FIND AND DEVELOP SOME LOCAL TALENT

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 32, 20 January 1939, Page 7

FIND AND DEVELOP SOME LOCAL TALENT

Talent Quests Have Come And Gone, But H. Gladstone Hill, In A Frank Talk With J. Gifford Male, Asks What N.Z. Radio Has Really Done To...

TALENT hunts, personality quests and such-like are matters on which broadcasting authorities are sharply divided. On one side we have the undoubted stimulus given to local talent by such enterprising features as the "Personality Quest" ‘conducted over ‘stati@n® 1ZB "Auckland «in 4 1937, and the "Search for Deanna Durbin" conducted more recently over all the commercicl stations. "The Personality Quest’ brought to light several New Zealanders who might. otherwise have remained in obscurity-Stuart Harvey, the winner, whose fine voice ‘thas. since been heard fairly frequently over the air; young Jimmy Fitzpatri , who is now singing in Australia with Jim Davidson’s ABC Dance Orchestra; and de- Lange, whom the quest also launched into a promising musical career.

GAINST this must be: balanced-the fact that too often a quest for talent, however admirably conceived, is after all, soon forgotten; that winners and rank and file of . entrants alike too often share ‘the same fate; that without resorting to stunting, radio generally is carrying on an unceasing search for talent, and that most worth-while talent is brought to light in this way. A staunch champion of pro- . perly conducted talent quests wis I. Gladstone Hill, New Zealander who is well known in Australian radio, and who is at present back in the Dominion on a holiday visit. He thinks New Zealand radio should be much more active in such matters than it is at present; he has several constructive ideas concerning the best procedure of conducting quests; he even has a plan for * the commercial utilisation of the talent thus unearthed. Mr, Hill has had sufficient experience in competition work, radio and music generally to make his views well worth consideration. A former resident of Christchurch, he will be remembered by New Zea.ieders as organiser and manager of the New Zealand tour of Henri Verbrugghen and the New South Wales State Orchestra ‘in 1921. He also toured the world as director of publicity for the Commonwealth Band, and lectured extensively throughout the U.S. under the aegis of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1936 he represented New Zealand at the 21st anniversary . of the Conservatorium, Sydney, returning to Australia shortly afterwards to take up residence. at Neweastle, N.S.W. "Uncle Bert!’ JN the coalficlds district. he has taken a véry active interest in musical and cul-

-tural work. He is ‘‘Uncle Bert’’ on the Macquarie station 2HR, being in charge of the Radio Club and children’s session; for the past five months he has been conducting a largescale radio and stage talent quest on behalf of 2HR; and as a registered adjudicator he

has judged innumerable Kisteddfods and similar eompetitions, He is obviously well qualificd to give an opinion regarding development of local talent,

But a word about the Néweastle coalfields and their unique musical and cul-. _ tural background. It is useful to consider this, as Mr. Hill claims that what has been done on the coalfields can to a large extent be done -. in New Zealand. In the manner in which they have produced musicians and singers of international standard, the Neweastle coalfields constitute a distriet ‘probably unique in the world. It is. almost as though Nature, through some inscrutable eompensation, has made up to these rough mining folk their loss of many of the beauties of life by endowing them with a super-normal loye of music. The fact that the majority of the miners are Welsh probably has a lot to do with it. Coming Here ERTAINLY Welsh aptitude for choral singing has been responsible for producing a Combined Male Voice Choir which is said to be the equal of any of its kind in the world. It is of especial interest to note that this choir will be coming across to New Zealand. to the Centennial Eisteddfod which will be held in Wellington next year. One of the most important radio stations serving the thickly populated coalfields area is 2HR, which is playing an important part. in telling. Australia about the fine talent to be found. in its district. . The radio and stage talent quest, of which Mr. Hill is adjudicator for 2HR, is nota publicity stunt for the station.- It is the result ofa . definite and sincere desire on ‘the part of the Macquarie broadcasting network to find talent which can be recorded and used to replace (not entirely, of course) imported. records wherever recordings: are used for public entertainment.

As adjudicator, Mr, Hill has conducted elimination trials all over the coalfields district, and he has reduced the hundreds of original entrants to 80, who will compete at.a big final contest in February. Mr. Hill has been assisted in the judging by an expert from @ recording company, and many entrants well worth while recording have already been selected. Recordings CONTRARY to general opinion, Mr. Hill states with emphasis that, with careful selection and thorough ecoaching, local talent ean make recordings thoroughly aeceptable, and quite up to overseas standard. The Maitland Municipal Band, of which Mr. Hill is conductor, niade a series of recordings which were played over the air without any announcement, and certain people were asked to name the band. All picked the Grenadier Guards. A little hard on the Grenadier tuards, observes Mr. Hill, but it proved an important point. . Again, records were made of the voice of- a talented little gil, aged 11 years. Those, too,. were broadcast without. any name being given, and-met with a wonderful reception. The net result of this talent quest, Mr. Hill claims, will be that a still greater impetus will be given to’ the expression of local talent on the coalfields, that a large number of geod. quality records will be made and used,.and that money which would ordinarily go out of the country will be retained; and that radio will become a

still more vital factor in the cultural life ofthe community. . The message Gladstone Hill has for New Zealand radio is this. There is no reason why sonicthing similar should not be done in New Zealand. Perhaps we have not the same amount of natural talent as he has on the coalfields; but surely te admit that would be indicative of an inferiority complex. Not-As Stunt A DOMINION-WIDE drive for * talent is what Mr. Hill suggests, to be conducted, possibly, by the National Commercial Broadeasting Service, not as an ephemeral.stunt, featured just as long as an advertiser cares to sponsor it and then cousigned to oblivion, but as.a-really serious attempt to use the great potentialities of radio to ‘demonstrate the latent talent New Zealand possesses. Elimination trials would be held. in the main centres, finalists being brought to a central point, say. Wellington, for the final contests. And there is no reason at all, says Mr. Hill, why this country should not produce talent well up to. recording. standard.. The recordings which are being made of a Maori children’s choir are an auspicious beginning. If the- recordings could not be made in New Zealand, prizes could include cost of transport to Sydney to make them there, ‘*I am convinced New Zealand: has a surprising amount of talent as yet undiscovered," says Mr. Hill. ‘‘Radio, I am equally .convineed; ean bring it out,