A SAD SINGER.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17804, 31 August 1929, Page 17 (Supplement)

A SAD SINGER.

I DEPRECATES MECHANICAL AGE. MENACE OF THE TALKIES. These are sad times for William Heughan, the Scottish actor-singer. After six years of world touring, now that concert expenses are high and concert return are low, he has almost resigned himself to the talkies. Musical artists willing to tour New Zealand have become fewer and fewer. “ It is a tragic thing for the Dominion," thinks Mr Heughan, “ for young musicians and composers can’t develop without hearing the greatest artists." He still thought, however, that for its size and limited population the Dominion's welcome to musicians was outstanding in the world. Of all the countries he has visited, Mr Heughan has a special feeling for New Zealand. He had hoped, when his concert years were over, to settle here, occasionally touring through' the country to meet old friends. But the modern age has changed his plans. Harder work; more concerts; increased exp p nses; decreased returns—the life of Ihe concert artist was a difficult one. So when he leaves New Zealand for Canada, Mr Heughan will go into the talkies. The talkies, he believes, will kill world tours. The younger generation will know musicians only on tho screen; they will be unable to realise how great Is the difference botwoen the celluloid and the real. “ The audience will miss the artist; and the artist will miss the audience,” he says. “ Neither the one nor the other will have so much to carry away.” This was a mechanical age, and even music now tended toward the mechanical. It had been said that the music of a period expressed the true depth of thought of that period. Jazz was the music of to-day, expressing the feelings and unrest of modern times, and helping tremendously in the drift toward the mechanical. It is not long since Mr Heughan last toured New Zealand. He had not intended to came again so soon, hut when he determined that the talkies were inevitable, he wished to make one last farewell visit. “ People here don’t realise,” he said, “that, ever" --»'•* ,'"Lpass without support harms tho musical reputation of the country, and gives one more lift to tho mechanical.” Australia, with its conservatoriums of music, was no better off. The fall-ing-off in musical appreciation there, he thought, was greater than in New Zealand. None of the Australian tours this year had been successful.