Around The Nationals

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 106, 4 July 1941, Page 24

Around The Nationals

O one understands old men better than Peter B. Kyne-their littleboy fits of contrariness and their magnificent and pathetic spurts of authority — and no writer has to his credit a grander character than Captain Alden P. Ricks (better knowns as " Cappy"), owner of the Blue Star Navigation Company, who has raised a laugh almost every time he has stormed on to a page yelling for Skinner. Besides Cappy Ricks, the new radio serial of the same name that 2YA introduces for the first time on Saturday, July 12, includes all the merry members of his crew. There is Matt Peasley, the deep-water sailor who makes good as first-mate, and becomes president of the line and marries Cappy’s daughter Florrie, John Skinner who runs the business except when Cappy decides otherwise, and of course the fighting Irish sailors. % * * " CHAKESPEARE in Song" is the title of the first of a series of eight talks with musical interludes to be given from 2YA on Friday evenings, beginning on July 11, under the general heading of Poet and Composer. Authorities praise the fine poetry of the 16th century lute songs, and say that any anthology of lyrical poetry of the period will be found to be largely made up from the contents of these books. The object of this series of programmes is to illustrate the songs with anecdotes. There is often a human story behind a poem before it becomes a song, and how some lines came to be given musical settings is a theme rich in history. * * * UNIQUE present was recently received by a Wellington resident, T. E. Y. Seddon, from a friend-im New York. It was a set of recordings of a concert organised by Englishmen in New York and held under the auspices of the British War Relief Society to raise funds for Britain. Through the generosity of Mr. Seddon these recordings are to be presented from 2YA on Sunday, July 6, at 3 p.m., and they should be enjoyed by a wide circle of listeners. For this was no ordinary concert. It was held on St. George’s Day, which is also the birthday of Shakespeare, and one of the highlights was the speaking of some of Shakespeare’s sonnets by Dame May Whitty, the veteran English actress. The donor of the recordings was Austin Strong, compére at the concert. Mr. Strong was educated at Wellington College. * * * AN interesting tie-up between the Competitions Societies throughout the country and the radio is foreshadowed by a new series of programmes from 2YD. For some time past there has been difficulty in agreeing on the exact definition of "a traditional folk song," but for the Competition festivals of 1941 the various societies have standardised their list. The 2YD sessions will enable competitors to hear folk songs on the new schedule, as interpreted by world-famous artists. On Tuesday, July 8, they will present the "Traditional Folk Songs of England,’ with their story.