THINGS TO COME A Run Through The Programmes

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 40, 29 March 1940, Page 6

THINGS TO COME

A Run

Through The Programmes

HEN @a big meeting he was addressing signs of becoming unruly, Winston Churchill forgot the microphone near him and was heard by a million unseen listeners telling the chairman not to worry. "I can handle them." The story, a true one, is typical of an author, orator, and statesman whose self-confidence is boundless. Mr. Churchill thinks confidently and speaks with confidence. Since he became First Lord of the Admiralty at the beginning of the war he has compelled the attention of a world-wide audience with his forceful broadcasting; with the pungent phrase, the nice judgment of effect and climax, the bite of sarcasm. Mr. Churchill will broadcast a 15-minute talk from Daventry through all New Zealand national stations at 8.20 a.m. on Sunday, March 31. A recording will be made and played after the Daventry News at 12.30 p.m. the same day. Actors and Singers The French have a great tradition as actors and musicians; extending back for many centuries. The special programme, "Mummers and Troubadours of France," to be broadcast at 3.10 p.m. on Sunday, March

31, from 2YA Wellington will feature many a famous artist from France. We can’t tell you very much yet, but we do know that you will hear such celebrated people as Sarah Bernhardt the tragedienne, Sacha Guitry (whose film, "The Cheat," has been shown in this country recently), the one and only Maurice Chevalier, and the song-bird, Yvonne Printemps. If those names intrigue you, as they should, don’t miss this programme.

French Play

Moliere, the Shakespeare of the French theatre, is one of the world’s greatest dramatists of manners. His plays were written as Spiers to the humbug and pretence of hi8 times, but their message is as apt to-day as it was in his life-time (1622-1673). He attacked all pretention but behind his ridicule there is a vein of seriousness. Although his wit produces great gusts of laughter, it also provokes thought. " The Doctor In Spite of Himself" (Le Médecin Malgré Lui) pokes fun at the mumbo-jumbo of the medical world of that time (1666) but it is done under the cloak of a love story. An English version of the play will be included, at 2.35 p-m., in the special "Salute To France" programme from 2YA on Sunday, March 31. Once Upon... Once upon a time a little girl lived in a very poor home in the bush of Western Australia. There was a bush fire. They went to live in town-in Boulder City. The little girl saw a piano for the first time in her life. She learned to play "The Campbells are Coming." A priest heard her from the street. The Sisters of the Loreto Convent taught her for five years. Somehow she managed to go to the Continent for tuition. At last she was ready, but no one would help her. She helped herself. With her last capital she had a record made. The manager of the recording company heard the record -and paid her for it instead of her paying him. Eileen Joyce was made at last. Another of her records will be played over 1YA at 8.50 p.m. on Friday, April 5. Chewings is Choice If you have a lawn, or play golf, or take some interest in making a living out of pasture land, and have a set that will do the job, then tune in to Invercargill’s Station 4YZ at 8 pm. on Tuesday, April 2. G. P. Chewings is going to talk about the origiu of Chewings Fescue. He may or may not tell yau how this particular fescue came to New Zealand. He probably will tell you that it was noticed first on the Chewings farm in Southland, how it was taken to Rotorua and grown with good results, how the North Island wrote to the South to ask for "Chewings Fescue" as a result of these first experiments, how it has adapted itself to New Zealand conditions, what good lawns and golf courses it makes, and what a fine source

of revenue it can be for the Southland farmers who annually export 500-800 tons, to America, the United Kingdom, and even to Australia. Peter Cooper In a review of a recital given in Wellington recently by Peter Cooper, the young Christchurch pianist, a critic wrote: "Personal character and temperament, often interwoven, play a great part in the development of a pianist. Both come out in the playing of Mr. Cooper. He is of the order of conservative, reflective players, in whom there is restraint rather than abandon, even in the most exciting passages. Allied to these rather unusual characteristics is an exactitude in his address to the music, a mobile technique and a lovely touch that accounts for the finest shades of modulation." Peter Cooper will play Mozart’s Sonata in D Major at 8.28 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, from 1YA Auckland. Winter Courses Winter, we suggested last’ week, had come early to Dunedin, with the local Everyman already well on the way through his Winter Courses. In Christchurch, too, the gentleman has ignored the calendar and the temperature. Next week the 3YA Everyman will be busy with his historical series, talking about "How New Zealand Became British." As this item is listed for broadcast shortly after the relay by 3YA of the Centennial celebrations at Akaroa, Everyman will probably mention the historic landing among all the other curious circumstances through which a private company bought out a whole nation of people and made a place for trade where the flag could follow. Messer Marco When Donn Byrne popularised that somewhat ambiguous title for Marco. Polo, it’s certain he did not mean to indicate that the traveller’s methods were at all messy. Marco, as far as we can make out, was an unusually efficient gentleman. He travelled high, wide and handsome, as they say in these less enlightened days. In the form of,a collection of records, he has now (as we informed you last week) reached New Zealand. His first place of call was Station 2YD. Next week, in the course of his travels, he will reach Christchurch, and will broadcast from 3YA at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 4. During the same week, two more episodes in this feature series will be broadcast by 2YD: at 8.15 p.m. on Monday, April 1, and Wednesday, April 3.

Diminuendo This week listeners may secure from the perfect pantry (1YA and 2YA Monday, April 1, at 3.30 p.m. and 3 p.m, respectively) a few ideas on Centennial celebration fare (3YA, Thursday, April 4, at 2.30 p.m.). Doubtless the A.C.E. will tell them on Monday how to keep their pantries as polished and pretty as proper pantries should be, and on Thursday how to use the contents to the best advantage. We hope to hear something of

Centennial Pie, Centennial Sandwiches, Centennial Soup, Centennial Savouries and all the other gastronomic counterparts of Centennial Ties and Centennial Socks. And, on Friday, April 5 at 3.15 p.m, from 4YA the A.C.E. talk will be "Rest and be Thankful." We assure readers that the sequence of the titles is purely accidental, but our artist once again had to stress the obvious, with a reference to that now prevalent malady, Exhibition Feet. Guerrilla Industry If there are still some listeners who have missed hearing James Bertram’s talks about China where he has been working as a journalist in the thick of all the trouble, then we can only say it serves them right. However, if they have not listened because they have not wanted to hear the truth about China told by a very interesting broadcaster, perhaps curiosity will make them tune in to 2YA at 7.40 p.m. on Monday, April 1, when he will be talking about China’s new Guerrilla industry and its New Zealander leader. The title, we feel sure, has nothing to do with the date of the talk. Listeners who want to know what a guerrilla industry is, will be sure of finding out.