GRACIE FIELDS TO USE MAORI SONG AS SIGNATURE TUNE

Evening Star, Issue 26149, 10 July 1947, Page 8

GRACIE FIELDS TO USE MAORI SONG AS SIGNATURE TUNE

(N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 7. Gracie Fields, who is shortly due to return to British broadcasting after an interval of several years, will use the Maori farewell song, ‘ E Pari Ra,’ which she learned during' her visit to New Zealand, as her signature tune. She said that she first heard the tune when a Wellington , taxi driver hummed it a 6 he was driving her to see the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. Miss Fields -will commence a new series of broadcast programmes under the title 1 Gracie’s Working Party,’ on July 23. She admits that owing to her long absence from the British entertainment scene she is not sure of her .reception. The National Theatre Association has criticised the 8.8.C.’s decision to bring Miss Fields back to broadcasting on the grounds that she is not longer of British nationality owing to her marriage in 1940 to Monty Banks, who was then of Italian nationality. ■ ' - Several months after the marriage Monty Banks was granted American nationality, and if the marriage had been delayed till then his wife, under British law, would still be considered a British citizen. Fields has since refused to apply for American citizenship. Banks, who is travelling in Italy, is not coming to Britain with his wife.