IN THE WAKE OF THE WEEK'S ...BROADCASTS...

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 30, 6 January 1939, Page 9

IN THE WAKE OF THE WEEK'S ...BROADCASTS...

BROKE THE RULES OF DEBATE

HOSE who take their erieket seriously, and I like to think there are still a few in New Zcaland. in spite of the encroach-

ment of alien games such as softball, must have enjoyed the talks given

from 2%B last week by Norm. Jacobsen, the well-known Wellington sportsman. The night I heard him, Mr. Jacobsen began by describing the run of the day’s play in the Plunket Shield match between Wellington and Otago. Soon, though, he digressed to enthusiastic but slightly incoherent anecdotes about ericketers he had met, how to play a rising ball on the leg, and a lot of Neville Car-dus-ish philosophy about cricket. ‘‘Oricket is more than a result or a score; it is a manner of playing.... A_ society founded on a good ericket match would solve most of the troubles of the world,’’ he deelared. All to the good and all very true, but seeing Mr. Jacobsen was concerned mainly with the :progress of a Plunket Shield mateh, I am inclined to think that he broke an important rule of parliamentary debate by wandering off into the philosophy of cricket. I heard Mr. Jacobsen declare, by the way, that Ell of Wellington is one of the most promising cricketers in New Zealand. Maybe he does show a lot of promise, but he has something to learn yet, including the fact that you ean’t go for boundaries in Plunket Shield ericket as you can against mediocre bowling in elub cricket.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Night before Christmas Hve in Christchurch, a 8ZB executive gave birth to a new idea. Why not take a microphone among the milling crowds in Cathedral Square and ask

people at random a series of separate qiiestions? So far, so good. But the traffic depattment of the

Christchurch City Council, after consultation, thought this would cause a traffic jam and make things a trifle awkward, so advised that the relay be confined to a stated part of the Square. That suited perfectly, so Chiv and Jack Bremner took a microphone into that part of the Square fronting the 3ZB temporary premises. In a moment, the crowd scented . something unusual, was milling about. First of all, a Sydney resident in New Zealand en holiday, said he would far rather spend Christmas in Christchurch than in Sydney. Said the announcer to a young woman with her arms full ‘of parcels: ‘"What’s your idea of a real thrill this Christ: mas?" "Now what do you mean?" she said. The announcer blushed and moved off. "Now," he -asked somebody else, "what would you buy mother if you had a million pounds?" and was told that fancies ranged from a palatial house or an aeroplane to a radio set. This, the first vox populi broadcast in. Christ-. church, was a distinet success and, at the time of writing, the intention was to repeat it on New ‘Year's Eve, in passing,.someone was specially on duty to do the "eut-out" in case’ anybody in the crowd became overexuberant,

DECLINE AND FALL OF HOUSEBOY

Strange as it may seem, the series of recordings recounting the adventures of the Japanese Houseboy, from iYA at any. rate, is shortly concluding and will be replaced by

another weekly recorded feature. Personally, I am tremendously glad, for I must admit I am

weary of the Honourable Archie and Frank. Watanabe. There must be others who, no doubt, will throw their hats up into the air to show their joy that the last. of the series, which has been a weekly feature from this station for four years, is to be heard on January 22. But I must be fair.. Others, and there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, will be Sorry to miss the weekly entertainment... -To prove ‘that listeners miss Archie and Frank when they are not broadcast according to schedule, let me quote an instance that happened not long ago. Owing to a big broadcast sud-

denly intervening, the "Japanese Houseboy" was not given. The phone wires leading.to 1YA got hot. Hundreds rang to voice their protest, demanded to know why the sequence was broken,

HARMONICA Boys FROM GYA

I used to make a point of listen-ing-in to 3YA the night the mouthorgan band played in the children’s session. Then I discovered Uncle Chartlie’s mouth-organ band appear-

ing at 4YA every Thursday night, round about 5.30. Good as the Christchurch ‘ pombination had

been, I was soon forced to-the conclusion that the 4YA band was even better. They broke up for the year the Thursday before Christmas and gave'a recital of carols Which was the .best of the many «carol programmes given by choirs, bands, and so on that I heard. Uncle Charlie has built up a band that will stand comparison with any recorded band ‘of a- similar nature; and it is-plain from the painstaking nature of performances that the 4YA mouth-organ band takes a pride in its work. "Following the preseniaztion the band "went downstairs" for a Christmas celebration. Will next be heard in February.

SALLY HELD A RECEPTION

aot 7 ere ‘ everybody. ‘Today in the studio wtih me are eight other women-representing Eng-

lk: ..d, Scotland, Ireland, America and Australia. They have come to

join with me in special greetings to their fellow country-folk living in Canterbury." Thus

Sally, of 8ZB, opened a broadcast the other dhy-unusual in many respects. The idea was a lively one. At 10 o’clock ix the morning, Sally had telephoned and _ telegraphed messages from her home to nine women. Only two knew what she wanted them for, and only two had ever seen a microphone before. Similarly, Sally had never seen most of the ladies. They packed out the temporary studio of 8ZB and, as women will, soon settled down to a natural chat. There was nO microphone fright, even though the invitation was sudden. Each took her chosen place and talked on all sorts of subjects from the English holly and Robin redbreasts to how to make a real Yorkshire

pudding. This was the best thing of its kind I have heard from 3ZB yet!

TWO VOICES THAT ASTONISH

Those notable duettists, Viola Morris and Victoria Anderson, sing solos capably, duets amazingly. It is an odd thing that their voices together are sO much more than

double the value of their voices apart. I heard them from 1YA last week and knew not which

one of their duets I liked best. They Tun through all mcoods of music with such practised ease and artistry.

MAKES IT SOUND SO EASY

The microphone, which picks up everything and rejects nothingjust like an ostrich-gave me a good reproduction of Australian baritone Clem Williams clearing his

throat after the first phrase in his first song from 2YA on Tuesday night last, but from

then on it brought nothing but the ease and naturalness of his singing. Songs were well chosen to illustrate ‘the fluidity of his voice, and really it was all so graceful and light that. he made you think singing was the easiest thing in the world. Altogether a delightful programme,