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Spectrum was a long-running weekly radio documentary series which captured the essence of New Zealand from 1972 to 2016. Alwyn Owen and Jack Perkins produced the series for many years, creating a valuable library of New Zealand oral history.
Elsa Davis is Melbourne's unofficial Poet Laureate, and a composer extraordinaire. With enthusiasm and devotion she chronicles events in song. She talks to Alwyn Owen and demonstrates her talent, singing her famous "Phar Lap" song, a royal lullaby, and a song about New Zealand's tourist attractions, composed in ten minutes.
The show opens with the Brisbane Commonwealth Games March, a piece of music played and composed by Elsa Davis. Davis lives in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood with her husband and two dogs. She’s an inveterate letter writer and corresponds with people as diverse as Joh Bjelke-Petersen and the Pope. At the time of recording, Davis is in her mid-50’s. Davis has composed songs for the Russian space flight, the opening of the Melbourne Underground, and the Commonwealth Games. She has become the unofficial Poet Laureate and Composer Extraordinary to the city of Melbourne.
Davis’ talent became apparent at an early age. She recalls how she loved to play music and never had to be told to practice. Her father kept race horses and liked the races. He was a big fan of Phar Lap, and even tried to buy him. Davis recalls riding Phar Lap as a young girl.
Davis married and her husband helped write lyrics for the songs she composed. They wrote a song 1958 to commemorate Yuri Gagarin orbiting the earth in 90 minutes. When Gagarin was killed a copy of one of their songs was given to his widow. More recently Davis composed the Phar Lap song. She plays the song for Alwyn Owen. The song includes Dame Nellie Melba in conversation with Phar Lap in heaven.
Reflecting on her musical education she remembers always being able to play but that she learnt a lot from looking at the notes on a pianola. She could play by ear, and found composition easy. She took singing lessons with Mr Sydney Mannering.
Owen asks Davis about some of the songs she’s dedicated to famous people. Davis has composed pieces for Princess Diana who wrote to Davis to thank her. Davis also wrote a royal lullaby, which she plays for Owen. She sent a copy of the song to the Royal Family and received a letter back from Lady Susan Hussey, Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II.
The show closes with Alwyn Owen asking Davis to compose a song about New Zealand, which she does.