Marble Halls—or Flesh'n' Blood?

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 25, 2 December 1938, Unnumbered Page

Marble Halls—or Flesh'n' Blood?

Broadcasting Service is Sitting on Golden iieg Laid By New Zealand Listeners _

NCE upon a.time there was a creature called a Listener, who laid a number of golden CY GS. _ And the Broudcasting Service of New Zealand kept sitting on the eggs. fé said vt would haich them out into a beautiful building called a Conservatorium. But, meanwhile, a number of musicians and other artists who could have done with an cgg or ‘wo to keep them from the breadline were weakened through poverty and went in for other professions, or left the country, dn the course of time the golden eggs hatched out into a fire big building. But when the Broadcasting Service wanied somchody to play in it, the musicians and other artists were too fow and weak to sound a single nole. ... . fable of the Listener and the Golden Egg may be, -. the ‘Record’? believes. that-as with most fables-it holds a grain of truth and a * moral, It is now some years since Director James Shelley first unnounced that the Broadeasting Serviee was to build a onservatorium of Miusie, which would house the NBS evel provide a building to "come the centre of the music . in New Zealand. The plans for the building are now in preparation and the ‘site for the Conservatorium, new Broadcasting Centre, ncar the Houses of Parliament in Wellington, is being prepared. The cost of the building has not yet been given to the public, but it will be no trifle, FoR "some years past the "Broadeasting Serviee has been saving money steadily, no doubt ‘with the cost of the new Conservatorium in -view. , The amazingly rapid growth of radio in the last few years . has enabled the service to build up a strong reserve fund, | ~ At the end of last -year, New Zealand with its high stindard AIRY tale though the

of living, was third on the list of countries in the world for its proportion of radio licences to population. Ti closely followed . Denmark and Great Britain, It was ahead of Sweden, Australia and Germany. Radio Comscious At the end of last financial year, March 31, 1938, approximately 76 per cent. of the houses in the Dominion were equipped with radio receiving sets. That percentage is still rising. Latest returns to September 30, 1938, show that the grand total of radio licences in New Zeaiand is now 307,486. This is 338,475 more than the number in foree at the same date last year, All this means that the sum received by the Broadcasting Serviee from radio licences is steadily increasing every

month, and saturation point is not yet reached. The total amount received by the Broadcasting Service in lieenee fees at the end of last financial year was £308,022. TRULY THE LISTENER. LAYS SOME GOLDEN EGGS. THIS £308,022 was the main revenue in the total income for the year of £311,817. Out of this income of £311,817, expenditure on programmes and salaries cost £109,525. This left £202,292. Other running expenses (including £34,766 for depreciation) accounted for £102,910 of this sum. This left a profit balance for the year’s working of £99,382. This tidy sum was set aside by the service and put into the accumulated fund which has now reached the remarkable total of £441,616,

Next year, barring accidents, this fund will probably be worth over half a million . pounds. . | Truly the Broadcasting — Service is sitting on the golden eggs. Hard Saving HIS excellent fund has been accumulated by care and economy. Full eredit must be given the Broadeasting Service for that. Moreover, the service has built it up without sacrificing the high standard of its programmes or echeese-paring on the importation of overseas artists. Last year the list of engagements of overseas performers included such high-priced artists as The Comedy Harmonists, Hssie Ackland and Benno Moisciwitsch. (Turn to page 2)

THOSE MARBLE HALLS--Continued from Page I.

Musieal talent in the Dominion itself wes given satisfactory treatment, up fo a petnt. But in spite ef the var accummction of funds, no strenucus and determined effort wes meds te build tha solid foundation ef music in New Zeslend by the ‘forme tion of 2 State Orchestre. The Broadeasting Serviee is sitting on the eges to hatch out the Conservatorium. Talent Needed But the ‘‘Reeord’’ asks: What is the use of a Conservatorium if there is not a body of musical talent to fill it? YOU CAN BUILD A TEMPLE TO VENUS, BUT THAT WILL NOT NECESSARILY BRING UP THE BIRTH-RATE. N today’s issue on another page the ‘‘Record’’ tells of a ‘*Promenade’’ concert

t. -" given by the Wellington Symphony Orchestra. This concert was part of a strenuous. effort by the orchestra to surinount its financial disabilities. The Wellington Symphony Orchestra, only full strength symphony orchestra in New Zealand, has to struggle to survive. Members get about £1/10/for a performance, plus fou rehearsals. The Broadeasting Service assists in small ways by broadeasting the three coneerts a year and giving the use of its studio for rehearsals. Otherwise, the society struggles along with what

publie and private support it ean wet. BPC in Eneland runs one of the now world famous symphony orches tras, Lowest paid mombers eet £10 a week, Compared with this, New Zealand conditions are almest pathetie. There is little on. eouragement for new musicians to eome or the ones we have io stay. Truly, if something is not done, we shall find curselves with a fine and nobody to put in it, Artists First HE ‘‘Record"’ does not complain of the expenditure of the money on a Conservatorium by the Government and Professor Shelley.

It would prefer to see half a million pounds spent on @ Conservatorium than a milion snent on 2 new railway stxtion But it does sugrert, vory strongly, that the artist is ihe first consideration, the butidine in which he performe, the second. During his visit to New Zesland last year the famous Moiseiwitseh told the ‘‘Reeord’’ that the formation of a State Symphony Orchestra was the first need in New Zealana. The concerto, he said, was the basis of musical achievement. With an orchestra of men who were full-time musicians and not amateurs tired after a day at the office, conductors like Malcolm Sargent and others could pay visits and = ~---

play works of great value to the community. In the ‘‘Record’s’’ opinion it is the duty of the Broadeasting Service to build wn the orchesiva first, build up the Conservatorina seeond. Gore Gwen Paonle LEER jis another point worthy of eomncnt, Taday youne New Zealand artists who have dene well abroad are coming buck to New Zeatond. They are given engagements by the Broadeasting Service but they are not sent on ten. They are given broadeasts at various centres, if they happen to be in those centres, on the requisite date. The policy of the service, however, has been to send only overseas musicians on tour. New Zealanders who have been given engageinents by the BBC in England and the ABC ---- =

in Australia are not yet given the chance of touring in their own country for the NBS. This is vot the policy likely to bring eur young artists haelz to this eomtry after trainins abroad, Again, no doubt. this is parily a question of eeonomy and partly a gmestian of the standard of talent. But where the standard is hieh eneueh the Broadcasting Serviee shonld see that it has full eneoenragement and opportunity. The Conservatorium e¢an wait, the artists cannot wait. The Conservatorium is useless without artists to fill it. Mrs. Becton said it all in her famous recipe for Jugged Hare: "FIRST," SAID MRS. BEETON, "CATCH YOUR HARE!" |