AULD ACQUAINTANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 199, 22 August 1929, Page 2

AULD ACQUAINTANCE

Spring’s first mauve and purple irises, white-starred boughs of cherryblossom, freezias, golden daffodils and rhododendrons were charming onlookers at the little re-union held yesterday afternoon in the Victoria League rooms, when Mr and Mrs William Heughan were the guests of the Women’s Division. *

This isn’t Mr Heughan’s first appearance as a guest of the Division. On his last visit to Wanganui, he made many friends among the ladies of the W.D.F.U. and to a woman, these w.ere assembled to welcome Mr Heughan and his wife. The Division had decided to “say it with flowers.” So a dainty little maid, Miss Olive French, presented a big posy of violets, freezias, and maidenhair ferns, and Mrs Wickham made a little speech of welcome. Afternoon tea was the next item on the programme, which was just as it ought to be, for there’s something about tea which marvellously warms and stimulates the spirit of cordiality among womenfolk and men aren’t altogether immune. Besides, the Division ladies seem to distinguish themselves as cooks. They know all about the making of asparagus rolls and little cream-filled cakes, and, as a special compliment to Scotland, I noticed that the oat made its appearance in some tiny but most appetising scones.

The event of the afternoon was Mr Heughan’s speech. It’s rather unusual to find a singer who. off stage, is particularly conspicuous for personality, or for conversational ability. But Wanganui has rather exceptional memories of Mr Heughan, so everybody sat still and listened.

A picturesque figure is the Scottish singer, in his national dress, which “does mightily become a man” always provided he has the necessary physique to look like one of his chieftain forbears. Anyhow, Mr Heughan’s kilt looks very much the proper thing, and one would no more suggest ordinary colonial kit than one would wish to change his rather charming Scottish ‘‘burr.”

Mr Heughan has already told the “Chronicle” something of his wanderings around the world, and of the kindness which lonely folk in faraway bits of the Empire hav’e for the old folk-songs which were crooned over the cradle of their race. But some part of his remarks yesterday afternoon touched on an entirely different subject. Folk-music, he said, or racial melody of any kind, was indicative of the character and quality of a nation. This is obviously true. The little old songs of England are as fresh and sweet as hawthorn in summer, French ones are half gay, half sad; Slav songs dark and wistful. The music of the present age was jazz. It was restless transitory, leaving nothing in the memory except the reaction of jangled nerves. It destroyed appreciation of true music—it wasn’t, in fact, white man’s music at all, but negroid, born in sources altogether lower than the white man’s standard of civilisation.

‘ ‘Another enemy of music was machinery—or rather, the carrying of mechanism so far into music’s world that very soon, personal contact between singer and public would be almost impossible. The gramophone had been good, in that it had spread a wider knowledge of and interest in music. The radio made people lazy. Now came the ‘talkies,” which would put tho troubadour finally out of date. He ■would speak to New Zealanders again from the screen, perhaps, and perhaps to a wider public than he could otherwise find, but possibly never again would he, or many other singers, be able to tour the world. But talkie music w T ould always be a lesser thing that that which came straight from the singer’s lips to the hearer’s heart. Something of soul was destroyed in the machinery. One day, men would turn back to the old sweetness of natural melody. All this is the voice which, in its own way, is as delightful when speaking as when singing. Mrs R. Lilburn made a little speech, thanking Mr Heughan, and musical items concluded the programme. Among the singers were Mrs Leo Campion, Madame Spillane, Miss Ralph, and Miss Blanchett. A very amusing little original elocutionary sketch was also contributed.

Among those present, besides the guests of honour, were: Mr and Mrs W. Rogers, Mrs Wickham, Mrs R. Lilburn, Mrs Glasgow (senr.) Fordell, Mrs Price (Wellington), Mrs A. H. McLean (Fordell), Mrs A. N. McLeod (Okoia), Mrs Hine, Mrs Bullock Douglas, Mrs J. B. Martin, Mrs H. Taylor, Mrs J. Blyth, Mrs Gfiorge

Sutherland, Mrs D. Blyth, Miss N. Murray. Mrs Grey, Mrs Butcher, Mrs Stewart (Marton), Mrs Prestcn, Mrs Cross, Mrs TVerman, Mrs McDougall, Mrs T. Bambcr (senr.), Mrs Hcrlihi (Okoia), Mrs Anderson, Mrs J. Hunter, Mrs Scott, Mrs Fulton, Mrs Welsh, Mrs Wall, Mrs Cox, Misses Glasgow, S. Polson, Mitchell, Pratt, French, and many