BOOM IN MUSIC

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21257, 31 August 1934, Page 8

BOOM IN MUSIC

—♦ ■ MANY ORCHESTRAS IN | LONDON ! | EFFECT OF WIRELESS BAN j Music in London has benefited from j the ban on the public reproduction of I wireless programmes and gramophone | records, according to Mrs R. C. Sierakowski, of Christehurch, who returned yesterday after a tour lasting seven months in Europe. Practically every small tea-house, restaurant, hotel, and cafe now has its own orchestra. They range in size from four to 40 pieces, but practically all are of high musical standard, and provide excellent music. Mrs Sierakowski, who is a wellknown Christehurch singer, had some interesting comments to make 011 the standard of singing in England compared with that in New Zealand. The women's singing in England, in her opinion, was 110 better, and in many cases worse than that in New Zealand, and she considered it a matter of regret that the voice now greatly favoured there was of the light soubrette type. The English male voices, however, were definitely superior to those of New Zealanders, and Mrs Sierakowski said that much cf the choral singing to be heard in England was magnificent. f Huge Audiences j in spite of the high prices generally charged for admission, music in London was booming, and great crowds attended the recitals of international j artists. At the Royal Albert Hall Mr* | Sierakowski heard a recital by Richt ard Tauber. the famous Austrian ter or, I and Conchita Supervia, the Spanish ! soprano, who is regarded as the besi Carmen of the present day, and who recently achieved a great triumph in the presentation of Rossini's opera, Ccnerentola. at Covent Garden. The King and Queen attended this performance. Again at the Albert Hall Mr and Mrs Sierakowski were among an audience of 5000 which saw the presentation of "Hiawatha," with 500 voices and 300 ballet dancers. This was a truly brilliant performance. Mr and Mrs Sierakowski visited the Elstree film where they saw and heard Richard Tauber making a new film, assisted

by a choir of 150 voices. The accom- j paniment for the singing was provided | by an organ in a church seven miles i away, relayed to the studio, and reproduced by loud-speakers. While in London Mrs Sierakowski met Miss Merle Miller, and her brother, Mr Malcolm Miller, of Christehurch, who were achieving great success m the musical world there. Miss Miller had appeared in minor parts at Covent Garden, and Mr Malcolm Miller was doing well in light opera. The drama in England was prospering just as music was, and it was no uncommon thing to see crowds queue up in the morning for an evening performance. Here again the audiences were undeterred by high prices. A good deal of ballet dancing was seen in the theatres, but it was little better than that seen in New Zealand. Building Activity The boom in building activity in London was one of the chief impressions carried away by Mr Sierakowski. Thousands of new houses were being built, and the suburbs were spreading fast. Four blocks of flats, each containing 300 or 400 persons, had recently been completed in Kensington. There appeared to be no j shortage of money in London while hc J was there. Although they did not visit Paris and Monte Carlo at the height of the season, the quietness of these places after London was amazing. London appeared to be the great draw, and one experienced difficulty in getting rooms at the hotels. The magnitude of the task of controlling London's traffic could not be realised by a person who had not been there, said Mr Sierakowski. The streets carried an enormous volume of traffic, and it was a matter for surprise that there were not more blockages than there were. Occasionally one would see a blockage of a mile of solid traffic in the capital. It sometimes took an hour and a half to go eight miles. Mr Sierakowski added that the Aldershot Tattoo and the Royal Pageant were spectacles that could be seen in 110 other part of the world.