In the Wake of the Week's Broadcasts

Radio Record, 5 August 1938, Page 6

In the Wake of the

Week's Broadcasts

NEVER A GOOD RELAY OF HOCKEY.

Last week I attacked Kingi Taliw! for his brondeast of the women’s hockey’ match between New Zealand and England at Wanganni, and it is only fair to say that the 2YA announcer ©

of the Indian Test match last Satur. day was. not much better. The foreign

names obviously puzzled him-for which I forgave him freely-but there was less excuse for his "er-er-ing" and uncertainty about the position of play and s0 on. I have yet to héar a broadcast of hockey in New Zealand come anywhere near the best of Rugby relays for. excitement and intelligibility-and this although I understand much more of the stick game than the other.

BING CROSBY TAKES SECOND PLACE.

For a long time I have been undeciaed about Dunedin’s popular vocalist, Jimmy MacFarlane. Seeing and hearing him in the Operatic Sovriety’s "Vagabond Kinrg,"-in which he played

a brilliant lead, I] was certain he eould not be hefrer than ‘in — straight

Singing,. Urbers assured me differently. And then last Sunday 4ZB featured him as_ their guest artist. After giving "Brave Little Midshipmite" and "Lindy Lou" very attractively, he.followed with two crooning numbers, "Never in a Million Years" and "The Moon Got in My tyes," For the first time I heard the .full rich quality of his crooning voice, and knew, once and for all, that croon-

ing was his forte. He made Bing sound secend-rate.

REFUTED "THE TERRYS."

_ In view. of the strongly militaristic _ propaganda that has been coming over the air recently, | was astonished and intrigued last Sunday afternoon fo tune in to a violent attack upon the wastage. and mise-

ries of war, coming from 2ZB-the Territorials’ own

stamping ground. Later, it turned out to be the studio staff in Max Afford’s conventionally harrowing. radio play. "Sacrifice at Dawn," with Leon Gotz and whole. hearted gunfire. The piece was well enough done, despite weakness at the climatic point, where the German

father learns it is his own son who lies dying at his feet in an Allied uniform. Nevertheless, I believe that in the pro duction of plays the NCBS may be taking a risk by the use of staff rather than "outside" actors. Commercialdom’s emphasis on personality in announcers makes it peculiarly hard for some liSteners to lose themselves in the dramatic character without obtrusive recognition of a well-known voice. %.

KING'S VOICE CAME OVER WELL.

Somewhat ironically I switched from the play decrying war to the rebroadcast of the unveiling ceremony in France of the Villiers-Bretonneux Memorial to the Australian troops, Re-

ception Wadbs Daaly marred by static, so that even the familiarity of "God Save the Kirg" was

changed into something more like a -~Donald Duck song. The King’s voice came over better than any other-al-though, of course, his fine speech was the more easily followed because I had read the text first in the newspapers. Nevertheless, the broadcast convinced me King George’s voice is the best in quality we have heard from England morarchs-with greater freshness than either his father or his brother possessed. I never hear it in newsreels or ou the sir without a deep admiration for the ‘way in which he hag conquered his stammer-is steadily conquering also the hesitation that still worries him. mm.

WOMEN’S TRIO AND ARENSKY.

Well-knit and eloquent reading of A#nsky’s romartic work, Trio in D was given by Leela Bloy (violin), Phyllis Bloy (piano), and Lalla Hemus (’cello), from 1YA last Wed-

nesday. Although it conforms to the highest canons of musical taste, this piece is chamber

work which is also enjoyed by the man in the street, rich as it is in intriguing melodies. I thought this particular performance ore of the best "flesh and blood" recitals from 1YA for some time, on the instrumental side. abyway. *

DEAD SUBJECT SPRANG INTO LIFE;

How we take things for yranted! The caste system in India had been oue of the many things krown to me vaguely, understood not at all. Then Professor Jagan Nath, manager of the

Indian hockey team, gave his interview talk on "Caste" from 2YA

last week. The subject, apparently dead, sprang instantly to life. Listeners learned that caste was based on the human organism of a head, arms, belly and feet. The highest caste (corresponding to the human head) were the thirking men, the second caste (the arms) were the soldiers and princes, the third caste (the belly) were the traders. and middlemen who distributed goods, and the fourth caste (the feet) were the workers and labouring men. The Hindu people of India had adopted this system of social. organisation to make society work smoothly and sens‘bly; in short, like a complete organism of life itself. All this was orly a fraction of the falk, one of ‘the most interesting and well done ¥ had heard. The talk, given on

the interview system, showed how much could be yzained by having a trained thinker to do the interviewing. cede

CHRISTCHURCH BOYS SET A STANDARD.

rsd Boys’ voices at their best were heard by 8YA listeners when the Cathedral Grammar School choir took part in the orphanages’ aid concert in Christehureh last week.

The boys gave @ fine exhibition of olacing. clear rhy-

thm and tonal contrasts. Remarkably enough, there was not the slightest sign of forcing.. So it should be possible for many city and village choirmasters to emulate their standard. They showed that New Zeahas material waiting. © Incidentally, about £700 was raised that night for the orphanages.

RUGBY FANS ARE WAITING.

_ Listeners are having hard things to say in daily newspaper correspondence about the recent broadcast description ~ of the first Rugby Test between New Zealand and Australia. It seems they

have grounds if some respects, for it was distinctly 2 pity that the broadeasts’ should have

been broken frequently to give rTesults of small race meetings. Nor were the thirsters after racing news the only interrupters for, when it was nearly time for play to resume after the interval, a recording took the air. There was another break for an announce ment about the children’s session. *

DIST! My TION CROSS TALKS.

Love of things Spanish gives Mr. Philip Cross’s radio work a strange distinction. He contributed two notable items from Wellington stations during the week-the first an interview on bullfighting

and the second an original talk feature, "Adios, Paraguay." In both he

emphasised, unconsciously pernaps, tHe beauty of the Spanish language. That emphasis contributed much to the atmosphere in both cases. The information contained in the very-naturaliy-managed bullfighting interview was unusual und educative, but Mr. Gross disguised that second virtue with discreet and charming digression. Personally, I thought that ‘"‘Adios, Paraguay" actually suffered u little by reason of too much digression! However, tastes vary... Also the constant musical background, though skilfully chosen, was a trifle: distracting. I’d like to héar Mr. Cross again with more time at his disposal und the music used as an interlude rather than as a ground base. ~ *

"SAWNY" HOUR AGAIN FOR CHILDREN.

What hus happened to the children’s hour at 2ZB, from which I used to get so much enjoyment? At the beginning of the week I heard from, I think, Bryan O’Brien; avout tittle Harry who

went to live with a badger and learnt to snarl and fight just like one of the

. ilk. Then he was taken home and the badger followed, later to be shot by an evil reighbour. Listeners, I tell you honestly, that story brought g huge lump into my

throat-told as it was in O’Brien’s straight way, with all the power of ’ simple expression. Also in the session © was a recording of English children playing on bamboo flugels-such interesting instruments, and so valuable for . ear-training, that I wonder they have not yet been heard in New Zealand schools. But all that entertainment came in a session early in- the week, Since then there hag been a deplorable return to the "sissy-sawny" type of hour, filled out with a lot of children’s names and addresses. I’m getting bore ed, 2ZB! Why? + _- Lay

MOZART WAS WELL TREATED.

oN Mozart's Concerto in © Major, played by Owen Jensen and the 1YA Studio Orchestra last Friday night, is the least known of the composér’s three: in © Major. Why, it is difficult to ‘un-

aerstand, yor U struck me ag being a most vital and. characterictic piece; Tha solo wiaver

eel eo8KUlU-D brought off his passage work larly clearly, and the orchestra showed they could cope with works of this type which bristle with technica} aificulties. a.

TWO PLAYS THAT WERE ENJOYED.

Not every radio play is really. stiltable for the air, but-the Mercury Plays ers, Of whom Misg Nancy Nichalson, producer for the Canterbury Repertory Society, has charge, chose an excellent

piece the other night in "The Voysey Inheritance," which was broad-

east from 3YA. The story was excellent, and, in the main, admirably done, despite weakness in two of the characters. From 1YA, in the same week, the salient points of "A Tale of Two Cities" were well brought out in the production by Mr. Alan McSkimming. The crowd noises and effects were particularly convince ing. Bra

BUT DUNEDIN WAS NEGLECTED,

Untoertunately, while worthern — lis~ teners enjoy their little bit of drama. Dunedin igs left lamenting. 4YA obliges only irregularly, and even then the quality of the plays is indifferent.

Jt is nearly six weeks since 4YA put on a= studio play,-a brief 20minute affair. It

muy seem, of course, from my complaint about qua:ity, inadvisable for them to put on piays. But the indifference in quality applies only to the acte ual producers are usually more than capable, but the plays-heavens, one wonders from whut source they are ob» tained! They certainly reveal a lack of appreciation of what constitutes a good and suitable play. On this subject the Dunedin station adopts another curlous stand. Only the rame of the producer is made public, neither names of players nor of group being annauneed. It ig hard to understand this reticence, especially as the practice is not followed by northern stations.