Sounds Historical for Sunday 12 October 2014
8:05 Today In New Zealand History 4’08”
Hawke’s Bay “invaded” at Omaranui – 12 October 1966.
8:14 Song: Barney White Rats 2’39”
Artist: Phil Tilbury vocal, Ian Turbitt and Lesley Tilbury
Composer: Tilbury
Album: Back Blocks Vol 2
Label n/a
The topic of the famous swagger Barney White Rats cropped up at a meeting of the Wairarapa District Council this year when it was suggested a statute of him be erected in Masterton.
8:17 Homework
1. The name of which New Zealand town commemorates a Danish princess?
2. Mystery voice.
3. Who wrote the scripts for a famous BBC comedy show which was one of the highlights of 1940s radio, well known for its catch phrases?
8:18 Return of HMNZS Hawea in 1952 - Part 2 6’42”
Return to Auckland of HMNZS Hawea from service with the United Nations during the Korean war on 8 March, 1952. Part two. The ship had had spent 272 days at sea, steamed 55,000 miles, and fired 21,000 rounds of ammunition. These recordings of NZBS broadcasts were made by Brian Johnson on a tape recorder he had bought in Japan as they were broadcast on a speaker on board the ship. The NZBS may not have recorded this broadcast as no other version of the recording has been found. Some of the crew who are being reunited with their families are then invited to say a few words: Leading Steward Mertz [?]; Able Seaman McTeague who is seeing his baby daughter for the first time; Leading Seaman Brian Johnson of Napier explains how mail reached the ship; Stoker Mechanic Charles Watkins of Christchurch; Signalman Val Robertson of Petone.
8:25 Song: Invercargill 2’15”
Artist: Band of the Royal New Zealand Navy
Composer: Alex Lithgow
Album: Hands Across the Sea
Label: EMI HSD 1031
The Invercargill march was by Alex Lithgow after his home town. It is a great favourite in the United States and was the regimental march of the 56th Infantry Regiment of the New York Guard during World war two. The tune was written in 1901 a jig tune for symphonic band but it was known to be rejected in that format by a publisher. When Invercargill hosted the national brass band contest in 1909, Alex’s brother Tom asked for a test piece for the contest and Alex offered this piece (re-arranged). On the music he wrote: To Invercargill, the Southernmost City in New Zealand (End of the World), and its Citizens, I dedicate this March as a momento of the many pleasant years spent there in my boyhood.
8:30 John Amadio, New Zealand-born musician tells of his career as a top flute player 6’47”
A brief example of his playing ends the interview recorded in 1950. John Amadio (1883-1964), musician, was born on 15 November 1883 at Christchurch. His widowed mother Eliza took the family to Wellington, where a 22-year-old carpenter and flautist Henry Antonio Amadio, whose surname her children assumed. Under his stepfather's guidance John displayed early talent as a flautist and about 1900 the family moved to Australia, first to Sydney and then to Melbourne. In 1901 John was engaged as principal flautist with J C Williamson’s Italian Opera Company.
8:38 Song: Your Cheating Heart 3’06”
Artist: Johnny Cooper
Composer: Hank Williams
Album: Ridin’ Along with Johnny Cooper and the Range Riders.
Label: Sonic Recording
Johnny Cooper (New Zealand’s pioneer of rock and roll who died last month) was originally a country and western singer and this Hank Williams classic was recorded in the 1950s. Sonic Studios were at Island Bay in Wellington where Alan Dunnage installed his first tape recorder in 1952. The Range Riders were Will Lloyd-Jones (bass), Don Aldridge (steel guitar) Jim Gatfield (guitar) and Ron James (piano accordion).
8:42 The Returned Servicewomen’s Association in 1950 3’50”
A talk by Eva Mackay who was a colonel in the Army Nursing Service in the Second World War and served in Greece, Crete and Italy.
8:46 Song: Lili Marlene 3’38”
Artist: Les Cleveland and the D Day Dodgers
Composer: n/s
Album: The Songs We Sang
Label: Kiwi SLC 121
Artist: Les Cleveland and the D Day Dodgers
Song: Castelfrentano
Album: The Songs We Sang
Label: Kiwi SLC 121
Words reflecting the New Zealand Division after four years at war – ‘Take us Home, Mr Fraser” was a plea the Prime Minister Peter Fraser who was visiting the troops in Italy. The songs were recorded d by les Cleveland who passed away in January this year and, because he never wanted any fuss I think we’ve been remiss in not paying tribute to him Historian Jock Phillips has put it better than I can “Journalist, editor, photographer, mountaineer, music historian, and academic’ – so reads the description of Les Cleveland on the New Zealand Electronic text Collection website. To this we might add ‘musician, author, war veteran and genuinely good Kiwi bloke’. Les was one of those New Zealanders who was an impressively multi-faceted versatile person. In a small society we need talented people who can fill many roles, and Les did so with aplomb. He was also extraordinarily modest, which is perhaps why, although he died at the end of January this year, the media, from newspapers to blogs, have allowed his passing to happen with barely a mention that I can find. Characteristically, he wanted no funeral and no fuss. But we can’t let the old bastard slip away without a brief tribute.” And Jock goes on to describe in detail the life of Les Cleveland. The Te Ara Signposts website has the full version and many more comments. In a later Sounds Historical we’ll listen to Les Cleveland telling his own story.
8:51 War Report Episode 11 6’15”
Jim Warner recalls the keenness to enlist – he tried when he was 17. He recalls a friend who was killed at Gallipoli and conscientious objector Duncan McCormack describes his feelings when war broke out. Jim Henderson gives the statistics.
Music – extracts from:
Artist: John McCormack
Song: There’s a Long Long Trail A Winding
Composer: King/Elliott
Album: Oh, It’s a Lovely War Vol 2
Label: CD41 486309
Artist: Robert Carr
Song: We Must All Fall In
Composer: n/s
Album: Oh, It’s A Lovely War Vol 2
Label: CD 41 486309
Artist: Radio New Zealand Studio Orchestra (Ken Avery soloist)
Song: She’s Out of My Life
Composer: Bahler
Album: Orchestral Gold Vol 1
Label: Kiwi Tartar TRL 005
9:07 As I Remember 7’04”
An Education in Maori Schools by Robin Shepherd of Kaitaia, read by Colin Feslier.
9:15 Song: Talking Education Blues 2’52”
Artist: Neil Copeland
Composer: Copeland
Album: Folk Music at the Tennessee Jug
Label: Salem NS 203
The recording was made in 1971 at the Tennessee Jug in Dunedin. In recent times Neil has written “I'm a survivor from the Late Jurassic Period of Dunedin Folk Music, with diverse tastes in folk(ish) music, ranging from Arlo Guthrie to Flanders and Swann. Also a fan of Tom Paxton, The Corries and Fred Dagg, all of whose songs I have been known to attempt in public. And I have written the odd song and poem myself”.
9:17 Homework
1. The name of which New Zealand town commemorates a Danish princess?
2. Mystery voice.
3. Who wrote the scripts for a famous BBC comedy show which was one of the highlights of 1940s radio, well known for its catch phrases?
September Homework answers and winners
1. Which New Zealander is regarded as a “Queen of Crime”? Dame Ngaio Marsh
2. Mystery voice. Jessica Weddell
3. Which Victorian novel is set on an island off New Zealand? The Fixed Period by Anthony Trollope
Winners:
1. France Mugler, Christchurch 8042
2. Steve Farrow, Wellington 6012
3. Ellie Henderson, Motueka 7143
Prizes from Bookshelf:
1. Historic Places of New Zealand – photography by Rob Suited, text by Dr Sven Schroeder, New Holland, ISBN 9781869 664169
2. Hard Country – A Golden Bay Life by Robin Robilliard, Penguin Random House, ISBN 9781775 536635
3. Henare Wiremu Taratoa – Noble Warrior by Patricia Brooks, ISBN 978 0 473 28544 9
9:24 Extracts from the 1ZB 1955 Have a Shot talent quest in Auckland - Part 2 12’31”
Compere is possibly Keith Bracey. Broadcast on Monday nights at 10. Keith Buckley piano, William Gregory of Mt Albert One Alone from Desert Song. Judges announcements awaited with competitors on stage. 1ZB station manager John Griffiths makes a short but rambling speech. Proceeds this year are £525 ($26,000 in 2014). Donations will be made to YMCA building fund, Plunket Society and Cancer Society who get £175 each. (In the last three years a total of £1600 has been raised). Sponsors pay for their advertisements plus fund a pool of £250 for prizes). Recording ends abruptly. Results will be on another disc which has perhaps not survived.
9:38 Song: The Language Barrier 1’38”
Artist: Tony Groser, Alan Jervis, Peter Gwynne and others.
Composer: Harcourt
Album: In Search of the Long White Cloud
Label: HMV MCLP 6086
The album of comedy sketches with Tony Groser, Joanna Derrill, Alan Jervis, Peter Gwynne, Peter Read, Kate Fulton, Paul Ricketts, Peter Harcourt ; with Marjorie Orchiston, piano. Recorded in 1959
9:41 Changes to New Zealand English 15’27”
Dianne Bardsley, until recently the director of the New Zealand Dictionary Centre, talks about changes in New Zealand English, especially new words and also some which are now seldom used.
The blurb for a recent talk by Dianne summed it up this way “New Zealand English is not all about afghans, interisland fairies, Palmie, and the puckerooed old bach (Sounds Historical would suggest “crib”) down South! It was only in the late twentieth century that New Zealand English became widely recognised as a distinctive variety of English and distinguishable from Australian English. Before then, it was frequently regarded as an Antipodean form of slang and informal language.” In conversation with Jim Sullivan Dianne Bardsley examines some changes in our English – new words appearing and old ones disappearing. “Young people no longer know what ‘shoot through’ means.” She comments that with the computer keyboard ruling the roost, some young people can no longer understand handwritten scripts.
9:59 Song: Don’t Give Up On Us Baby 2’45”
Artist: Radio New Zealand Studio Orchestra (soloist Colin Hemmingson)
Composer: MacCauley
Album: Orchestral Gold Vol 1
Label: Kiwi Tartar TRL 005