AMATEUR GENTLEMEN

Radio Record, 1 July 1938, Page 15

AMATEUR GENTLEMEN

By

WILTON

BAIRD

... Who Enter The Music Ring To Compete With Al Comers In Astonishing Contests.»

Re Abe to-day, in its Amateur Trials at all the commercial stations in New Zealand, gives every hopeful performer the chance of being ‘discovered." With Jew’s harps, accordions, violins or even just two spoons, the performers flock to the studios to find means of expression. And in these days, with the microphone for protection, there is no danger of the audience’s retaliation. .

N the bad old days in New Zealand, so l am — told, amateur trials were mainly a test of the marksmanship of the young men in the ehillinn seats.

When somebody came out on the stage and sang "Speak to Me, Dora," the technique was to throw your turnip or lettuce or other sinall offering high up on the stage curtain, so that the offering would then fall close to the singer’s feet. The trials in those duys were, naturally, very popular with the audience, though perhaps not so popular with the performers. No Personal Comment HEY are still popular to-day, revived by the Commercial stations in each of the four main centres, though conducted on more humane lines. There is no opportunity for marksmanship when the performer is invisible. Nor is there any ‘wisecracking’ by the announcers about the performers, as in the famous Amateur Hour of Major Bowes in the States. This was tried once in New Zealand. Something like this: "There is a stout lady coming on now to sing. I fear she may be going to sing ‘Love Me and the World is Mine.’ Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the worst has happened. She is."

~--i_ THE response to this technique was so immediate and 60 warm in tone that it was dropped immediately. We in New Zealand, it seems, are ‘more sensitive than people in other places. . And perhaps, though the meat in the Amateur Hours would-be all the better for a little mustard, it {ts fairer not to be funny. "All the comments these days are left to the fireside critic," so’ Kingi Tahiwi, the an--nouncér who conducts the 2ZB Amateur Trials, told me last week. "One can imagine him being very acid in his comments on some’ of the items, but be wouldn't have the nerye probably to give an item himself."

THEY have had some first-rate. performers since the session started. | There, have been! some excellent singers, especially among the boys and girls. There was a blind

girl violinist. There .was a.man who played the mandolin and the mouth-organ at the same time, wire attachments to the mouth-organ leaving his hands free for the mandolin, NE way and another, there has been an astonishing array of talent,.some of it most unusual, Rhythmical Spoons Just lately one contestant gave an item. with two spoons, hitting them on his knees and his.elbows to a piano accompaniment, "Musical?"’ I asked doubtfully. "Not particularly," said Kingi Tahiwl. "But very rhythmic." These amateur Hours give people an outlet, he thinks, and enable them to give expression’ to their love of music. Their talent may not be so striking at times, but their devotion to it is sincere. The hour takes the place of the old gatherings in the home round the piano, when "everyone did something."

CCOOMPLIS HMENTS that have sunk in the scale of popularity vie with accomplishments that have risen high. Whistling soloists ¢ompete with crooners. Several yodellers have ' taken part. Saxo- _ phonists have entered against the Jew’s’ harp played to a mouth-organ accompaniment. One lIedy, moving on towards 50, guve a rousing tune on the coneertina, stamping her feet as she played. ACH item is limited to two minutes, and at the end of the time the gong goes. In the audition (contd. on page 37.)

Amateur Gentlemen

(Continued from page 15). room of the studio sit three judges, who know the performers only by their numbers. At the end of the session they announce the prize-winner, There is always the chance-remote though it sometimes seems-of discoyering buried talent. Once or twice since the’ start of the sessions threé months ago, performers have been rung up and offered an engagement by a listener. P2EFORMERS like the session, if numbers are a guide. At 2ZB they have a waiting list of 250, and there are full lists at the other stations as well. The public seem to like it, too. On a Aaturday night the lounge is full at the 2ZB station, ang sometimes you witl see a young man inside singing a pathetic ballad while the lounge is convulsed with laughter. " AND the oddest competitor you have had?" I asked. "He was an extraordinary person," said Kingi Tahiwi. "He came from somewhere is the Islands, and he gave a talk on pearl diving. "He wore ‘tails’ with a blue braid and bright blue stripes down . his trousers. He wore the ribbons of some unknown Orders across his shirt-front. He wanted to talk for five minutes," , It seemed that such enterprise deserved some reward. "What happened to him?" "We had to gong him," said Kingi Tahiwi