NIGHTINGALE'S SONG

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 126, 30 May 1928, Page 10

NIGHTINGALE'S SONG

HEARD 'IN .WELLINGTON Mr. J. J. Reich, of Belmont, reports that between 10 and 10.30 a.m. to-day he heard a nightingale singing—not at Bolmont, but at Pangbomiie, a village a few miles west of Reading, England. Ho w;as listening to tho broadcast transmission" of SSW, the British Broadcasting Corporation's short-wave station, which, after the evening's con--1 cert programme, had changed over to the Kit Kat Club for the dance music. The dance programmo was interrupted twice by the announcer's statement that tho nightingale's song would be transmitted. Mr. Reich says that the bird's song, though not loud, was perfectly clear and sweet, and was audible from the. loudspeaker. The set in use has three valves. The weakness of the bird's song, in contrast to instrumental items, is due', of course, to the, fact that it is impossible to bring the bird and the microphone close together. Tho 8.8.C. has lately gone to great troublo to arrange for the famous little songstors' serenades by arranging lines to unfrequented woods so that the performances shall not bo interrupted by intruders, drawn to tlie spot by tho novelty of the proceedings. It is bolieved that- this is the first timo a New Zealand listener has been fortunate enough to hear the nightingale singing.