Wireless News

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21122, 24 March 1934, Page 8

Wireless News

[lly Alt I HI.. ]

These last few nights radio conditions have improved considerably as regards reception, and the Australian and American stations have been coming in with little fading and a freedom from static. This has enabled New Zealand listeners to hear a magnificent rendering from Melbourne last week of Beethoven's Emperor concerto, with the Melbourne Symphony orchestra and Pouishnoff, the Russian pianist. Incidentally, it has also enabled those who reach out to America to note that crooning—at least from stations on the Pacific seaboard —appears to be on the decline. _ A poll taken by the "Literary Digest'' of New York as to radio preferences shows that radio crooners are disliked by 9636 and liked by 64. which would seem to indicate that 64 crooners voted. This is undoubtedly the happiest news we have had from the states since Mr Thompson vacated the mayoralty of Chicago.

But to return to Australian stations. Now that atmospheric conditions make them again worth hearing, it should be noted that Professor Charteris is once more on the air with his "Australia Looks at the World": that the Nelson Trio are giving a series of concerts from Sydney; that "The Mike on the Hike"—a series ol surprise items —mav be worth the tuning in: and that Dr. F. \V. Norwood, the famous preacher from the City lemple London, is giving an address to-moi - row evening at 11.10 lrom L'l'C. Sidney.

Shaw Only too infrequent ly do uiiu>u.i. persons visit New Zealand. But it would seem an excellent idea if important visitors to these shores were met on tlie ship not only by the usual newspaper representatives. but also bv a member of the Radio Broadcasting Board stall' equipped with a portable microphone. One such excellent opportunity was lost when Bernard Shaw arrived at Auckland. New Zealand as a whole is anxiously awaiting the opportunity of hearing the great man s voice. It may be argued, of course, that a man s personality is secondary to his works. Nevertheless. the microphone, a medium ideally suited lor the purpose, has not as yet been utilised to broadcast either the plays of Mr Shaw or the voice of Mr Shaw. 1 believe that arrangements are in hand to relay a speech from Wellington through the YA chain of stations, towards ihe end of Ins slay in the Dominion. There is a belief -probably shared only by Mancunians—that what Manchester thinks today, England thinks to-morrow. And in a like manner. Mr Shaw ha: reached that enviable stage when he is regarded by the world generally as an expert in a consultant capacity for the relief of the world's social ills. And that reminds me that 1 once shared a Hat with a voting actor who had played manv more or less minor parts in Shaw plays. The young man spent most of his day thinking Shaw and talking Shaw. Chalked up on his bedroom wall were the names of characters it was his ambition to represent: Blanco Posnet, Tanner. Richard Dudgeon, Rankin, etc. On another wall was a framed postcard from Mr Shaw, which he had picked up at a secondhand bookstall. The young actor was very difficult to understand, his character changed with chamelion-likc rapidity. One moment he would be living inside Heartbreak House, the next, he would be expounding the Life Force for all lie was worth. His end was sad, poor man. He got married, and was not able to reconcile Shaw's statement that "the ideal husband and the ideal wife are no more real human beings than the cherubim'' with his own feelings in the matter. He therefore turned reluctantly to William Blake, and when last 1 saw him was chalking up on his wall a number of eccentricly ovoid i-ggs which lie assured me explained most of Blake's mystic theories. Probably this anecdote presents no logical ren.-on why the radio broadcasting Board should broadcast Mr Shaw, but the fact remains that lie exerts a strange hypnotic influence on the young so-called intelligentsia of England comparable perhaps to the influence exercised by Ghandi on the untouchables of India. Thus I once travelled on a night train in England with Martin Harvey, who may be remembered as the Dauphin in Miss Thorndike's company when she presented St. Joan in Christchurch. We arrived at our destination at 2.50 in the morning, and I accompanied Harvey to the house where we proposed to spend the rest of the night. The house was m darkness. knocks and rings did not awake the household.

"What do we do next'.'" I enquired. Martin Harvey thought a moment. "If Bernard Shaw were here." he replied. "lie would break into the house. He would enter by a window and sleep on a settee in the silting room. Therefore we will do the same.'' So we did.

And this brings me back to the point that it would be an excellent idea if visitors of note were met at the boat with a portable microphone. Orchestras and Things The programme schedule which thinking listeners consult before they tune in to any riven station has so far proved satisfactory in operation. As a result, programmes are more dissimilar to the soup about which the hotel waiter once warned me. "Whenever in doubt." he said, "'always take clear soup. You never know what's in thick soup." At the same time, it seems that a policy of unvarying non-deviation from the schedule must necessarily result in a static inflexibility of presentation. As an example of this, when last week I was talking to Mr Harold Beck, the 'cellist and the conductor of the :iYA orchestra. I suggested that a great number of listeners would be pleased to hear him in chamber music. But when we discussed the matter, it appears that chamber music is given from 3YA on Monday evenings between 9 and 10 o'clock, and that this consists entirely of gramophone records. Every evening hour is inexorably filled with its scheduled type of entertainment.

It seems rather a pity, for in MiBeck we have not only a 'cellist of high order, but a conductor who is inevitably hampered by his orchestral materia]. I must insist here that Mr Beck would probably be the last to admit that he is in any way hampered by his orchestra, but it must appear plainly to those who consider the matter that Christchurch cannot expect symphonic music from so small an orchestra. Now that building activities have more or less ceased in Christchurch as regards transmitters and such like, it is to be hoped that the YA orchestra will be considerably augmented, that their salaries will be increased, that their rehearsals and appearances will be more frequent. And finally Mr Beck should be asked to form "a small ensemble for the transmission of chamber music in addition to his usual activities. It seems a pity that so capable a musician should "not be heard more often.

Among countries containing more than 100,000 telephones, Great Britain comes ninth so far as the number of telephones per 100 of the population is concerned. The number of letters and packets dealt with by the Post Office authorities in Britain during 1931-31: was 6,540.000,000. The number of parcels •was 158,100,000.

NOTES FROM FAR AND NEAR

BROADCASTING TO-DAY'S PROGRAMMES 3VA, CHRISTCHURCH 1720 Kilocycles.) 7 0 to 3.30 a.m.: Breakfast_ session. 10 0: Devotional service. 10.Id: Selected recordings 12 noon: Lunch music. 2 p.m.: Selected recordings. 3.30._ Spoils results. 4.30: Special weathe loiecast for farmers and sports iesulU. 5.0. Children's hour, conducted b> Aui Pat C.O: Dinner music. 7.0. Mews and reports. 8.0: Relay of conceit Programme from station 4Y {^' 10 DU p O Inl 1 n l " e 10.0: Sports summary. 10.10 uance music. Alternative progiamme, 3YL. 1200 kilocvcles. 5.0: Light musical programme. "7.0: After-dinner music. 8.0: Alternative concert programme. 2YA. WELLINGTON (570 Kilocvcles.t 7 0 to 8.30 a.m. Breakfast session. 10 0: Chimes. Selected recordings. 10.30: Devotional service. J- nOOI _ ! : Lunch music. 2 P- 11 }- 1 _ Light musical nro'Tamme. 3.0: Rela\ from Wintei Show building of the opening ceremonv of the Easter Show and Industrial' Exhibition. 3.30 and 4.30: Special weather report and sports results. 50- Children's hour, conducted by Aunt Molly and Uncle Jasper. 6.0: Dinner music. 7.0: News and reports. 7 40- W.E.A. Session. Dr. I. L. u. Sutherland. "The Maori People" O "Life in Aotea Roa." 8.0: Concert programme. Recording. Dajos Bela Otchestra "Tunes from the Talkies" Selection •art 1 . Borchert>. Recording. Gracic Fields icomedienne l . "One Little flair on his Head" (Castling>: "1" Old Siberia" i Harper >. 8.14: Recording. The Varietv Stars. -Non Stop Variety" (Lee). 8.20: Relay from Do Luxe Theatre. Mr Paul Cullcn. Songs at the Wui'lil/.er Organ. 8.40: Leeturette. Mr J. A. Bruce. "Harnessing Thermal Energy." 9.0: Weather report and station notices. 9.13; 3-)r\ncc 10.0: Sporting' summary. 10.10: Continuation of dance prognunme. Alternative programme. 2YC. 840 kilocycles. 5.0: Light musical programme. 7*o: After-dinner music. 8.0: Alternativc concert pro^ramim 1 .

DAVENTRY. ENGLAND 6.15 a.m.: Time Signal from His Ben. Dance music 1 ,;:ram<iphone recordsi. (>.30: A runniu;: commentary on t li<■ Grand National Steeplechase. 7.0: Dance music (gramophone records >. 7 if)- Time Signal from Greenwich. ■'l-'oreien Allah's." A talk by Mr Vernon Bartlett. 7 :U): Variety programme. U.O-U. 15: New# bulletin. SI r NI)AY a. ( Hitis rt ill ut u i 720 Kilocycles, i DO a.m.: Selected recordings. 110: Relav of morning service from St. Saviour's Anglican Church. Preacher. Rev. E. ('. \V. Powell. Oruanist and Choir Conductor. Mr Cecil H. Iloskiu. 1.0 p.m.: Dinner music. 2.0: Selected recordings. 2.15: Talk. 'MI: Selected recordiUK--'. Children's Sonu Service, conducted by children ol the Presbyterian Sunday Schools (>.15: Chimes from Studio. 0.20: Selected recordings. 7.0: Relay of I\ ven i i;Service from St. Andrew s Presbyterian Church. Preacher: Rev. J. Lawson Robinson. Organist: Mr Robert Lake. Choirmaster: Mr J. Maclean. 8.30: Relay of concert programme from Station. 4YA. Du'nedm. Alternative programme. 3YL. 1200 kilocycles. M): Selected musical programme. i!. 30: Alternative concert session. :YA. Wellington' '.">7o Kilocycles. l !l 0 am: Chimes. Selected iccordin;::,. 11.d: Relay of service Irom the Trinity Methodist Church. Wei 11n;*.i• ■" South. Preacher: Rev. W. Brimwell Scott. Organist: Miss Lilian Thawhy. L.A.B. 1 p.m.: Dinner music. _ 2.0: Selected recordings. (i.O: Children s Son« Service, conducted by Uncle William. 7.0: Relay of Evening Service from the Terrace Conuree.at meal Church, Preacher: I'ev. 11. \\ . Newell. On:am.-t. and Choirmaster: Mr Harry lirusey, u.15 lapprox. 1 : Seleete(i recordings. 8.30: 12 Y A Concert Oivh '. tra i Conductor. Mr Leon do Maunyi, Overture "Rieu/i" ( Wa:;iien. !>. 12: Relav from the De Luxe Theatre, Paul Cullen at the Wurlitzer Oryin Operatic Excerpts: "Excerpt from Overture •—Orpheus in the Underworld" lOll'enbach": "IJcrcoiisc" iGodard": "Star of Eve" 1 "Taniihausei" i t Wanner i; "Lucia Di Lammermoor" < Donizetti i. f>o: Weather re]iort and notices. .11!: 2YA Concert Orchestra, Selection "Tannhaus< r" fWa.nnen. 0.15: MiTrevor Thomas i bass-baritone" with orchestra. "Vulcan's Sonn" "Gounod": "She Alone CharnwMh My Sadness" i Gounod"; ••Yeomen of England" ; German i. 9.25: 2Y A Concert Orchestra. "Introduction to the 3rd Aet""Lohennrin" HVaiinen: "Prize Son;: from •The Masterslnners' " "Wanner". <>.4o: Recordings: Fran It Titterton. "Spring Son':" < Warner >. Emmy Hettendorl" (soprano) with chorus and orchestra of Stat*' Opera House. Berlin. "Scuta's Ballad" i Wanner i. 0.52: 2YA Concert Ocrhcstra. "Prelude from 'Tristan and Isolde'" " Wanner). Alternative programme. 2YC, !1-10 kilocycles. fj.O: Selected musical programme. T..30: Alternative concert programme.

Dean Inge. preaching at Southwark Cathedral 'recently, said few things were more tragic than tlie deterioration of character in men, which often set in at about ;>(). They must ln> careful to keep at bay the fatty defeneration of conscience. "'The eesslul man." continued the Dean, "is sometimes a miserable object- a man who has 10.-l the habit of attending to anything except things which help hitn or" that field him back. A man for whom all the finer and higher values of life do not exist. Sometimes he becomes arrogant, and thinks he may allow himself to run risks, moral or financial. Now and then we hear of some humiliating exposure which surprises even hi.s friends."