IN DEFENCE of POPULAR MUSIC. by AW KETELBEY
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Radio Times, April 16th, 1926. IN DEFENCE OF POPULAR MUSIC. By A. W. KETELBEY. a ASEOPEN, OUNCE E BAM ect ffbig. arr] ee OWA EE AAC = sae AEA ae cs i " 28 03-Aea pet ALL Go ttuy Pooi. fone coe 5La be a. Ab. wy sei ere eSHErFIELD 4 SS eee PTAreal el {Rh AT LONDON?SSi ae RPyou aTPya aSOLACE Rckat ly THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THEBBG Vol. 1 1 . No. 134. “[o aigatnetedatthe EVERY FRIDAY. Two Pence. As I listened to Geneva. By the Rt, Hon. J. RAMSAY MACDONALD, MP. [! faye me a weird, uncanny feeling. stead Hill blew down my back and made hesitation of the translator, from tle cna There | was sittme at my own firesice me draw nearer to my fire seat in the short transverse tow at the irent under the prey sky of Landon with a Hain p- Then the buzz ceased. The great ones where I-sat-in ro2z4. [was amused by ins stend thrush whistling m at my Window, had entered the hall, the delegates were charming accent and his mistakes in idtorm ancl yet, by. the, magic of - Timec-as well as Space Was my wireless sit, I was Aimihilated, Then an qeain in the salle cle: othe button SCT. te Reformation in. Geneva have been pressed and attending « meeting ol certain, Tither eee the: Assembly. of ‘the fndl woody aecents Tair League of Nations me ta: the Hewse’ 9 How well | Enew that Commons, and 1 looked buzz of movement and cross the tabhe there bn renversation « how fam- familiar attrtudes: ‘and iar were those rows gistures so well conveyed seats on the floer and the by the PUSS andl the long -lines of the gallery inflexians of the spoke i round the hell packed WOT With expectant poopie) Thus itt went on onti how forbidding that’ ar- the magie Ceased and the rangement of high: plat thrush, now joined bya forms at the end to which blackbird, regained pos the speaker mounts, the SESS20T Ch ITY air little desk on which his L doubt if any discovers notes ‘oar’ laid. and the of cour time is moore nal President towering on his vellous in its cHects, or is throne behind and above. destined to have more ‘The. sun is shining influence on the human outside,” someone an mind-than wireless. The nounced, “The sro braadcasting of Geneva Clacl mountains are ehit- dias brought. this might, tering : the lake is milky assembly of the world bhre and sparkling -. the aie 4 atesie States into the homes of floors ae besieged by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, in his home in Hampstead, hears the speeches at Geneva. thousands Of GUF peaple crowds. and of millions like then Hencelorth, I am a believer in magic. sitting in their PISCE, poople were leaning inother partsof the world, It couldnot have What would our superstitious ancestors have over the y and holding their breath, meant so nvuch te themas it did to me becans given to have had my experience ? And the The President spoke, The aomecting optned..| T have been there, and, consequently, my cold draughts from the top of the Hamp- [ saw the nervousness olf the speaker, the (Continued overleaf in column 3.) 1 146 -—- RADIO TIMES -— [Arnie Jéra, 1936.. SSE As I Listened to Geneva. In Defence of Popular Music. (Ceontinged from the precious page.) ears awakened a responsive vision, But to By Albert W. Ketelbey. be behind a cortain and fo hear, even if seeing be forbidden, the business of such a he works of Mr. Albert W. Ketelbey are My own opinion ia that much of the muse which pathering must Cnliven interest: and quicken known to listeners. In the following article has the blessing of the enitica t frankly uninteresting intelligence. The League of Nations mymst he deals with a subject that is being continually to listen to-on the wireless, Tt may be interesting be more real to every listener alte that debated by mowsic-lovers everywhere. By such te the performers themselves, and it may have a hort compositions as “In a Monaftery Garden,” and of surgktal fascination for the professional, or morning than ever it was before. “In o Persian Market," Mr. Ketelbey has him- amateur connoisseur, but the great mass of listeners. Moreover, how much does a vcice convey ? self proved that popular music can also be l am sure that most people have. formed good music.] I believe, do not want “ ¢lass-room ” qualities in their wireless mue:. certain ideas of the appearance and per- fe since brordcasting began, there have The critica seem to confuse the two faculties of sonalities of the men who speak regularly been mere or less heater discussions regarding liktening and performing. ‘The wireless, as far asthe from the broadcasting stations. the reapective merits of “ high-brow” and “ popu- public is eoneerned, ia purely a Hisbening medium. When several famows men are broad- lar” mudéic, and, strangely enough, the advocates of Thelistener has not the advantage of being able cast, a8 happened that morning, how much the former always proceed on the assumption that to see the artist performing; he must rely wholly more than their words and their diction none bot high-brow music can be geod, or worth upon what he hears, T sugpest, therefam, that light came through? ‘The listeners picked up listering ti. popular music is more suitable and more accept abe Thus, thousands of listeners are lod to mdfer thet some idea of the men themselves—their #4 4 wireless entertainment than long doses of so. * cleverness, then forcefulness, their te enjoy popular music is to brand themselves called “good'"" music. power, their weakness and their strength. When a8 peraons of depraved taate. leading straight for It is, of course, very difficult to define “grocer” musica) damnation. Presumably, the aim of the misic. Perhaps certain of the critica would define it their names come before them now, far eritica ia the entire elimmation from wireless pro- as the music which they like, while “bed” music more meaning will be conveyed than can grammes of any music but that of which they is ‘what-the other man kes! come from the printed report or descrip- Spprore. 1 believe that if the B.B.C would put on o tion, The Inconsistency of the Critics, programme of unfamiliar muse by different com- = a o = What is the matter with popular music iwhiel posers, wilhow! giring the ¢ompocers’. names, the As 1 listened, I detected familiar traits T.may perhaps define az that which comes between eritices would be in a dilemma to decide which waa and t r i c k s , and the contrasts in personality the heavy serious and the jarz types)? T suggest * good ” and-which * bad.’ stood out as though I were in their com- that-it is msually well-defined in character, readily ———EE pany. Every listener has, as it were, been eompreheniible, and meclodiously cast in clear- partially introduced to the men themselves, sutdengths of eight ar rixteen bars, and, in addition, A Lieu? programmeof orchestral and yooal items The voice more than any other. attribute itis frequently noticeable for ite first-class crafte- lé being piven from the Manchester Xiation on misnship. im harmonic, and sometimes “oontra- Tuesday, April 27th, when Pat Ryans Orchestra is a-key to petsonailty.. It is pre-eminenily puntal design, orchestral effect4, and balance of will he relayed from the “ Datky Dispatch Better the -medium by which aman reveals himself niusical form, Howing- and, Housekeeping Extiintion” ut the te the world. The critics appear to regard these qualities aa City Hall, The prowrarnme will alan include items How far may this be carried ? Our-com- defects when they concern popular music, bub as by Misa (Qadys. Simeor, entertainer. and child munition with each other has been $6 extended great virtucs when they concern folk somy mums, Lnpreseioniet, by. wireless, whilst stil i n its youth, that aco shanties, and ao on. What is the reason for ene finds no speculation extravagant on x ——§<—— ee —_—=__—_ this strange inconsistency, what we may yet experience, Another curious characteristic is that in popular Howappropriate it has been that a land- muse any emotional quality is fubhed by the PROGRAMMES INDEX, bigh-brow “‘ sentimentality,” whereas, in, say, mark has been set in this marvellous de- Wauner's Tvisitn acd feolde, it ia diznthed by whe velapment in human contact by the broad- name of “sentiment,” How ia this distinetion LONDON (200) (365 M.) ............... 155, 156, 157 casting of speeches delivered at an Assembly aoconnbed for t BELFAST (2BE) (440 M.)................. 175, 176 of the League of Nations. | see in it not dt-seens to me that the erttic ia essentinily BIRMINGHAM (SIT) (479 M.) 159, 169 only a promotion of peace and enlighten- wafair in his attitude towards popular music, For ment, bot a vast extension of the rare instance, what, ia termed a “ best seller” is prac- BOURNEMOUTH (GBM) (386 M.) ... ... 161, 162 opportunities which the mass of mankind tically always anathema to him. Wet what shall CARDIFF (3 WA) (353 M.) 164, 165 have of judging the qualities and the wo say of Handel's Largo, kchomanun a 7rd meres, MANCHESTER (2ZY) (378 M.) ....... 166, 167 capacities of those set to r u l e over them. Brkt Hengorian Dances, Dvoruk’s Hvqaresde, something. like a new sense has been Rubinstein 3 “ Melody in F,* and scores of others 7 NEWCASTLE (5NO) (404 ML) ....0:.... 168, 16 added to the citizens of the world.