PERSONALITIES ..ON THE AIR..

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 24, 25 November 1938, Page 10

PERSONALITIES ..ON THE AIR..

HEN — Berlioz met Wallace, the composer of ‘‘Maritana,’"? he stumbled ‘upon one of the choicest subjects of ‘‘copy’’ that ever a writer encountered. In his ‘‘Bvenings in the Orchestra,"’ Berlioz has set out the amazing adventures of this nomadic genius. Berlioz wrote, ‘‘He has carried off women, he has fought several duels that turned out badly for his adversaries, and he was a savageyes, a savage, or pretty nearly one, for six months."’ This was in New Zealand about a century ago, where Wallace had an astounding adventure with a Maori princess. Both Berlioz and Wallace were probably champion leg-pullers, but composing even a great success like ‘‘Maritana’’ must have seemed tame compared with his travels with his fiddle round the world and the adoration of Maori beauties, among others. Excerpts from the opera "Maritana" will be featured by 4VA on Sunday, November 27.

GLOBE-TROT AND . LEARN

Bacon hit the nail on the head when he said: "Travel in the

younger sort is a part of education; in the older, a part of experience." As globetrotting was one of the early ambitions of Colin Bailey, M.A., and he has been enabled to see Great

Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, CzechoAustria and Germany, it is natural he has something worth saying to young New Zealand after five years sojourn abroad. Born in Christchurch, Mr, Bailey is one of our more prilliant New Zealanders who has made a niche for himself and has settled in his native land to give the rising generation the benefit of his unique knowledge. He regularly broadcasts talks in the 2YA Educational Session and will be heard on Thursday, December 1, on the fascinating subject of "Ancient Egypt, The Land of Pyramids."

| IN THE HEART OF THE SUDAN

For six months in 1933, Mr. H. W. Milner (a native of "nrond’ Preston

} in Lancashire) visited various |} stations under the Sudan United Mission, This great country with an area more than twenty times as large as that of New Zealand furnishes abundant evidence of

modern British administration in favour of the natives. During Mr. Milner’s trip he saw some of the most primitive tribes in the world, and among them certain tribes which still manage to practise the sacrificing of babies to appease their gods. These people need, and are receiving sympa-

thetic study and consideration from their rulers and the missioiaries. On the subject of the Sudan Mr. Milner is an authority. He will be heard by 2YA listeners in the Educational Session on "Thursday, December 1, speaking on "Life in North Africa."

"HAMLET" WERE "REIT ENOOF"

There are many variations of the story of the old lady, who, on being taken to

a performance of "Hamlet," com--plained that it was full of quotations. Here is an old Yorkshire woman’s reaction to this classic: "Aye, it were reit enoof," she said, "Ah prop’ly enjoyed bits of it, but there’s a lot of it no mower Shakespeare nor what Ah am. Ah’ve ’eard my father saying fifty things as comes inter yon play, when Ah was nowt but a bairn." "Hamlet" (quotations and all) will be broadcast from 2YA on Sunday, November 27. The production comes from the NBS studios.

BIRTHPLACE HAS NOW MOVED

Walter Widdop’s birthplace, an ancient building which has defied the wind

and the rain for centuries, has long since emigrated to America. A millionaire took a fancy to it, had it dismantled and transported to his home town in the States, where it now has been rebuilt. So although Widdop’s birthplace was in Yorkshire, it is now in Ameriea. The tenor began his career as a clerk with the Bradford Dyers’ Association, It was not until his twentieth year that he began to study singing, and after a year he ' competed suecessfully in various

festivals. After studying at the London Opera School he made his debut in "Aida" at Leeds. Walter Widdop, teaor, will be heard at 4YA on Thursday, December 1,

NovEE AS SERIAL

Uitimately translated into French, German, Yialian,

Greek and Russian, Mrs, Craik’s most successful novel, "John Halifax, Gentleman," is a story of middle-class English life. The hero carried about with him an old Greek testament, in which, after an ancestor’s name, was the word "gentleman"’-to John 2 motto, a talisman, a charter, imposing on him truth, honour, fidelity and purity. Mrs. Craik was the daughter of a Nonconformist minister, who, seven years after the appearance of her best-known work, married George Lillie Craik, a partner in the publishing house of Macmillan. An instalment of a dramatic serial, "John Halifax, Gentleman,’ played by George Edwards and Company, will be heard from 1YA on Monday, November 28.

PLATONIC — LOVE FOR JAZZ

*~ have sympathy for jazz, but as I never dance, it is

merely .a piatonic love," confided Walter Gieseking, master pianist, a few years ago. He sees in it, however, @ danger to folk music of many countries, as it is distributed cheaply by means of records and easily establishes itself. among rhythm-loving peoples. Son of a well-known doctor and scientific explorer, the pianist was born in the French city of Lyons. As early

as four years of age he made his first appearance as a Pianist in Naples, and a year later he played a varied programme at the 1900 Paris Hxhibition. Since those days Gieseking has become. the apostle of modern piano music. 8YA listeners will hear Walter Gieseking, pianist, on Friday, December 2.

WOMEN IN THE FIELD

T wo young women cornet soloists, Miss Doreen and Miss June

Church, trained by Bandmaster George Buckley, of the Auckland Artillery Band, will be heard from 1YA on December 1, on the same evening as the American woman trumpeter, Miss Grace Adams East, gives a recital from the studio. Women, it seems, are invading the exclusively masculine fields in music as in the other arts. Male cornetists will listen to the women players from 1YA on December 1 with keen interest,

Confessions Of People You Know HAVING just published "A Guest of Life," her ninth novel and @ very notable one ait that, Miss Nelle Scanlan, well-known New Zealand writer who tives in London, is now visiting New Zealand. She is giving radio talks during her visit. This week the "Record" has secured Miss Scanian’s confessions for its veaders. My eyes ave: Bluc. My hair is: fron grey. Favourite colours for clothes: Black, white, grey and blue. My favourite play is: A different one every year. My favouri.e motto Count your blessings. My pet aversion is: Radios that go on mumbling all day | long. } 1 could happily spend the rest of my fife in: Doing nothing. My favourite screen star: | haven’t one, What has pleased me most about New Zealand: New Zealand. What has disappointed me most: Ah!!! iss