CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN ENGLAND

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5325, 11 February 1947, Page 3

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN ENGLAND

CATHEDRA'L FESTIVAL NEW SGULPTUEE AND OLD BOOKS. The festival play at Canterbury Cathedral this year is to be T. S: Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral," writes R. G. Wlhitioclt. This will not be the first time his great verse drama has been chosen for the occasion; it made it original appearance in the Cathedral in 3 935. Each year hetween T930 and 1939 the -friends of CanterBury Cathedral produeed a play before the thousands of visitors who resorted to the great traditional pilgrimage centre of England for the summer festival, and during that period works by Shakespeaye, Tennyson, Laurence, Bunyon, Dorothy Sayers, Charles Williams and Christopher Hassall were enacted. The interest of this work is by no means confined to itg historical connection wtih Canterbury. Apart, too, from the excellence of its poetry, it is concerned with the great spiritual quandary of an intensely scrupulous character, Sir Thomas a'Beckett, who, knowing that martyrdom lies ahead of his quarrel with the king -over eeclesiastical courts, is faced with doubts about his personal motives in the' affair. The most memorable scene in the whole play reveals the conflict in his mind through the persons of four tempters who come to play upon the priest's feelings and to try to sway his purpose by suggesting to him that his adherence to duty is nothing more than self-glorification. Cultural Periodicals.

Despite the continued paper shortage in Britain, several new periodicals devoted to arts, music and literature have recently appeared on bookstalls. The most interesting, and possibly the most important of these, is that published by the University Union of Manchester. Called "Humanitas." it is edited by the staff and students of the university of that town, and certainly sets a r.ew standard for Englis'n university magazin.es. The declared allegiance of of the editors is to the "unity of those wh0 stand for super material values, and for our inherited cultural tradition. Christians and humanists have a common treasure to defend; the values of the H,ellenic and Judaeo — Christian civilisations in which our own has its roots." Another periodical which has recently appeared is "London Forum."' T-his quarterly explicitly declares for 'cthat spirit of Christian liberalism which is the basis of ail human progress. We have no dogma, but a set of values. We have no manifesto, but some basic principles." ' The first number contains articles by Professor Joad, while Arturo Barea discusses current literature in Foain, and John Heath Stubhs, in what is possibly the best article in this issue, reviews recent literature on "both sides of the herring pond" — in England and the United States. "London Forum" obviously aspires towards a sense of political responsibility inforrned by the awareness of human values. 0 Epstein's New Works on Show. The exhibition in London of the new works by Epstein is unlikely to stir public indignation, but it will evoke public interest. This time Epstein is shown as a master of his own art, not as Epstein the thinker. His busts, particularly that of "Mr. Churchill, executed for thc Imperial War Mnseum, again reveal Epstein as tne greatest modeller of our time. Most interest, however, is likely to be devoted to a series of 18 small nude .studies in bronze simply lahelled "A" to "R." These recumbent figures show the female form in a series of contorted poses. Epstein has also been in the news latelv for the rejection by the Tate.

Gallery of his 11-foot bronze statue "Lucifer." This was recently oifered to the gallery by thc "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" Trust. The chairman of thc Tate Gallery explained that the trustees "did not like it sufficiently to includc it in the gallery." Two items of unusual interest to bibliographers are connected with Sotheby's famous salerooms in London, Avhere recently the first edition (1678) of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" went to a British huyer for ±'4400. It came from a collection of Bunyan's works made by the late Sir R. Leicester Harmsworth, and was at one time disputed owing to the presence of some errata, but authenticity has since been pronounced by experts who have even suggested that it may be the very fiiist impression. In 1926 it fetched £6800. Black Letter Bible. A second copy of the first edition, which also came up for sale, was originally one of those literary finds that collectors dream of. 'It was said t0 have been found among some books owned by a harher in Derby, and that its owner had proposed to part with it for sixpence until someone suggested he should send it to Sotheby's. It fetched £201*0. This copy is not in s:uch perfect condition as the other, for some of its missing leaves have been replaced from another imperfeet copy and the birJding is of the 18th century. In March, a copy of the first volume of the Black Letter Bible, printed by Gutenhurg at Mainz in 1455, is to. be oifered. It is expected to fetch an enormous price, since it is one of the last privately-owned copies in Britain. The previous prices paid are £606, when Lord Amherst bought it in 1884:, and £2050 in >1908, when another British collector bought it at the Amherst sale. It is bound in original ibrown calf on hoards with rnetal bosses.