Sounds Historical for Sunday 10 May 2015

8:09 Today in New Zealand History 4’36”

Gift of Waitangi Treaty House from Governor General Bledisloe, 10 May 1932.

8:16 Artist: Phil Garland 3’12”

Song: Driftwood
Composer:  Dennis Hogan
Album: Wind in the Tussock
Label: Kiwi CD SLC 200                               

Dennis Hogan was a swagger from time to time.

8:21 VE-Day – 70 years on 16’48”

9 May 1945 – extracts from the BBC reports of the German surrender, the scene in London, the formal ceremony in Wellington and the celebrating crowd in Cathedral  Square, Christchurch.                     

8:39 Artist: Pat Vincent 4’08”

Song: Young at Heart
Composer:  Lee/Richards
Album: 45
Label; Peak OKE 4                                

Patrick Bernard Vincent (6 January 1926 – 10 April 1983) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A halfback, Vincent represented Canterbury at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1956. He played just two games for the All Blacks, both of them test matches against the touring South African team, and was captain on both occasions. He went on to be the Canterbury coach between 1959 and 1962, and emigrated to the United States in 1967. Vincent was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School, and then studied at Canterbury University College, from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1948.

8:44 An Actor’s Tale 9’37”

Actor and drama producer Fergus Dick passed away last week. In this 1994 interview he tells Jim Sullivan about his long connection with Wellington’s Downstage Theatre. The association started May 15, 1964 – almost exactly 50 years ago. Downstage Theatre closed September 17, 2013 after lack of adequate and stable funding. It's now the Hannah Playhouse.

8:54 War Report 35 5’33”

An unidentified veteran remembers the first weeks on Gallipoli, avoiding Turkish fire and taking two days to dig a two-foot trench. Newspaper stories tell of casualties (but many fewer than the actual death toll) and a sample obituary indicates the loss to the country each time a soldier was killed.

Artist: Courtland and Jeffries
Song: Oh, Oh, It’s Lovely War
Composer:  Long/Scott
Album: Songs of World War 1
Label; Goentertainment 557331                           

9:06 As I Remember 5’29”

The Goat by Allan Pike of Parahaki, Whangarei. Read by Duncan Smith

9:14 Artist: John Charles Thomas 3’28”

Song: Bluebird of Happiness
Composer: Harmati/Hayman
Album: Songs You Love
Label: RCA                                 

9:20 Remembering Dan Duggan 5'28”

Trade unionist Dan Duggan passed away last week and his death notice in the Press was unusual in giving summary of his life’s work. “Dan's strong social convictions involved him in many community and volunteer services as varied as the National Board of Diabetes New Zealand, the Parole Board, and night patrol crime watch in Otaki. Dan was also a member of the Labour Land Development and Management Corporation (later known as LandCorp). In 1989, Dan was made a member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the trade union movement – always a passionate advocate for 'workers' rights, he had worked for 20 years within the named 'workers' union, at least half of that as General Secretary of the then-named 'Workers Union'. Dan was proud to serve on the Labour Party executive.” Such a CV would be unusual these days, just as the convoluted wrangling in public about wages is almost a thing of the past. Let’s go back to 1982 and the wage/price freeze of the Muldoon era and a Morning Report item introduced by Lindsay Perigo. 

9:28  Artist: Pat Vincent with the Chuck Fowler Quartet 2’12"

Song: Only You
Composer:  Ram/Rand
Album: 45
Label; Peak OKE 4                             

9:33 The Sinking of the Lusitania 100 years ago 8'11"

The sinking of the Cunard liner Lusitania by a German submarine on 7 May 1915  killed 1,198 people and left 761 survivors. In these  recordings made by the  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation survivors tell their stories. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany, contributed to the American entry into World War I and became important in recruiting campaigns.

9:42 Artist: Chris Prowse (vocal and guitar), Andrew Delahunty (harmonica) 3’25”

Song: I’m Your Remittance Man
Composer: Prowse
Album: There Goes The Shiner
Label: PROCO2                               

9:46 Book of the Week 13’16”

New Zealand’s First World War Heritage by Imelda Bargas and Tim Shoebridge. Published by Exisle, ISBN 9781775 5911290. The authors discuss the wide range of World War One heritage items to be found around the country.