RADIO

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18938, 7 December 1929, Page 23 (Supplement)

RADIO

BY

“AERIAL.”

A MATTER OF PRONUNCIATION.

Some 8.8. C. Decisions. It is a curious fact that, in the Old Country, a great controversy has been going on for several years on the question of the correct pronunciation of certain common words—as used by the 8.8. C. announcers—whereas in New Zealand the subject does not seem to have attracted much public attention. It may be that, in New Zealand, the standard of education of the great mass of the people is on a considerably higher level than is the case at Home, or that the radio announcers in this country have been so uniformly correct that there has been little to cavil at in regard to their speech. Then, again, it may be that we are more tolerant out here—look on our wireless as a means of entertainment, pure and simple, with fewer feverishly active high-brows consumed with a passion for “educating the masses” to rush into public print with diatribes against some unfortunate announcer who has, perhaps, committed the unforgivable sin of pronouncing “vagary* as ’“vayga'rry” (with the accent on the first syllable). We have, of course, as in every broadcast service, plenty of the “educational” stuff, but most of us cut the educator off and don’t make any song about it. Just as many of us do with artists who have outstayed their welcome (at the “mike”). Of whom there are several. However, it is interesting to note that this pronunciation bug has bitten the Great B.P. and the 8.8. C., with the result that, away back in 1926, the latter set up a committee to dig into the matter. The committee was appointed by the 8.8. C. under the chairmanship of Dr Robert Bridges, the Poet Laureate, with Mr George Bernard Shaw, Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, Mr Logan P. Smith, Professor Daniel James, and Mr A. Lloyd James as members. The committee was primarily formed for the benefit of the 8.8. C. announcers—the idea being to provide them, via the profound deliberations of the committee, with some degree of protection against public criticism, and to give them a “standard of pronunciation.” It has been pointed out that words which usually give the most difficulty to announcers are generally words of three or more syllables—the difficulty is to know where the accent lies and what value to give the accented and unaccented vowels. *.* The 8.8. C. has issued another list of the most recent recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on spoken English—and, as might have been expected, a storm of controversy has again broken loose. In the 8.8.C.’s latest list there are two words of one syllable, and the announcer who decided to ask the committee for a definite ruling upon these two words—“ass” and “off”—did not put an easy question by any means. The committee decided that “ass” should rhyme with “lass”, and that “off” should be pronounced “off** and not “orff” or “awff”. The same applies to “gone”. It is amazing how often one hears people—and people who should know better—pronounce this word as “gorn” or “gawn”. The following are taken from the 8.8.C.’s latest list. The accented syllable is given within parentheses:— Acumen—A(kew)men. Appreciation— Appreeshi(ay)shon. Ass—to rhyme with “lass”. Associate—Ass(o)shiayt. Cerebral—(Ser)rebral. Chimerical— Kim(mer)ical. Chiropody—Ky(ropp)ody. Conversant—(Con)versant. Counterfeit—(Count )erfit. Coxswain—Cox’n. Decadence—De (cay) dence. Deprecatory—(Depp) recay t ory. Dessicate—(Dess) icate. Desultory— (Dess) ultory. Dirigible—Dir (ij) ible. Disciplinary— Dissi (plinn) ary. Economics—Eeko(nom)miks. Equitable—(Ek)wi table. Forecastle—(Fok)sle (or (Fok)sul). Holocaust—(Hoi)locaust. Illustrative—--11 (lus) trati ve. Incomparable—ln (comp) - arable. Indissoluble—lndis(sol)lewble. Irrefutable—lr(reff)ewtable. Jejune—Je (joon). Necessarily—Accent on first syllable. Obeisance—o(bey)sance. Off—Of. Precincts— (Pree) sincts. Preside—Pre(zyde). President—(Prez)ident. Profile— (Pro) f y le. Pro j ectile—Pro (ject) - vie. Promulgate—(Prom)mulgayt. Reconnaissance—Re(conn)issance. Recognisance—Re (cog) nizance. Reservist

—Re(zer)vist. Stabilise—(Stay) bilize. Supremacy—Soo(prem)macy. Synod— Sinnod. Tornado— : Tor(nay)do. Totalisator—(Toe) talysaytor. Tripartite— Trypartyte (equal stress on first and second syllables). Vagary—Va(gair)y. Zebra—(Zee) bra. WIRELESS FOR BEGINNERS. No. 72. The extended figure last described in article 71 is really the same as the closed circuit C, L, SB described also therein. Suppose, for the sake of illustrating the point, we are able to fill L with electrons and to take electrons out of R—and keep on at it. Eventually we will reach a stage when, just before the insulating air space (the spark gap) between the spark balls breaks down, there must be a terrific strain—a “ state of electric strain ’* as it is called—round LR, in other words, a big electric force round about L and R. The point is important, so remember that the situation just visualised gives us a "state of electric strain” in the medium round about LR. If we carry on adding electrons to L and taking them out of R, the insulating air space between the spark balls is overcome—it breaks down—and the electrons crash over in a spurt of blue flame. The result is a “ current of electricity” flows. Now, mark this, this “ creates a state of magnetic strain,” circles of magnetic lines of force spread out from the circuit LR. But we find something else happens—there is a mob of electrons crowded into R and a dearth of them in L. Result: A big. electric force—a state of strain again in the medium round the circuit LR. And back once more crashes the electric horde across the spark gap and yet once again is a “ state of magnetic strain ” set up. That clear? Here you see we have a system that, in oscillating electrically, sets up, first, “ electric strain ” and then, through the flow of the current, sets up “ magnetic strain ” around it. (To be continued.) STUDIO NOTES. From New Zealand Stations. A concert by the Auckland Municipal Band, under Mr Christopher Smith, will be broadcast by IYA this evening from the Auckland Town Hall. A programme of popular and classical items that should appeal to all tastes 'will be presented. Dance music will be presented from 10 to 11 p.m. In view of the tour of the English cricket team, special interest will attach to a talk which Mr A. Verney will give concerning the visitors. The final concert of the 1929 season of the Wellington Harmonic Society will be relayed from the Town Hall this evening by 2YA. The society has arranged an attractive programme of part songs for the ladies of the choir and for the full choir, as well as several folk songs. The soloists for the evening will be Mr J. M. Caldwell (bass) and Mr G. Tanner (’cello). Prior to the commencement of the concert at the Town Hall, the 2YA Salon Orchestra, under Mr M. T. Dixon, will play as an overture Haydn Wood’s “ Clovertown ” selection, and during the interval Ponchinelli’s “ Dance of the Hours.” At approximately 10 p.m. the usual dance programme will be given and the sporting summary will be presented at 10.45 p.m. There will be a vaudeville and dance programme at 3YA, the vocal artists being Miss A. Graham, Mrs D. W. Stallard, Miss A. Stephenson, Mr L. Stewart and Mr W. J. Richards. Mr Harold Shaw will recite, Mr H. Beck will play two ’cello solos, “On Wings of Song ” and Squire’s “ Serenade,” and there will be selections by the Broadcasting Trio. Dance music will continue till 11 pm. 3YA’s programme will be relayed to 4YA. From 2FC To-night. The concert to be broadcast from the Rockdale Town Hall this evening promises an entertainment of high standard. It is arranged by the Rockdale District Scottish Association, and will be opened by a speech from the Chief of th© Clan. The item on the programme which should especially appeal to the Scotch section of the community will be bagpipe selections by the Piper Keith Clubb. Other artists on the programme are: Bryson Taylor (tenor), Nance Marley (contralto), Laurence Macauley (baritone) and Gw lady s Evans (soprano). From 2BL on Sunday. The evening service will be relayed from the Chalmers Street Presbyterian Church. The preacher is the Rev D. F. Brandt, whose previous broadcasts have brought numerous letters from listeners in New Zealand. The church service will be followed by a concert from the studio. From 2FC on Sunday. The evening church service will be relayed from the Pitt Street Congregational Church. The service will be conducted by the Rev T. E. Ruth. The feature speaker from 2FC from 8.30 to 8.50 p.m. on Sunday will be Mr B. R- Colling,' president of the League of Nations Union, New South Wales branch. His subject will be, “ International Goodwill.” Frederick George Handel’s famous oratorio, “ The Messiah,” will be rendered at the Lyceum on Sunday, December 8, by the Central Methodist

lillillillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllltW Mission’s reinforced choir, under the conductorship of Mr V. W. Peterson, 8.A., with Miss Constance Bardsley at the grand organ, and will be broadcast through 2FC. The cast will include Miss May Craven (soprano), Miss Bessie Cooke (contralto), Mr Lance Jeffree (tenor) and Mr Raymond Beatty (bass). Although of German birth, Handel made England the land of his adoption and wrote many of his most notable oratorios there. He was born in Halle in 1685, and as a boy was intended to become a lawyer, but he secretly studied the harpsichord. In 1737 operatic troubles ruined his health and caused paralysis. He partly recovered, and in 1741 abandoned opera and devoted himself wholly to oratorio, writing successively, “ Saul,” “ Israel,” “ L*Allegro,” and in 1743 his immortal “ Messiah,” followed by “ Samson,” “ Judas,” and many others. He became practically blind in 1752, but continued to direct his works until 1759, when he died. The first performance of “ The Messiah ” was held at Dublin and the crush was so great that after the first half the ladies were requested to remove their hoops and the gentlemen their swords. WEEK-END PROGRAMMES. FOR TO-DAY. New Zealand Stations. Details of to-day’s activities by the New Zealand stations appeared in last night’s “Star.” Studio notes anent this evening’s concerts by the YA stations appear elsewhere on this page. 4QG-, Brisbane (385m.—780k.). 10 p.m. to midnight: Concert programme by the Annerley Choral Society. At suitable times during the evening the third heat and the final of the mam trophy event at the Davies Park Speedway will be described. POR SUNDAY. IYA, Auckland (333m.—900k.). 3.0: Afternoon session. 5.0: Children s session. 6.55: Relay of service from St David’s Church (preacher, Rev D. C. Herron). 8.30 (approx.): Studio concert—Royal Opera Chorus, “Boris Goaounov—Polonaise, Act S’’ (Moussorgsky); Studio Trio, “Andante Religiose (Thome); contralto, Sigrid Onegin, Che Faro Senza Eurldice”; pianoforte, Mr E. Waters, “Rustling Woods” (Liszt); tenor Joseph Hislop, “Addio Alla Madrfe (“Cavalleria Rusticana”) (Mascagni); ’cello, Miss Molly Wright, Adagio” (Bargiel); soprano, Dusolina Giannini, “Margaret at the Spinning Wheel (Schubert); violin, Miss Ina Bosworth, “Melodie” (Tschaikowsky); vocal duet, Walter Glynne and Stuart Robertson, “The Moon Hath Raised Her Damp Above” (Benedict); Studio Trio, ‘ Reve Angelique” (Rubinstein); Eighteenth Century Orchestra, “The Beggar’s Opera” (Gay). 9.30: Close down. 2YA, Wellington (416m.—720k.). 3.0: Afternoon session. 6.0.: Children s song service. 7.0: Rtelay of service from St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Wellington (preacher, Canon Percival 8.15 (approx.): Studio concert by the Wellington Municipal Tramways Band and assisting artists—Band, N f ar ?.S. God to Thee” (traditional) and “8.8. and C.F.” (Ord Hume); soprano, Miss Nora Gray, “Sing, Break Into S° n ß”i baritone, Mr C. Wilkie, The Lord Is My Light”; vocal duet. Mrs A. Murie and Miss Hilda Chudley, Greeting”; cornet solo, Bandsman W. Stevenson, “Titania” (Rimmer); contralto, Miss Hilda Chudltey, Negro Spiritual, “There’s a Little Wheel A’TurnIng ; band, “Hallelujah Chorus” (Handel); weather report; soprano, Miss Nora Gray, “On Wings of Song”; instrumental trio, He Groot, Bor and Calve, “Londonderry Air” (arranged Coleman). . (Saint-Saens) ; b&ritone, Mr C. Wilkie, ‘With Myrtle and Rosefc, *d, ovely as a Flower”; band, TVilliam Tell” (Rimmer); vocal duet, Mrs A. Murie and Miss Hilda Chudley, “I Would That My Love”; violin, Marjorie Hayward, “Meditation” (“Thais”) (Massenet), “Poem” (Fibich); contralto, Miss Hilda Chudley, “Slumber, Dear Maid”; band, “Thoughts” (Alford) and “Australasian” (Rimmer). Close down. , 3YA, Christchurch (306m.—950k.). 3.0: Afternoon session. 5.30: Child- , ren’a song service (children of th*e ' Church of Christ Sunday Schools). 6.15: : Hymn tunes from studio. 6.30: Studio . concert—Alfred Cortot and London Symphony Orchestra, “Variations Symphoniques” (Cesar Franck); negro spirituals, Paul Robeson, "Scandalise My Name,” Paul Robeson and Lawrence Brown, “Hear de Lambs A’Crying”; ■ Victor Symphony Orchestra, “Kamenoi [ Ostrow” (Cloister Scene) (Rubinstein), i “Liebestraum” (Liszt). 7.0: Relay of service from Church of Christ, Moor- • house Avenue (preacher, Rev A. E. . Tebay). 8.15 (approx.): Rebroadcast . of 4YA. Close down. 1 4YA, Dunedin (461m—650k.). ' 3.0: Afternoon session. 5.30: ChildL ren’s song service. 6.30: Relay of service from St John’s Anglican Church (preacher, Archdeacon Fitchett). 7.66: • Weather report. 8.5: Relay from St Kilda of concert by the St Kilda Band. 9.15: Close down. 4QG, Brisbane (385m.—780k.). 8 p.m.: Children. 9.0: From St Barnabas’s Church of England at Red Hill, children’s service. 9.30: Evensong. 10,30 to 11.30 p.m.: Relay from Wickham Park of concert by the Brisbane Municipal Concert Band.

A IYA ARTIST.