Evening star., 1944-07-30
Ornnandy Writes
OF Reception
In Australia

AAA \ ANA0&4 SAAAA
a letter recently received from
Eugene Ormandy, conductor OF
the Philadelphia Orchestra, tpho
Is at present in Australia on his
mission as "ledse-lend musical
artist" and conductor OF the local
orchestrns, Is printed for the ben
eft OF his many friends
note.J
Although I have been here only
a little over one week and have not
yet conducted note of music, there
are a lot Of things to report. The
entire Journey from San Francisco
to Brisbane took only some so hours
flying time across the famous Pacific
on the longest trip have ever made
in my life.
stopping en- route at Honolulu, I
took advantage of the radio ONCE
there to send cable home and had
quite tussle with the clerk over
my resident address. When l kept
answering that my address was the
airplane, the poor man had to insist
on a town address for censorship
purposes. He was terribly upset at
his own persistence and told me he
had never missed q Carnegie Hall
concert of mine but added that the
all-powerful censor might not know
my name.
Nearby stood a native Hawaiian
with lady friend and he overheard
part of our animated conversation
He asked If were the great Eugene
Ormandy and I answered "No-just
plain Eugene Ormandy" whereupon
he turned to his companion and they
both beckoned number of nearby
natives over. I almost missed nv
plane because of the number of
telegram blanks I had to sign for
them.
The same thing happened in
Canton when my name was called
during roll call. We were gathered
together in a little shed, the So
called mess hail. and a couple of
United States servicemen and the
radio operator were with us. They
ran over and shook my hand, and
again I had to supply autographs
with about so spares for the boys
who were on the day shift and had
missed me.
Has Plane Trouble
Coming down toward, Australia
a slightly different incident oc-
CURED. Two of our four motors
suddenly stopped. You can imagine
my Notwithstanding on to a life
raft, catching and eating fish and
so on, when the second pilot came
out of the engine room or cockpit
and announced he was conducting
an emergency test not only on the
passengers but on the crew as we'll.
We were much happier when the
two motors began to turn over again
five minutes later.
Brisbane accorded me a movie
stars welcome. Newspapermen and
cameramen were there to meet me,
had to speak over the radio be
asked thousands of questions Cthis,
after only four hours sleep in two
nights and so on Still, I came
through very we'll and in the morn
ing heard my arrival announced.
From that moment 1 became, more
or less, the hero of musical Brisbane.
Only by constantly referring to my
trusty mirror was I convinced was
not Clark Gable.
Meets Macarthur
Gen. Macarthur invited me to
his headquarters and we spent al
most an hour together discussing
in Australia and the United
States. He is very we'll informed
on musical matters. I was proud to
receive his invitation to conduct a
series of victory concerts after the
Philippines have been retaken and
readily promised, no matter when
the time. This meeting with the
great general has been as great an
inspiration to me as my first meet
ing with Toscanini.
I'm Sidney I have been kept ter
ribly busy with official visits from
Government representatives. Aus
tralian Broadcasting Commission
officials and others. There have
been countless meetings arranged
and so far l have enjoyed every
minute OF my talks with these intel
llgent musical people. American
ofncerS and Servicemen have stopped
me on the street or in a restaurant
to pat me on the shoulder as if to
say, We are glad that one of the
hometown boys is here with u.s. It
Is all very warming and friendly
Currently l have been having
some difficulty with my dress
clothes. My concerts commence in
a weeks time and my trunk is still
on the high seas. A second outfit
was ordered from the States, but
hlgh enough travel priority could
not ho orropood .al