Around The Nationals

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 107, 11 July 1941, Page 24

Around The Nationals

be RANCE Fights On: the story of 3 the Free French Movement," a BBC production by Robert Kemp, is scheduled from 2YA from 8 to 9 p.m. on Monday, July 14, France’s National Day commemorating the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. This feature tells the story of the Free Frenchmen who have escaped from German domination and continue, under General de Gaulle, to fight for France. It tells in dramatic episodes how they faced the choice of joining their families or of enlisting under de Gaulle, and the adventures some of them encountered in Narvik, Brest, the Battle of the Bulge, and during the retreat to Bordeaux. The production is in English, interspersed with little French folk songs, and it closes to the haunting music of " Normandie." 2 By * TATION 2YD’s programmes continue to attract attention. One or two changes have been made recently among the regular features, two old favourites dropping out, Martin’s Corner, after 104 episodes, and the 2YD Singers, after | several years of their popular session at | 8.20 p.m. on Thursdays, this time now being taken by a series of programmes by famous choirs. An innovation beginning on Monday, July 14, will be the first of a series of Dickens stories made into unusually short radio serials. Dombey and Son leads off, with the whole story told in only 13 episodes, each of-the usual quarter-hour length. Another new serial is West of Cornwall, based on Charles Kingsley’s novel Two Years Ago, This serial began last week, and the second episode will be heard on Thursday, July 17. x Ea * MARGARET _GERRAND, the girl soprano who will be heard in the evening programme from 1YX on July 19, is one of the small band of radio singers who broadcast their own songs. Miss Gerrand has been composing songs with a fair measure of success since she was nine. Indeed, one of the songs which she is including in her recital on Saturday week, "Good-night," was written at that early age, and it will be presented in practically its original form. * * * "THE mame Bruch to any concertgoer ‘" means only Concerto No. 1 in G Minor. for Max Bruch, who died 20 years ago, is one of the dozens of composers who wrote voluminously, but are now almost "one work men." Bruch once lived in Liverpool, and his vocal works were sung by the choirs of the North of England. He was particularly fond of writing for the solo violin, and in this short Concerto in G Minor, written in 1869, our interest is stirred right away by the solo instrument in a declamatory style, although the violinist’s great opportunity comes in the finale. This work will be played by Vincent Aspey and the Wellington Symphony Orchestra in the concert to be relayed by 2YA from the Wellington Town Hall on Tuesday, July 15. ;