PERSONALITIES ON THE AIR

Radio Record, 1 July 1938, Page 16

PERSONALITIES ON THE AIR

‘"% PY IOLINIST, vocalist, and (in synchopated mood) . YY pianist, Peggy Cochrane has a dark secret-it is that she was an Infant Prodigy, playing the piano at five and the violin at seven. Offered a scholar-~ ship at Petrograd by Leopold Auer ‘when eight years old, ‘she preferred to encourage home ine dustries by winning a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was awarded the Dove Prize for the most distinguished scholar. There aren’t many who can play a violin concerto at Queen’s Hall and round off the evening by appearing as a cabaret-pianist to the radio act "That Certain Trio." Peggy did it. Peggy Cochrane will entertain 2YA listeners on Friday, July 8, in a yocal and piano presentation.

RHYTHM IS. THEIR BUSINESS

The title of the swing tune, "Rhye thm is Our Bupiness" would make

an excellent motto for Dick Colvin ana his band, for whether listeners like the slow type of dance music, or whether they prefer "hot rhythm" makes no difference to his band. "Dick Colvin and his Music’ means something in the New Zealand sphere of "rhythm." The band was begun to provide music for the patrons of a_ restaurant in Dunedin. Soon 4¥A decided to feature the. "mbination in its dance . progrimmes. Accordingly the band was invreased in size and the eight best plarers available at thar time were engaged, "Radio listeners, not only in Dunedin, were not slow in.appreciation, so it was decided that as well as its Friday night broadeasts from the "Savoy." the band should present 4YAs§ Wednesday nigh’ dance programme, In Dick Colvin, the boys have an experienced. leader, The.trumpet is Mr Colyin’s instrument and he is assisted in this department by Ivan Booth. The reed. section includes Sid George, Jim Burbury, and Keith Harris, Jack Reberts is pianist and his solid rhythm work is helped by Fred Page. on the string-bass. Lastly, there is Fred Gedson, who has recently arrived from Palmerston North, an excellent drum mer, xylophone player and vocalist,

HIS MOTHER COULD HEAR HIM

In his life story now runing in "TitBits," Sandy Powell onens echanter one

thus; "The doctor held me upside down by the ankles and gave me a good slap. That started it! With my very first breath I yelled ‘Can you hear me, Mother? in a language -that only

mother could understand, and shortly afterwards I wags placed in her arms, Nothing unusal about that.: But there’s nothing unusual about me at all. The son of a working map and‘ an even more hard-working woman, I ‘began life as a simple Yorkshire lad, and J’ll never be any different. I

don’t want to be." We can never agree with Sandy that there is nothing unusual about him, however, He has a most marked personality. He will be heard in one of his inimitable sketches in 3YA’s music, + mirth and melody session on Monday, j duly 4,

DISAGREEABLE PIRATE OF SOMERSET

Among those who could claim to. be "up from Somerset,’ was William

Dampier, pirate, captain-in the Royal Navy and hydrographer. This remarkable man must have been a very: disagreeable Iman to sai] with, He was continually quarrelling with his junior . Officers, He had a pleasant habit of putting. ashore any one who displeased him. With a sea-chest and a few supplies, the deliquent was "marooned" and left on a strange coast, Dampier’ was himself once "marooned" on Nicobar Island, and was pilot aboard the *Duke’--the privateer that rescued -Alexander Selkirk (Robinson Crusoe) from the island of Juan Fernandez, The story of "The Buccaneers, and William Dampier" will be told by Mr, F. C, Brew, M.A., in 8¥A’s education session on Wednesday, July 6,

ALFREDO THE VAGABOND VIOLINIST

Hailing from the important New Jersey city of Newark, Alfredo, the famous

light orchestra] conductor, was in his day a child prodigy who studied under a favourite pupil of the great Joachim in his native city. He made his debut as soloist at the age of twelve, with the local symphony orchestra, of which he was a member. After a few years he became the violinist in a classical quartet company and toured | the variety theatres: for pwo years, when he determined. to do a "lone act," and made a distiriguished reputation as "The Vagabond Violinist," when he appeared in a ragged costume. Alfredo and his orchestra will be -. heard in 1YA’s dinner musie session on Tuesday, July 5, 4

LUNCHEON PARTY EXPANDED

"Lunch with me, Gerald, We'll meet at one in the American’. Bar,"’. said

Frank Mullings, tenor, one day to Gerald Cumberland, journalist. Gerald continues the yarn: "We met. By a quarter past one he had collected three other guests. We hegan food. Some. one he knew came into the restaurant Frank made to him a gesture of invitation; the invited guest jained us. Ans other man entered; he also was drawn in. Then two others, together. Then ; a fifth and a sixth. And a seventh, | Some of us were eating the sweets as | in eighth began his soup. At coffee and liqueurs there ‘were nineteen of us, Sir Thomas Beecham joined us, He \

was in good mood-witty,charming.... One does not look at the Dill of one’s host, £20-" Listeners to 3YA will hear Frank Mullings, tenor, ag Canio in the opera, "Pagliacci," on Sunday, July

CONDUCTOR WITH DRIVING POWER

Tor many years the name of Arthur Nikisech, conductor, was one to conjure

with in European musical circles, liis © astounding driving power made members of the orchestra play like inspired artists. In 1921 he died, leaving behind a few recorded examples of his conducting ability. His son, Mitja Nikisch, was in turn @ conductor, and his lamented death in 1931 at the early age of thirty-seven, robbed the world of a brilliant pianist as well as orchestral director, The son favoured light music for lis orchestra. In the dinner music session at 2YA on Friday, July 8, Mitja Nikisech Symphony Orchestra will be heard.

VARIED. CAREER OF MADAME SIMENAUER

"Charming" is the term one instinctively applies to Madame Roselle

slmenauer, whose delightiul soprano voice thrilled thousands of 4ZB listeners when she gave her first studio presentation. As Fraulein Roselle Schnapp, Madame Simenauer served a long musical apprenticeship in Germany. She began her studies in Posey where, at the Posen Conservatoire of Music, she was a pupil of the famous composer and teacher, Paul Geisler, himself a pupil and protege of Franz Liszt. At the end of the war when Posen, along with other territory, was ceded to Poland, Fraulein Schnapp went to Berlin. There she worked in a bank during the day and took pupils in the evening. She meanwhile. continued her studies under Carl Agust Genth. It was in Berlin that she met and marrjed Dr. Simenauer. She appeared in many concerts and oratorios,

enee taking the part of Gretel in a performance of "Hansel and Gretel," and singing to the accompaniment: of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Later the Simenauers moved to Upper Silesia, where the doctor practised dentistry until the boycott placed upon those who possessed Jewish blood niade it impossible for him to continue, In order to provide a more secure

future for their two boys, the Simenauers ¢ame to New Zealand and settled in Dunedin. Dr. Simenauer shares his wife’s love of music. He played first violin with several leading orchestras and miusieal societies in Germany. He is a strong advocate of the travelling theatre and the travelling orchestra, and he believes these gould be introduced in New Zealand in the Continental manner. 7 Madame Simenauer will broadeast regularly from 4ZB.

ONEGIN LIKES OPERA AND CONCERT

Sigrid Onegin, Swedish ~ contralto, is very fond of singing in opera:

there 1s s0 much Treedom tO move, to act and portray a part. It calls inta play all one’s powers .of emotion, characterisation and vocal art. On the other hand,. the song recital vequires more subtlety, perhaps: more delicacy, refinement, and consummate mastery of every detail, In some respects "liedér’ singing is the more difficult art, The singer must depend

absolutely upon self for every effect, for every artistic result. Onegin has explored the entite field of foreign song. ‘ Sigrid Onegin, contralto, will be heard from 8YA on Sunday afternoon, July

PLa YS PART OF HOMELY FARMER

Probably many listeners will remember the baritone voice of

Bernard Manning, who has frequently toured New Zealand with Gilbert and Sullivan companies. Probably his best remembered parts are the Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance" and the Mikado in "The Mikado." Perhaps a few listeners have recognised that- voice again as the farmer-dold Dan Jamieson-in "The Homstead on the Rise.’ It may seem funny that a G. and S. baritone should be playing the part of a homely old farmer, but actually in Manning’s case it isn’t he is simply reverting to type. Betnard Manning’s family in England has held the same piece of land since the year 1400-so that he is quite at home in the homestead. "The Homestead on the Rise" is broadcast from 2¥) every Thursday ‘evening. '

SPECIALIST IN FIRST NIGHTS

To have Sir Henry Irving as one’s godfather. was the

splendig iuck OF MYT, L. D. Austin. Among other advantages this gave him the opportunity of seeing the first and last nights of every stage production in the dtama’s haleyon days. The bond with. Hngland’s great actor was further strengthened by the fact that Mr, Austin’s father was Sir Henry’s secretary and literary adviser. And if this wete not luck enough for one man, Mr, Austin, being a practical musician, lost no opportunity to hear musical artists of note, who, sooner or later had to appear in

London to set the seal on their artistry. In consequence, when Mr, Austin essays to broadcast a recital of "Some World Famous Musicians of the Past," listeners sit up and take notice. Mr. L. D. Atistin’s recital is schedul- . _ed for 2¥A on Sunday, July 3.