The Radio Times/1923/09/28/The Broadcasting of Music
The Broadcasting of Music.
BY L. STANTON-JEFFERIES
(Musical Director of the B.B.C.).
SO much has already been written on the subject of wireless concerts that there seems very little left for me to say, but I think it might prove interesting to cast our minds back and review the astounding progress broadcasting has made. The Broadcasting Company will shortly be celebrating its first anniversary, but, as many enthusiasts know, wireless concerts were given at frequent intervals in London for many months prior to the formation of the company. These concerts were not of the magnitude of the present programmes, being generally only of thirty minutes' to one hour's duration, and only the support of a gallant band or artistes, whom I would again take this opportunity of thanking, made these concerts possible.
Some Amusing Experiences.
An abler pen than mine has given some idea of the difficulties a station director has to contend with in these days of organization, but I wonder how many of our present enormous public have any idea of the struggles and tribulations of poor "Uncle Arthur" and "Uncle Jeff," with no staff to speak of, upon being informed that broadcasting proper was to commence in seven days.
Those who performed for us in those days will remember the little studio, which was office, audition and experimental room combined. I ask my readers to try and imagine the state of mind and body working at high tension under these circumstances, and seeking to evolve some kind of organization out of the seemingly hopeless chaos, but in spite of everything they were happy days and not without their bright spots and touches of humour.
A certain gentleman, desirous of giving an exhibition of his prowess upon the concertina, arrived one day at the hectic hour of the signing of the day's correspondence. He was cordially invited to show his talents then and there, but unhappily, in the stress of the moment he somehow became submerged in the general excitement, hurry and bustle, and was discovered some twenty minutes later by an experimental engineer still giving soulful utterances on that most soulful of soulful instruments. Lucky man! Who is it that gets a twenty minutes "audition" in these days?
Then we had the enthusiastic soprano who "blasted"—technically speaking, of course—on every note and shook both the valves and engineers' patience to their utmost endurance by singing ƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒ throughout at her performance, in order that her friends in Scotland might hear her more distinctly. Or, again, the memorable occasion when I gallantly brought the fire-extinguisher into action, which, having extinguished the fire, refused to be extinguished itself, and caused me to become extremely distinguished by the fact of having put it through the window and thus ruined for life the hat of the season in the street below.