a squeaky fiddle. You pay ten shillings for your seat in the theatre to hear Menuhin, and outside in the queue you drop a penny into the cap of the man with the scarf round his neck, and the squeaky fiddle. The young man with the fairy hair was singing Trish ballads. He was wondering why he had left Dublin, where he could at least be sure of a meal by singing in the cafe. But in London it was hard even te get a hite of food. One sung in the taverns. at night, before the ten-thirty Closiug time, and collected a few shillings. There might

he-an old piano. which had Jost some of its ivory teeth with ave. in the tavern. and then one could have an accompaniment. gs

F2UT it was a hard way of life, and for. three months he had been wondering why he had taken the advice to pack up and try his fortunes in the City of Grudging Favours. He pulled his scart tighter round * his neek and went.on with his song, pitting into the old Lrish ballad all he knew of his longing for the Irish towns and hills and lakes, so differ enf from the grey city of London. Nearby: a well-dressed miu tow: cred his newspaper to listen. When the singer came round with his cap he dropped ina sixpence and his enrd, "Call on me to-morrow," he said. mils young Trishinan called next — Morning. "The man who owned the card Was a well-uowi conmposer. Basil Charles Dean, Tle said te the Trishimiau: "You Will come alone with me thievening to the BY! for an audition.’ The young Evishman went along iu eg. Tle had his audition and then-"h was se d-- hungry," he says-tlie fainted

with hunger and excitement at the .microphone. Next night, contrary to all BBC traditions, for it was the night following immediately after his audition. he was heard for the first time over the air in a special programme with Rence Houston, Leonard Henry and Claude Dampier. The young hair-haired Irishman was Danny Malone, who arrived in New Zealand last week to begin a six weeks’ engagement to the NBS, "ET still seems all a fairy tale," he said, "although it Is five years now since [ first left Trelaud to go to ].vudon," In those five years he has crammed an astonishing amount of things. After that memorable audition, he gave 32 broadcasts for the BBC in 1984 and 1935, in television, musical variety, concerts and ehildren’s broadcasts. Struck with the similarity of his voice to John MeCorimack’s, a gramophone conpiuny made recordings that have travelled round the world. He played in the principal theatres of England, Scotland and Wales, And then Danny Mulone, ex-cafe singer in Dublin, went

back to Ireland. Differently, this time. In Dublin he was met by the mayor, Alderman Byrne, and Se snug at Mansion House. At Belfast he was given

civic reception by the mayor, Sir Crawford MeCullough. But he went back to his old haunts on a visit. He sang at the Dublin cafe once more. "PHEY heard of his voice in New York. The great radio organisation of the States, the NBC, arranged u hook-up with the BBC. They gave him a_ transAtlantie audition, listening in their offices in New York white he sang in London. That night he saug in a programme, colapered by Christopher ton and Ronald Frankau, = Douglas Fairbanks, jun., Renee Hons- ; Stone, with Gertrude | Lawrence, The NBC signed him up to sing 12 times a week for 12 weeks. While he Was in New York be sang in a play at the Golden Theatre with the Dublin Abbey Players, We had an offer from iJollywood that he was unable te devep bevatise of lis broadcasting contracts Chel he went back to London, (Cont. on puge 40.)

The Irish Believe ed

(CGontinued from page 8.) sang in the films ‘Rose of Tralee" and "Songwriters on Parade,’ and now he jx on his world’s tour, One can do a lot on a voice, rYLTER his engagement with the " NBS is over, he told me, he. intends to make a coneert tour of New Zealand, visiting from town to town. Then he goes on to Java and so home for a year’s training with Vincent O’Brien, in Dublin, the teacher who "discovered" the yoice of John MeCormack, ’ 4

For part of the tour, he brought his wife and 16 months’ old boy with bim. but they found constant travelling too trying. We speaks to his wife, whereyer he may be in the world, over the telephone twice a month. And he sings to the little boy... I diseovered that when I asked him what gave the rare and unigue quality of the yoice of the true Irish hallad singer, ' "Perhaps it’s the fact that they suffered for years from oppression," said Danny Malone, "They feel everything they sing. Singing is no cold exercise ty them. For instance, when I sing "Little Boy Blue,’ I have a small boy sll the time in my mind. He's sixteen months’ old. This is his photograph."