In the Wake of the Week's Broadcasts

Radio Record, 15 July 1938, Page 6

In the Wake of the

Week's Broadcasts

MOUTH ORGANS IN GOOD ENTERTAINMENT

There was a new band on the air last Sunday from 4ZB-none other than the Port Chalmers Harmonica Band, a musical body previously unknown to me. But I’m a bad picker

if it is not heard again, and _ before very long. The renderings of popular

numbers were given with vigour, tunefulness, and a robust volume that suggested much more powerful instruments, Actually the band did have accompaniment (I thought it was banjos) that became rather obtrusive at times, and in subseqnent broadcasts should be watched. Best number: "Good-bye," from "White Horse Inn,"

ALAS, SOMEONE HAD BLUNDERED

With a sense of joyous anticipation I tuned in to the Novelettes Instrumental Trio from 4YA recently. I remembered vividly an earlier and delightful broadcast. But, alas, some-

one had blundered! For the first bracket the trio was obviously badly arranged

. about the microphone and almost all that could be heard was the piano-accordion, which selfishly crowded out the other instruments, The seecoud braeket was rather befier and indicated that the players had been betler grouped. ‘The trio performed very pleasantly in the second transinissiop, but I fear many people would have been so disappoint

ed by that first unfortunate bracket that they would not trouble to wait.

IS CLASSICAL MUSIC POPULAR NOW?

It is almost an unwritten law that request sessions-from any stationare confined mainly to lighter numbers. I have often wondered whether this means classical music is not real-

4Y SO popuar as some people would have us believe, or whether its ad-

mirers feel that to request the playing of a certain number might tend to cheapen it. Au odd thought, perhaps; but it exists. Anyway, I was very much surprised last Sunday whenwlistering to 4ZB's two-hour request session to hear

lassical after classical item come over the air. I was beginning to wonder if it were a special "classical re quest" programme when the anmouncer made reference to the unusual state of affairs. Even he could offer no explanation, *

AMERICANS . AND "PUNCH™

There is a virtue in some American radio productions that can be described only in the American. term "punch." This hearty single-mindedness, intense concentration, explosive ‘quality’ of-.

action--or Cdil ib what you will-is the quality that made me go on lis‘tanines to the feature

"Daredevils of Hollyw ood" from 2ZB last week when I had other things to do. The particular daredevil for that evening was a cowboy who had to back his horse and himself over a cliff 152 feet high in the film Marco Polo, suspended from oblivion by a piano wire which broke while he leapt to safety. The incident was explained before heing dramatised, so that listeners had a clear-cut idea of the whole thing before it began and then could follow the dramatisation from the ‘"punch-ful"’ words of the director who was slooting the scene, "Let’s go!" to the climax of the leap back to the cliff-top. ~~.

NOW peice I RADIOLAND

"Ss How much Walt Disney owes te Lewis Carroll’s ("Wonderland") Alice, could be deduced by radio listeners to the 2ZB children’s hour on Sunday night, when a fascinating recording

was given of "aiice in Wonderland," with appropriate Disney-like music put to the songs

about "Old Father William" and the "Whiting and the Lobster" and the "Jabberwok."’ The story of Alice was told briefly and well-though with a faint American accent-and the wellloved print became even more vivid and exciting when dramatised over the air. And when these fancies of the mathematician Dodgson (he wrote under the name of Lewis Carroll) were paraded alive over the air, one seemed to see the Disney creations of "Mickey" and "Minnie"? and "Donald Duck" fol: lowing after them. *

HARD COMMONSENSE IN HIS TALK

In a rather haughty. little talk, us if he felt he were dragging himself down to g somewhat common level, even to mention such a mutter, Mr. Leicester Webb spoke clearly and logic- ~

auy on toe innuence of the "Cliveden Set" ("Record," 8/7/38), as a real factor in

British foreign politics, The "Cliveden Set," he suggested, was only a small and insignificant influence in the complex forces that go to determine British foreign policy. If it was a powerful country-house group that was aiming to tie up Britain with Germany, why should it not be another, equally powerful, that was aiming to tie. Britain up with France, since treating with France was just as much a part of Britain’s foreign policy as treating with Germany? The whole fact was that the "Cliveden Set" and its influence wag eagerly accepted by trans-

Atlantic newspapers and ithe public as the power behind the policy, because the thoughts of such a cause was colourful and exciting in » manner far more striking than the truth could possibly be. This reasoning by Mr. Webb was all hard common-sense, and of value to listeners. At the same time, his italk went rather to the other extreme, and one might imagine that nothing was hatched in the English country honies of the ruling class more exciting than chickens, . 54

FROM ORGAN OF SALT . LAKE CITY

During the past fortnight, as a prelude to the daily devotional sessions from 1ZM, fine organ music and choir singing has been broadcast. There. is an interesting storv behind these re-.

cordings, which are — ‘supplied to 12ZB, and also 2ZB, by yfficials of the More mon Chureh in New

Zealand. ‘These 16-inch recordings, or transcriptions, are made in the Biz Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, the home of the Mormon creed. The organist is Frank Asper, and the organ he plays on was built in 1860, and is installed in a dome building which does pot contain a single nail, and which seats 10.000 persons. The organ is the second largest in the world, and has 8000 pipes. Tach week this organ and the organist are featured in American coast-to-coast hook-ups. The Mormon Choir, often heard from 1ZB, is composed of 600 voices.

FIND THE SLIP THE CRIMINAL MADE.

In tune with public preferences at the moment is the theme of the "Inspector Hornleigh Investigates" episodes now running from the Commercial stations on Thursdays at 8.15 p.m. These are

bbhbU recoraings — and what a pleasant change from some of the American transeriptions! --

which are allied to popular newspaper questionnaires and so-called intelligence tesis. In each episode, the inspector is called upou to solve a crime: in each ease his clue is a slip made by the criminal. Listeners are given 15 seconds after the episode to deteer¢ the slip. It’s good fun for everybody. The slips ure bard enough to keep you ou the alert and yet not so hard they give you an inferiority complex. Basy to hear, easy to understand, this iy an excellent feature and no doubt popular, We all enjoy -feeling like Sherlocels Ilolmes-particularly if the rest of the fumily prove to be Watsons!..

DREAM VOICES NEED. SPEEDING UP.

bs Among highlights of the programmes last week must be counted the Mary Stuart episode of "Coronets of Englaud" from 2YD on Sunday night, The scene in which Mary "went. to sleep in |

tHe sieCdt AUlapea bed and was awakened from nightmare by the smoke of a fire in the

hangings was one of the best bits of radio drama I_ have heard. Mary Stuart herself-the woman with the fascinating laughter who made Anne Boleyn memorable in the Henry VIIT series-created an almost perfect atmosphere of the helpless, rising terror of nightmare, and the dream

voices torturing her were better done than usual, Why is it, though, that _, the radio can, depict remembered or dream voices, only by ‘that unnatural device of bringing in the actual tones at a faraway, drawling sing-song? The unreality was very marked, for instance, in some "Mutiny of, the Bounty" incidents. Of course, there must be some trick to show that the voices are not real but exist only in the mind. Nevertheless, it would surely be more true to human thinking were the dream voices to be speeded up rather than drawled. Thoughts are far quicker than words. Why should radio depict them as so much, much slower? sor _! 5

THESE Two WERE COMFORTABLE

’ Like Monday’s washing, it had to be done-the women’s hockey match, England v. New Zealand at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, though heavy wea~ ther had made the ground almost-im-

possible to play on, Diver since broadcasting came into its own in New Zealand, announcers have de-

veloped a cunning in finding out the most suitable, yet the most comfortable, place for doing their relays. ‘In the hockey instance, the 3YA. commentator and his relay operator tucked themselves up comfortably in the committee room with the usual mod. cons. and probably enjoyed the game equally with cosily-situated listeners. Mr. Harold Throp, ex-Canterbury kockey champion, had the job in hand for 3YA and made excellent work of it. He will also be "doing" the India v. New Zealand match at Christchurch on July 23. He is travelling through the South Island with the Indian team.

STATION 1YA HAD A DULL WEEK

From a musical point of view the programmes from 1YA last week were not at all interesting. With the exception of recitals by Danny Malone, Richard Asney. . violinist, who

played with ‘the Studio Orchestra, Mendelssohn's "Coucerto in E Minor," the fare offered

was not up to the usual standard. Good as it is, I am becoming a litte tired of the regular broadcast on Sun_days by the Auckland Municipal Band, Ove can have too much of a good thing. I know there are many listeners who share my opinion. I am sure that if ihe NBS gave listeners récordings by fanious artists and orchestras instead, it would earn praise from many. No fault can be found with the playing of the excellent Municipal Band: condueted by Mr. O’Connor. The only fault is that we hear it too often--and in the interests of the band itself, it is not good that this should be so.

iDEA THAT MIGHT. BE REPEATED

The idea of a rebroadcast by 8YA of the last Schubert group from tke Alexander Kipnis celebrity concert in Dunedin was a good one-a very good, one. While listeners appreciated it

tremendously, 10 meant valuable publicity for the singer. Other national sta-

. tions might occasionull) do something ‘ou similar lines when such a famous artist is in the Dominion.