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The activities of the Mobile Recording Unit included a tour of the Waikat,o, ,a visit to Ruatoria to record proceedings of an important Maori Hui, a tour of the Thames Valley, and a visit to the South Island for the Otago Centennial Celebrations. During the Waikato and Thames Valley tours material was collected for a number of " To wn " programmes. Recordings were made of items by nearly seventy local choirs, bands, orchestras, &c., and thirty-six solo artists. There were also interviews with more than fifty persons and various documentary recordings were made. In addition to the " Town " programmes, a series entitled " Music is Where You Find It," using recordings made by the Unit, was broadcast. Two half-hour programmes " Here and There in Taranaki," based on material collected Jast year,.were produced. The Unit's activities at the Otago Ceritennial Celebrations included coverage of the !STew Zealand Brass Band Contest and the New Zealand Highland Pipe Band Contest. The recordings made were despatched to stations for presentation on the same day as the performance. Other Centennial functions kept the Unit fully occupied in Dunedin during January, February, and March. • The appearance of local artists as concerto soloists with the National Orchestra was a notable development during the year under review. .Opportunities were taken to encourage local players of a sufficiently high standard, by engaging them to perform part or whole of a concerto. One local artist in Auckland, three in Wellington, and one each in Christchurch and Dunedin appeared in this way with ; the Orchestra in public performances. Among New Zealand artists who toured the National and Commercial stations were Christina Young, contralto, Nettie McKay, mezzo-soprano, Phyllis Williams in Maori programmes ; Margherita Zelanda, soprano ; Mary Pratt, Dunedin contralto ; Cara Cogswell, Christchurch contralto : Stewart Harvey, Auckland baritone ; Dora Drake, Dunedin soprano ; Thomas Morrison, Wellington baritone ; Rosamund Caradus, Auckland soprano ; Kathleen Sawyer, Wellington contralto ; Cecil Hauxwell, Auckland baritone ; Betty Spiro, Auckland soprano ; Shirley Austin-Turtle, Wellington soprano * Marjorie Rowley, Christchurch soprano: William Clothier, Wellington baritone; Winston Sharp, Christchurch baritone ; Raymond Windsor, Dunedin pianist; Joyce Izett, Wellington soprano ; and Tessa Birnie, Auckland pianist. In certain cases local musical combinations, such as brass bands and vocal ensembles, were recorded for presentation from several New Zealand stations. During the year 157 dramatic scripts, 67 short stories, 2 continuity scripts, and 9 scripts for children were submitted by New Zealand authors. Of these, 32 dramatic scripts, 7 short stories, and 3 scripts for children were accepted. Auditions for drama and announcing totalling 403 were conducted by the Production Sections at Auckland and Wellington during the year. The Service continued to engage concert orchestras and dance bands at the large centres. Practical assistance to local musical societies included the loan of music from the Service's library and the use of the Service's orchestras for performances by musical societies, thus ensuring a better standard of public and broadcast performance. Relays of local musical activities included Competition Society concerts at the four main centres and at Invercargill, Greymouth, and Nelson, and festivals conducted by Dunedin and South Otago schools, Auckland and Christchurch sec9ndary schools, and Auckland, Christchurch, Invercargill, and Greymouth primary schools. The radio vocal tests conducted by the Competition Societies continued to receive the support of the Service, and performances by the finalists were broadcast. With a view to encouraging local dance band talent special performances by New Zealand musicians were broadcast weekly by all the main. National stations. A new departure was the broadcast by Wellington stations "of two Auckland novelty combinations, and special shows were also inaugurated and presented at Auckland.

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