In the Wake of the Week's Broadcasts

Radio Record, 24 June 1938, Page 6

In the Wake of the

Week's Broadcasts

LITTLE MEN, . YOU'VE GROWN UP

Station 2YD has a wide tollowing in Wellington to-day. Though it does no stuuting aud has few highlights, its programmes are bright, middle-road und consistent. Some of us ask for

little more. And so, Since 2YD has now made its way, can’t the staff give up eounting the

number of nights they have been on the air? Last Sunday I thought I had got on to ericket by mistake when I heard the announce: boasting that he had reached 413. Come out of infancy, 2YD! This idea of metaphorically blowing out the candles on your cake gives listeners an uneasy impression of being trapped at a children’s concert,

BETTER LATE THAN NOT AT ALL

To my sorrow, I plugged in last week for the first time to "Mutiny of the Bounty," the serial feature that is going over all the ZB stations at present, Just then Fletcher Christian was cast-

ing off the launch with Captain Bligh and the loyal crew -and I sat down and mourned that

I had missed so many of the earlier episodes. For this is an excellent fea-ture-apart from the intrinsic interest of the subject. Faults lie in the monotony of the crowd noises, in a tendency to overdo the melodrama and in the shortness of the episodes which hardly gives the itistener time to for‘get himself in the story. Still, if any-

one has been as foolish as I, and ‘not yet sampled this entertainment, now is the time to start.

MARY OF SCOTS UPHOLDS THE OLD TRADITION

dimelight in the "Coronets of England" series Las shifted from Queen Elizabeth to Mary of Scots. This series began promisingly from’ 2YD Wellington on a recent Sunday night,

aud-despife the political complexity of Mary’s early years in France-

bids fair to uphold the excellent standard set by Henry VIIT sud Elizabeth. Notable is the skilful change in mood between the treatment of the life of the old Queen aud that of the young princess,

TIP FOR THE ARTISTS ON THE AIR

Every student of voice production realises that enunciation is of the utmost importance in singing, yet far too many singers give all their attention to the-melody, quite forgetting that the words were written for the purpose of being heard. On the other hand,

however, there are singers who "elocute" their gongs so forcibly that they mar tha melody. A

ee EO case in point cropped up the other night when Mr. Harold Presscott, of the West Coast, was singing from 3YA. His fault lay in over-emphasis of the letter "r," Hig ‘mother’ was "motherrrr." A New Zealand musician, recently returned from a trip to Australia, told me the other day that he had had one or two records made of hig work, for the purpose of "hearing himself ag others heard him." Other people who broadcast could follow his example with profit.

FIRST TIME HIS VOICE HAS FAILED

*K T like New Zealand in the summer, but in the winter-Brrrrrrrr!-says Frederick Collier, the singer, who is on tour with the NBS. He had the worst of

luck the other day. While in Dunedin he caught a severe Cold and travelled

to Christchurch in appalling weather, He rehearsed at 8YA and discovered that it would not be wise to sing. After resting a day or two, he went along to the studios again to sing q Somerville song cycle. After seven minutes on the air be found he could not continue. This was the first time he had not been able to fuilil an engagement. -However. he was scheduled for another performance late last week. of

A CHUCKLE THERE THERE, AND THERE

_ 7 An old friend reappeared on 4YA‘s programme t’other day. It was none other than that ridiculous little item, "The Three Trees." There are two yersious of this. one in which an snte-

lope is frightened »by a lion, and the other in which a frisky little rabbit eits the wind up

when a huntsmanu discharges his guu. In each the three trees ure "there, there, and there," and the animals drink at "the little pool of water ove: there," but I like the rabbit recording Letter, The spokeu words and the catchy quirks of music that accompany the dialogue ure brighter, and the quaint trilling notes that represent the bounding of the rabbit are most amusing and appropriate. [ du not knew in What category one would place this oddity. but I do know that I. for one, am always entertained aud amused wheu it is presented

~NEW VOICE WAS PLEASING

JMaving become pleasurably — acens: tomed to the mreasured tones of, in uy opinion, three of the best radio aunouncing yoices in the national network, those of Messrs. A. I. Curtv

and IY D, J. Crowle, of 8YA, and Gladstone Boyd, of 8YL, my atteption wos at-

tracted the other night by a new voice delivering the announcemeutsy, From

later inquiries I found that the owner ‘of the voice was Mr. I. Lawrence, who usually does the breakfiast session for 3YA. He had been switched on to an evening programme. His breezy style was distinctly pleasing, and he provided a foil for the more experienced men in charge of this department. Both these YA and YL stations are fortunate in their announcers, but the introduction of a new voice now and then is good policy. as

NELSON EDDY. 1S FAVOURITE NO. 1.

cl If Nelson Eddy had been giving personal broadcasts from the various Dunedin studios the other Sunday he would have been 4 weary man at nightfall, 4Z2ZB’s request hour contained so

many Eddy tunes that the session savoured very much of being an Hddy request

hour. Later on in the afternoon the same station again presented this singer. In the early evening 4ZM gave an "impromptu" session devoted entirely to Nelson Eddy. Approximately a dozen records were played and the

ey NO Vat VW NEY VV NEV NOV NOY VV NO VEO VV A VV OY VO life story of the baritone was given between items. Then, to cap everything, 4YO put over three further numbers. Of the issue only one song was duplicated. There is no question about it: Eddy is tremendously well liked by listeners these days. If a poll were taken it would probably show him as Public Favourite No. 1. 48

CLEANSING "PRODUCTS WERE MUCH NEEDED

There was a time when Sunday night broadcast concerts from Wellington justified the radio boosting given in preliminary announcements. The local Commercia}] station has carried

on the tradition With reasonable reeaurd to listeners’ Standards, but in the past few weeks

it has fallen heavily from grace. In this period it has relayed three concerts of the vaudeville type, the worst of which bappened on Sunday last, when at least some cof the gags would bave benetited by immersion in some of the cleansing products so brightly advertised from 2ZB. The stution, of course, is probably very much in the bands of the coneert management in such matters, but it is distressing to hear good standards going west So casually, It seems that, as the "Record" hinted not long ago, 2ZB could do with an editor.

ALL THE WAY FROM © THE HEBRIDES

Qut of the ordinary as programaies go was the recital by Mr. Clement Tlosking, interpreter of folk songs and director of the Sydney Folk Song Choir. from 1YA last Thursdav even-

ing. Mr, Hosking sang a number of ancient songs of the Hebrides, some iv Gaelic, and

while he was not outstanding as @ soloist, he has a baritone voice of good

quality. The recital was all the more interesting because the Sydney singer _ collected these folk songs during his recent stay in the Hebrides. Hee made the trip to the islands off this wild and rugged north coast of Scotland simply to study and collect folk songs. He lived the life of the fisher-folk and steeped himself in the atmosphere of their ancient history, the better to understand the songs and convey them to people living thousands of miles away. He thinks he has secured what is regarded as the most authentic version of Kishmul’s "Galley." MM

QUAINT FANCY RADIO PLAY

_ I much enjoyed "It Happened in 1850," play broadcast by 1ZB players from the commercial station last Sunday week. It was the latest addition to the plays written by members of the

NCBS, This one was from the pen of Marie Conian, serint and reontinn-e

ity writer at 1ZB, who ‘specially wrote it for broadcasting. It was a delightful half-hour’s supposition of radio as it would have been ir it had been perfected in 1850. The quaintness and dignity of Victorian times, the primness and decorum of people ninety years ago were well displayed. Miss Conian took a difficult period and wrote a difficult plot with an easy pen. Ms ¥

BASS VOICE OSCAR NATZKE

The thousands of listeners who were waiting with their ears back to hear 1YA play, last Wednesday evening, the two recordings made by Franz Oscar Natzke, the Auckland bass singer who

has just completed his third year as a student under Signor Albert Garcia. at the Trinity Col-

lege of Music, London, were most impressed, Immediately the brief recital concluded-for there were only two numbers-"The Pilgrim’s Song" (Tschaikowsky), sung in English, and the aria from the opera "L’Hbreo,"’ in Italian, dozens telephoned the station. The two recordings, the property of Mrs, F. E. Natzke, the singer’s mother, who lives in Auckland, were sent to her by the His Master’s Voice studios. The dises will probably be sent south for broadeast by the other national stations. They were merely sample Trecords. aT

PIANIST WHO . iS WELL EQUIPPED

Brilliaut young Wanganui pianist, Colin Horsley, soon to leaye New Zea land to continue his studies at the Royal College of Music, London, was the featured artist on 1YA’s coneert

programme on Wednesday of = last week. Two studies by Chopin, a Tre

mance by Sibelius (not the more hackneyed one), pnd "La Campanella," by Paganini-Lizst, were his numbers. His technical excellence was striking and his performance of the "Romance" proved him — thoroughly capable of deeply expressive playing. Young Horsley is extremely well equipped. He has_ got everything-tireless hands and fingers,. physique, youth, and intelligence,

smMMAMAMWAA V Test cricket listeners should find Page forty-six @f this issue useful feature.