LORDS OF LETHAL WEAPONS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 40, 29 March 1940, Page 55

LORDS OF LETHAL WEAPONS

Ngaio Marsh Meets The Detection Club

Zealand’s well-known writer of crime stories, met some of the aristocrats of detective fiction at a meeting of the select Detection Club in London, was told by Miss Marsh the other day in a talk recorded by the NBS. Advantage was taken of Miss Marsh’s visit to Wellington for the very successful gathering of writers in the Women’s Section of the Centennial Exhibition, to get her to make a number of recordings. In this talk, she describes how she was invited to a meeting of the Detection Club, held to initiate E. C. Bentley, author of "Trent’s Last Case," into the presidency, and how Dorothy Sayers and other leading members of the cult comported themselves with the playfulness of school children. It would be too "bad to give the show away by saying any more, but we can assure listeners that this is a very lively talk, which will make a special appeal to crime fans. Miss Marsh also made a recording of her views on the special ‘problems that beset the writer of detective stories. It is very in_formative, and, as one might expect from Miss Marsh, amusing. She also recorded three travel talks Hee Miss Ngaio Marsh, New

covering parts of the Continent and London; and those who were fortunate enough to hear her two travel talks from 3YA some months ago, know how successful she is in creating an atmosphere. This is largely because Miss Marsh not only has a very keen eye for the beautiful in scenery, but also never loses sight of the human element. She is most skilful in planting this human interest, like a good painter, in her landscapes.

More from Mary Scott The many listeners who have appreciated Mary Scott’s two series of talks on "Leaves from a Backblocks Diary" and "A Backblocks Woman Remembers" will be glad to know that Mrs. Scott has made two more series of recordings for the NBS. One series, which is called "The Morning Spell," is of short talks designed to beguile and instruct in that period of the morning when household cares are laid aside for a moment and the ritual which is now coming to be known as "cuppa" is performed. The second series, which has been planned for the evening programmes, will include a number of amusing experiences entitled "Side Lines." Patriotic Overture When the army of Napoleon turned away from Moscow to trudge back through the snow to France, the Russians built an imposing church in their undefeated city to commemorate the event and Tchaikovski wrote the "1812"

Overture. It was meant to be played in the open square fronting the church, and at each corner of the big force of musicians participating there were to be real cannon fired off at the emphatic moments in the music. That performance never actually took place, but the piece has since been played, not only in Russia but elsewhere, in accordance with the composer’s original idea, with real cannon obeying the conductor’s baton. The overture will be heard at 8.30 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, from 1YA Auckland, played by the Boston Promenade Orchestra. .