A VERY SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENT

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 36, 17 February 1939, Page 12

A VERY SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENT

Introducing Raymond Beatty And Heather Kinnaird; Mr. And Mrs. Is The Name, And They Both Think A Joint Career Is...

By

G. I.

FORD

‘THEY ere Australians. They are touring New Zealand under contract to the National . " Caonmmercial Broadcasting Service. He isc bass-boritone; she is @ contralte, They have sung in epere, and their repetoires ore carefully selected and contain nothing but the gecd things of music, but they themselves ere a long way from being highbrow or "arty." ie fact, it's paying them a high compliment fo soy thet they ere "dinkum Aussies." Gn the cancert platform and over the air they ere known.as Reymond Beatty and Heather Kinnaird. [Im ordinary life they cre Mr. and Mrs. R. Beatty. Mr. Beatty says a joint career com be @ very satisfactory arrangement. Mrs. Beatty claims she is the living contradiction to the adage that mersiage and a career don't go together.

HAVE often thought how lucky some radio artists are that television is still in its infaney. On the other hand, Raymond Beatty and Heather Kinnaird would be even more popular than they are" For if, delightful thought, 2YA’s studios were fitted with tele vision, listeners would see a couple of pleasant, husky young Australians they eould not help liking. Raymond Beatty is tall and hefty, and looks as theugh he would be a useful man in the front row of any serum. Heather Kinnaird might be described as a musical edition of the Australian outdoor girl. I had: morning fea at their hotel the ether day, and our

three-cornered conversation included everything from the heat-wave in Sydney, which reduced Raymond Beatiy’s starched shirt-fronts to pulp as fast as his wife could wash and starch them, to very bright anecdotes ahout Dr. Malcolm Sargent, with a little ahkout the SGeattys themselves thrown .m for good measure. Perhaps we’d better have something about them. : How They Met THE Beattys met when they came in to Sydney from the country to compete for the same scholarship at the Sydney Conservatorium. Raymond Beatty wrote heme to his people, ‘‘If I don’t win the

scholarship, I know who will. Her name is Heather Kinnaird, and she’s a contralto.’? Miss Kinnaird did win it, and Beatty was second, They both studied hard and got on well, and toward the end of 19385 decided to go into partnership. Their honeymoon was spent touring New 4Aea land under contract to the NBS-a more profitable honeymoon than most newlyweds spend. It wasn’t Beatty’s first visit to New Zealand, as he had had radio engagements here early the same year. The Beattys’ joint careers have benefited considerably from their close association with Dr. Maleolm Sargent during his twe visits to Australia, On his first visit Eeather Kinnaird appeared under him as soloist in’ Elgar’s ‘‘Music Makers,’’ the presentation being under the direction of the ABC. At Sydney she sang under him in Werdi’s ‘‘Requiem.’’ On the famous conductor’s second visit she and her husband had leading solo parts in the several presentations he made of ‘‘Elijah.’’ Perhaps the outstanding work Dr. Sargent presented in Australia was Walton’s ‘‘Belshazzar’s Feast.’’ There is one solo part, and the honour fell ' to Beatty. Inspiration R Dr. Sargent’s work in Australia they have nothing but praise. They themselves experienced, as did almost _ every artist-vocalist or instru--mentalist-who performed under Sargent in Australia and New Zealand, the tremendous Imspiration in his conducting. Even mediocre singers surpassed themselves when Sargent was conducting them. Australia’s policy. of bringing out famous conductors as .well as famous individual artists is likely to prove of lasting benefit to Australian music, : the Beattys think. The public, no doubt, like to hear the individual artist -Tauber, Tibbett, Lotte Lehmann. But the Australian musician or singer de-

rives infinitely more good from a conductor of the calibre of Dr. Sargent. And this applies not only to classical music. The visit of dance band leader Roy Fox, who is at present in Australia recruiting a band of Australian musicians, is sure to raise the standard of dance music. In the ultimate, of course, everybody benefits, musicians and. public. But to return to the Beattys. I gathered that, what with visits from Dr. Sargent, commissions by the ABC all over Australia, appearances with the Sydney Royal Philharmonic Society, they have been kept pretty busy. Onera ‘AYMOND BEATTY has just completed a:10-months engagement with the ABC, during which time he has been chief soloist with Ben Williams in a series of grand opera presentations under d’Abravanel. Heather Kinnaird was also under engagement for three months. After their New Zealand tour they will be returning to Australia post-haste. Dr. Sargent is due in Australia again, and they reckon they may be needed. One suggestion the Beattys have for music-lovers in New Zealand. They see no reason why something like the New South Wales music club movement should not do very well ere. * The musie club movement, which was brought back to Australia from the United States about 10 years ago by Oliver King, a. music-minded bank manager of Sydney, | consists simply of a ‘‘getting .

together’’ of music-lovers of all sorts and varieties for their mutual interest, pleasure and improvement. Members pay a few guineas @ year subscription, and clubs hold monthly concerts, engage visiting artists, encourage students and sponsor and help outstanding young musicians. Many leading Australian artists have made their debut at @ musie elub concert. In addition, a certain proportion of every member’s subseription goes to a. central scholarship fund administered by the Associated Music Cluos of New South Wales and every year some execeptionaliy promising young artist is sent abroad. An ambitious programme for a membership fee of only e couple of guineas? Perhaps, but it is surprising what can be done with an ever-inerea3-ing membership and good organisation. Worth While HE suggestion certainly seems worth considering by music-lovers in New Zealand. Phere are undoubtedly many clubs and other organisations already existing in the Dominion which are doing some of the work the musie elubs are doing in Australia, but how mueh more they could do were they properly urganised. And there you have the Beattys. I need only add that their home is at Synnfield, Sydney, and they have a dog ealled Sachs, after Hans Sachs, of the _**Maester-singers.’’ Also, that an NBS announcer endeared himself to Raymond Beatty by addressing him as "Mr. Kinnaird." ; ‘