In Defence of Christmas Carols

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 28, 23 December 1938, Page 24

In Defence of Christmas Carols

‘Tt’?s the Right and Seasonable Thing to Do"... West Coaster Complains About 8ZR, Greymouth ... Earlier Dance Programmes Wanted

OEIL (Wellington): I was very sorry to see NX you publish such rubbish as the letter itten by G.S.B. of Auckland bn the subject of carol-singing (‘‘Record’? 16/12/38). The baly conclusion I can reach is Heat G.S.B. is an iconoclastic red fed. In the first place, the broadcasting stations do not bverdo the playing of carols round about . Christmas time. In the second place, even if they do play records of carols, t’s the right and seasonable thing to do at this time of the rear, and we in New Zealand re still British enough, thank eaven, to insist on preserving e characteristically British ature of the festival. Thirdly, .S.B. doesn’t know his Bing rosby. ‘‘Venite Adoramus’’ , im my opinion, quite the est thing this singer has ever one, G.S.B.’s sneer at his loca] rass band is, I imagine, nothg but cheap sarcasm. It *+ even funny. If G.S.B. oes half the way with rooge’s sentiments about hristmas, I myself sometimes 0 half the way with those who commend boiling in oil for onoclasts,

"KAuseum" C. HOLM (Kumara): Perhaps it would be of interest to the New Zealand public and overseas people intending to visit the West Coast of the South Island, to know that the NBS has opened a museum in Greymouth. This is known as 3ZR, which was formeriy a very live radio station with good sessions and up-to-date programmes, but the NBS, not knowing what to ao with their old recordings, suddenty had a brainwave, and the 38ZR museum is the result. The poor old Coast has had the commencement of "The Mirth Parade," "Coconut Groye Ambassadors," and "Dad and Dave" foisted upon it, with "The Japanese Houseboy" and "Eb and Zeb" in view. I don’t think it would be amiss for the Tourist Bureau to include the present 3ZR in its itinerary as an antique of interest. [Not all the features mentioned are either ancient or unpopular. Even "Eb and Zeb" have enthusiastic followers, .‘""Record’ readers have affirmed.-Ed.]

"Jazzy Stuff’ Earlier Dance Programmes (Thames): Your correspondent "Cayley,’’? of Pio Pio, who wants to bar all ‘‘jazzy stuff,’’ irrespective of the fact that some people enjoy dance music, is obviously a person who thinks that everything should be arranged to suit his own particular tastes. If dance music affects him as he says, it would be much better, for his friends, if someone in--gtructed him in the art of switching off hig radio. His suggestion that "This insidious poison is responsible for the numerous strikes all over the country" is so patently | absurd that it can be safely ignored.

Personally, 1 think most taltminded listeners will agree that quite a good case can be put forward by those desiring more and searlier dance programmes, A glance at the "Record" programmes brings to light the following faet:On Mondays, the earliest YA dance session is 10 p.m.; Tuesdays, 9.20 p.m.; Wednesdays, 10 p.m.; Thursdays, 9.20 p.m.; Fridays, 10 p.m., and Saturdays, 9.5 p.m. That is one night 9.5, two nights 9.20 and three night at 10. With four YA stations on the air, T do not think it is too much to ask that one station each night should put over a dance programme, com: mencing at 8. "Cayley" would then be left with three powerful stations to choose from in his search for "a he-man singing a heman’s song." Performing Rights From A. E. Rolf, attorney in New Zealand for Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd.: In spite of all that has been said and written on the subject, the strangest views seem still to prevail on the rights of the composer. In other directions it is accepted that the labourer is worthy of his hire, but because the composer’s contribution to the wealth of the country is of the intangible kind, his "hire" is sometimes begrudged him, and he seems to be regarded as "fair game" for anyone who can fileh his work and play it in public without his knowledge. The composer is sometimes 4 man of genius. Sometimes he is not. But in any case, he ig a man-or woman-with the same needs as other men-food, a house, friends and sometimes a family, sometimes even a holiday. And if unthinking

people seize on his works without so much as a "by your leave" and perform them in public without paying for them, he is denied all these and has to depend on public or private charity. In order to safeguard his rights, the composer is a member of the Performing Right movement, on which he depends for the collection of fees due to him for the performance of his works in public. Legally, of course, they are his works, and no one may use them-that is, play them in public-without his permission. But the modern composer cannot check the number of times any particular piece of music is publicly performed, so he commis: sions the Performing Right Association to do it for him. Some people seem to think that the Performing Right Association is a self-appointed ogre, which stalks the land preventing people from enjoying good music. Actually, it is nothing of the sort, It is the composer himself acting in @ corporate capacity to collect the dues allowed him by the copyright law

of the jand for the use of his handiwork, The big users of musie, notable among them the Government Broadcasting Service, know all this and admit its justice. But there are times when the small usersand their name is legion-are inelined to ignore it. Robin Hood M. L. Jeffs (Wellington): [I noticed in your issue of December 9 (which, by the way, is a very splendid Christmas effort) an article assuring your readers that Robin Hood was only a celebrated mythical person. This remark is attributed to C. BE. Clark in his "More Mistakes We Make." As an avid

reader of Robin Hood’s exploits, and one who is eagerly anticipating the first release date of Warner Brothers’ colour film, "Robin Hood," I should like to take this opportunity of pointing out that Dr. Claire Weekes, in an article in the Sydney "Syun-Guardian," points out that Robin Hood was mentioned in the Doomsday Book, and there are "no grounds for disbelieving in his actual existence." Dr. Weekes also mentions that several trees associated with actual happenings of Robin Hood and his men are still jn existence and can be seen inSherwood Forest, near Ollerton, England, Correction Will Bishop (Wadestown): Several of your readers have drawn my attention to an interview under the headline, "What Happens if You Have a Fine Voice?", published in your issue of December 2. Grief reference is made therein to my good friend Humphrey Bishop, who is described as "of Wellington" and who is "well known to New. Zealand yadio listeners for his songs at the piano." Now Humphrey suffers neither of these disabilities, whereas I, alas, am afflicted by both, and so the answer to the question asked in your headline appears to be rather obvious. It seems tv me that an apology may be due to someone-probably to Walter Kingsley. The Jews Anti-Fascist (Napier): There has peen a lot of talk recently, not only in the "Radio Record" about Hitler’s anti-Jewish purge, and whether or not he has any justification for such harsh treatment. Quite regardless -of whether Jews hold a commanding position in world finance, the fact remains that any advantage they hold is through sheer ability. In affairs of business and finance, they are definitely superior to the Gentiles, and consequently they are entitled to any superiority they may hold. Hitler has talked a lot about the harsk treatment meted out to the Sudeten minority in Czechoslovakia, but it was nothing to Germany’s treatment of her Jewish minority. Hitler must eventually crash, and when he does it will probably be found that the Nazi pariy’s pogroms were its supreme mistake. Famous: Painting Tired (Auckiand): Contributors to recent Home Forums of the "Record" have endeavoured to shed some light on Moore-Jones’s famous painting of the donkey. It is strange why the controversy should be revived at all. Abouta year ago, I seem to remember, papers right through New Zealand discussed the painting at length, and countless people came forward with fresh light on the mystery. I forget what the final conclusion was, After all, does it matter?