THINGS TO COME A Run Through The Programmes

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 47, 17 May 1940, Page 6

THINGS TO COME

A Run

Through The Programmes

HATEVER A. L. Leghorn says in his talk on modern ballroom dancing from 3YA on Thursday, May 23, at 9.40 p.m., he will start some arguments. He is an authority on the subject, but referees are authorities on Rugby, and somehow people still manage to find cause for disagreement about the rules, if our sports writer is to be believed. Just how Mr. Leghorn will approach the subject we are not certain; but we think he might be discussing dancing in general, as well as how to dance, with the rival claims of modern oomph and ancient dignity providing material for discussion among all those people who keep warm on winter nights doing anything that moves to music, from the Schottische to Boomps-a-Daisy. Another by the Bard One of the outstanding successes of the famous Benson Company was Shakespeare’s "Richard IL," which was produced by Benson in 1895 for the Stratford -on- Avon

Festival. It seems hardly likely now that we shall see a production of this historical tragedy in New Zealand for a long time, but we can at least have the pleasure of hearing an NBS radio version. " Richard II." is to be presented at 9.15 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, from 3YA, Christchurch. Our artist illustrates the line from Act 4: "With mine own hands I give away my crown." Fixing the Guilt Some Church catechisms have indicated that Adam was not entirely to blame in the matter of the apple. Others take a stronger line, and one, recently amended, has no hesitation about acquitting Eve entirely. Surely there is material enough here for some interesting research by the historians of "God’s

Own Country" when the Centennial work is finished? Theology does not seem to be satisfied on the point. For a lead, they may look to 3YA’s garden expert, who is to talk at 7.35 p.m. on Monday, May. 20, on " Apple History." Our assumption that he will go back to the original garden for his material, is a shot in the dark; but you never know. For the Forces We have heard of women making hussifs, knitting socks and scarves; of Susie sowing seamless shirts for soldiers; or parcels of food; messages of good cheer; and letters from home. But have never yet heard of anyone sending soldiers flowers. The idea has possibilities. Someone already may have thought of sending into the barren deserts ‘neath the Pyramids and Sphinx, a box of the last chrysanthemums. But they haven't made the headlines. When Spring’ comes again, gentle hands may pluck a bunch of little flowers to bring into some corner of a foreign field the momentary fragrance of the home plot. It seems to have been done before. In 2YA’s Music and Flowers series, the next talk (Saturday, May 25, 10.45 a.m.), is titled "Flowers in a Soldier’s Life," and will be given by General Guiseppe Garibaldi, grandson of the Italian Liberator. Down to Ea rth For most people, universities are just places to look at: weathered grey stone walls and arches, ivy climbing round lifeless windows, and the quiet pacing of gentle scholars in the cloisters. H. G. Miller, Librarian of Victoria University College, is out to make listeners more familiar with what lies on the other side of the boundary fence of learning. In their capping carnivals lately, the students have at least contrived to prove that they read the newspapers; and (let it be whispered), other less sedate publications. They appear in the flesh at least once a year, but in frivolous form. Mr. Miller is making a more serious attempt to relate the work of the universities to the actualities of daily life, and his second talk of a series, to be presented from 2YA at 7.40p.m. on Monday, May 20, carries the intriguing title: "The Humanities." Life at Sea What life at sea is like in a thirty-five foot sailing boat with an auxiliary engine, which isn’t often used, will be described to listeners by Miss Marguerite Graham in two talks from 2YA, one on May 21 and the other

on May 28, at 7.30 p.m. Miss Graham sailed from Ireland in the Caplin with her father two years ago, and in that time has learnt a-lot about navigation and strange lands seen "from under the arched white sail of ships." She will tell listeners something about the routine of life at sea, and what she saw on the way to New Zealand from Ireland. For 4YZ Listeners There are two things in Invercargill, and elsewhere, constantly subject to criticismthe weather and radio programmes. Most Southerners have given up any idea of improving the weather, but listeners are to be an opportunity to try their hand at: building a programme. Station 4YZ has arranged a session, "Listeners’ Own," to begin on Tuesday, May 21, at 8.15 p.m. Listeners are invited to submit programmes of fifteen minutes duration, and so give expression to their criticism. They are invited to post their programmes to the Station Manager. Our Own Musicians Andersen Tyrer believes that the English have never given sufficient recognition to their own great musicians, and there are many who will agree with him. Sir Edward Elgar is a typical example of a musician whose greatness went for long unheralded, and whose fame, even now, has only just begun to spread. Yet such works as his "Dream of Gerontius," the Violin Concerto, and "King Olaf," among many others, will surely live. We are being given the opportunity to become better acquainted with this English composer’s work during the Centen‘nial Music Festival. "King Olaf" will be presented at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, by visiting artists and a special choir and orchestra, under Andersen Tyrer, from 3YA, Christchurch. All at Sea Everyone knows that marine _ radio operators receive a lot of messages every day, and send a lot, too. But what we can’t understand, and probably our difficulty is shared by all those other people who only see the front of a wireless set, is how they manage to know when someone wants to send them a message. Do they just guess when their receiver should be tuned to a certain wavelength, have they some special instinct, or do they keep searching through all the

wave bands on the off chance of picking up a message intended for their ship? These are mysteries to the lay mind, but they might be resolved by a talk listed from 1YA at 7.40 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, in the Job of Work series. It is: "A Wireless Operator’s Day at Sea." A Policeman’s Lot Traditionally, policemen are most famous for feet, and our artist suggests that their musical taste is not much higher. But there is more to a cop than the leather of his boots, as any self-respecting policeman will say. It is probable, too, that "Prisoner’s Song" is not the end and beginning of their radio likes. There may even be some who do not tramp

the pavements to the imaginary strains of Bing, or Gracie, or the Duke. Just what happens to the mighty arm of the law when it reaches out for the knob of a receiver will be told by Station 4YA on Monday, May 21, at 9.15 p.m. A Policeman is the star in the What I Like Series. Radio Horror The scene is a narrow back street in Paris. It is dark there, and people walk as if they do not know what may be waiting round the corner. Behind the rotting buildings the yards are darker still, and dirty; gloomy enough in daylight, sinister by night. It is the Rue Morgue. Murder comes to the Rue Morgue; mysterious murder, that comes silently and leaves the corpse with no clue to the murderer or his method. This is the stuff of which which Edgar Allan Poe made one of his best horror stories. It has been arranged for radio, and will be heard on Monday next, May 20, at 6.30 p.m., from Station 3ZR, Greymouth, i