THINGS TO COME A Run Through The Programmes

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 16, 13 October 1939, Page 6

THINGS TO COME

A Run

Through The Programmes

HEN Mother first told Bill (our office boy, you know), that fish was good for his brain, Bill immediately started to cause a great deal of trouble, although we can’t be sure if it was the fish that sharpened his wits, or dodging the ranger. At all events, Bill since then has remained convinced that he owes his intelligence to fish twice a week, and he is at present stoking up on schnapper in anticipation of a Public Service efficiency test. Since Bill really is quite brainless, we’ve been unable to check up on the essentials of the theory, but on Thursday, October 19, at 3.30 p.m., we're taking time off to hear the truth from 1YA in the A.E.C. talk, "How Diet Affects Your Mental Reactions." More and More Thrills Like all the best criminal investigators, "Teddy" Fitzgerald (Fitz of the C.LD.), is master of any situation. He is the very man to handle the Shiva Society, a secret Indian organsation — wolves in fiends’ clothing. The London section destroyed, he proceeds

to India to make a clean sweep of the foundations of the Society. Unshaken by mysterious deaths, knifings, garrottings, hangings, and a good deal else that might have deterred a less persistent clue collector, "Fitz" and his faithful Ahmed miraculously survive each thrilling instalment as the NBS serial, "The Circle of Shiva," unfolds the story. First main station release: 2YA Saturday, October 21, 8.36 p.m. Parodies "The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck "- do you know the rest of even the first verse of this famous poem? Do you know who wrote it, and when, and where? Or even what

its correct title is, and why? It you do, you are exceptional; and if you know all of its ten verses you are absolutely unique. In the form in which Mrs. Hemans wrote it in 1830, "Casabianca" is still comparatively unknown to the man in the street. But numberless parodied versions have long enjoyed world-wide popularity wherever the English language is spoken. Under the title "With apologies to -," W. Roy Hill will present an annotated programme of such parodies (chiefly musical), from 2YA on Thursday, October 19. Wit and Humour When Voltaire said that Admiral Byng was shot to encourage the others, he was witty. When Mr. Collins made his famous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in "Pride and Prejudice," he was humorous, though unconsciously so. Falstaff was both witty and humorous. Wit may be said to come from the head, whereas humour either comes from the heart or appeals to the heart. This, of course, is a very rough generalisation. However, listeners should know more about it after Tuesday night of next week, when Dr. Howard will deal with wit and humour in the Winter Course session from 4YA, at 7.30 p.m. The Family of Bach The family of Bach must be regarded as almost a dynasty in musical history. It was actively musical for seven generations, and " of some sixty Bachs known by name and profession all but seven were organists, cantors, or town musicians, many of them of eminence in their profession." The greatest was Johann Sebastian Bach. He was married twice and became the father of twenty children. Of his sons, four are especially illustrious — Wilhelm Friedman, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Johann Christoph Friedrich, and John Christian. As soon as the international situation allows us to return to normal pro-~ grammes, listeners will hear interesting examples of music of the Bach family, played on instruments of the period, by Zillah arid Ronald Castle. A Novelist’s Job About 5,000 novels are published every year in Britain, and many times that number are written. But how does an author set about writing a novel? How does he choose

his characters and work out his plot? To what extent is he dependent on real life for characters and incidents? Of course, different writers work in different ways. For instance, one writer may construct his plot before he Starts, and another may choose a set of characters and give them their heads. New Zealand listeners are to be given some light on these mysteries on Thursday, October 19, at 8.42 p.m., when a popular New Zealand novelist will speak from 2YA in the " Job Of Work" series. For writing a novel is a real job of work. Try it and see. Street Names Someone said that the river Thames is liquid history. Well, it might be said that many street names are frozen history, and one wonders what they mean to people who pass by. Salamanca Road, in Wellington for instance; it recalls the day when Wellington and Marshal Marmont manoeuvred in sight of each other, and Wellington was getting the worst of it and thinking of retreating. Then Marmont made a mistake, and Wellington leapt upon him and won the Battle of Salamanca. What does Abel-Smith Street signify? What Hill was Hill Street called after? And so on and so on. There is plenty of romance in Wellington place names, and you are to hear about some of it in a talk by Miss Irvine-Smith at 2YA on Monday, October 16, at 8.40 p.m. Grieg, of Norway _ If one loves a.thing enough it is bound to exert a strong influence. Edvard Grieg loved his native Norway, and his melody somehow suggests the cold, sparkling splash of waterfalls, the calm peace of fjords and the * grandeur of mountain peaks in sunlight. Many of his most lovely songs were written in a tiny village on the branch of the Har.danger Fjord. This little retreat consisted of _ a single room where he could work alone, perched among the tall trees above the fjord with a tumbling waterfall nearby. Small wonder his music is so beautiful. The composer’s "Sonata in C Minor for Piano and Violin" ‘is to bé played by Ina Bosworth and Leo Whittaker from 1YA, Auckland, at 8.38 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18.

Sassegnashings "Man, ye should ha’ been at Angus McWhirter’s cottage yestreen. There were seeven pipers playin’ thegither, and, a’playin’ different chunes. Ye wud ha’ thocht ye were in heaven." A Sassenach may jibe about Scottish pipers, but even a Sassenach feels something go up and down his spine when he

hears a pipe band coming along the street. It’s a great art, the playing of the pipes, and it’s an ancient one, for it’s a few hundred years since the Irish invented the pipes and passed them on to the Scots, though the Scots haven’t seen the joke yet. The story of the pipes is a fascinating one, and A. J. Sinclair, who is popular with listeners for his talks on Scottish subjects, will be telling it soon on the air. Swing, You Swedes! We don’t know if swing has yet shattered Swedish calm and sent the good Scandinavian folk jittering round the fjords; in fact, we are not very well acquainted with what people use for music in Sweden when they bring in the crops and row the boats, and dance in the evenings. So the talk "Sweden and It’s Folk Songs," which Anna L. Gerdtmann is to give from 4YA, Dunedin, on Thursday, October 19, at 8.40 p.m. should be instructive as well as entertaining.