THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 122, 24 October 1941, Page 3

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through The Programmes

UESDAY, October 28, will be a big day in the lives of countless Auckland schoolchildren, for, their mothers having washed their faces well, and finally enjoined them to be good boys and girls and do their very best, they will sally out to take part in the Primary Schools Music Festival at the Auckland Town Hall. Station 1YA will have a microphone at the Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon, and no doubt there'll be many an Auckland mother listening in attentively and prepared to wager that she can hear her Johnny’s voice above them all. Drumpeter, What Are You Sounding Now? As distinct from Dumbarton’s Drums, the Drums of Kirwan, the tum-tums beaten so effectively by the African natives, and other branches of the widely scattered percussion family, Major Lampen will introduce listeners to ‘" The Drums of England" in a talk from 2YA on Thursday, October 30. At this early stage we do not know what our gallant friend is going to speak about. If his subject were French drums our knowledge of Carlyle would warn us that they would be providing the background to some dirty work; if they were Americari drums our acquaintance with the some-

what turgid tide of contemporary American composition would suggest a similar prognosis, But the only English drum we can call to mind at the moment: is Drake’s, and there is no need to beat that one till our powder’s running low and, Battle of the Atlantic or no Battle of the Atlantic, we haven’t got to that stage yet. However, knowing our indefatigable and gallant friend, we are sure he will find plenty of English drums to talk about, and that these ’ere drums wot he’s going to talk about are sure to intrigue those ear-drums wot are going to listen to him. For Rainy Days

Once upon a time all-parents thought their children were little darlings or perfect models. Now, with the advent of popular child psychology, the thing to do is to consider oneself blessed with a "Problem Child." Coping with the whims and fancies of such problems, entertaining and amusing them, encouraging the expression of their personalities and repressing such expression when it tends to become obstreperous, is the happy lot of most modern parents. Mrs. F. L. W. Wood evidently has some ideas on the subject of keeping the small child happy and yet out of mischief,-and from 2YA at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 27, she will launch a series of talks beginning with "The Small Child Indoors: What to do on a Rainy Day." Parents whose small fry drive them to distraction, likewise parents whose children are just

models, should absorb lots of useful data from these talks. So far as the first one goes, it might have been more useful if it had come about three weeks earlier, but listeners will doubtless save up Mrs. Woods’ advice for another rainy day. Suspended Animation We were moved to all sorts of cynical thoughts by an item in Station 3ZB’s programmes at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, November 1. A Programme Without a Name it is called, and our first inclination was to murmur "How much better it would be to have a name without a programme." And that reminded us of the sketch we once saw in a magazine showing an announcer saying "At the request of many thousands of listeners we now present a special programme of

15 minutes’ silence." It’s difficult to decide whether 3ZB’s Programme Without a Name is a serious presentation or another outburst of whimsy on the part of the programme organisers-see recent reference to Custard and Mustard. If it’s serious we can only presume it is a programme of "Songs Withoyt Words" or something of that sort. We remain in suspense until November 1, A Radio Jezebel Jezebel made a thorough nuisance of herself in Biblical days and came to a bad end. Jezebel’s Daughter, the new

serial opening from 2YC at 8 p.m. on October 27, is a story with perhaps even more local colour than the Biblical tale. What some women can do and get away with is amazing. The exploits of the radio Jezebel cover fifty-two quarter-hour episodes, with plenty of interest, action, and excitement. Some people will stake everything for honour and glory; others prefer power and success. This Jezebel was one of the latter class, but what she overlooked was her daughter’s affection, and thereby hangs the tale. Jezebel’s Daughter was written for radio by Sumner Locke-Elliot, and produced by George Edwards. The setting, by the way, is not Biblical but middle 19th century. Introduction Wanted Who is Monica? According to the 2ZB programmes she is to review new recordings from that station on Friday of next week at 9.30 p.m., and here we are in the unfortunate position of not having had an introduction. We feel like some watcher of the skies who, when a new planet swims into his ken can’t tell a wondering world about it until he’s found a name for it. Monica is not enough. Is she blonde or brunette (or is it brownette?), tall or short, and will her reviews reveal her as coquettishly classical or militantly modern? Gentlemen of the CBS, it’s up to you-what is Monica’s other moniker? At Nelson Haven On November 1 it will be one hundred years since Captain Arthur Wakefield sailed the brig Arrow into Nelson Haven, fired a gun and had his men give three cheers, the Arrow being the first vessel of any size to enter that port which he described as " anything | ama contemptible." So was the site of Nelson

chosen by Wakefield and his survey party of New Zealand Company men. Though the hundredth anniversary of the Province is being commemorated by functions on January 31, February 1, and February 2, 1942, a century after the arrival of the first Nelson emigrant ship, the Fifeshire, Captain Wakefield’s landing on Nelson soil is to be marked by an appropriate ceremony at Port Nelson on the afternoon of Saturday, November 1. The background of this interesting event in early history will be filled in by a short talk to be given from 2YA at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 31, Growth of the Guilds An interesting feature of town life in Tudor and Stuart England was the organisation of industry in guilds, and the organisation of guilds into three classes of masters, journeymen, and apprentices. Readers of literature dealing with this period cannot fail to remember the mobtule of the ’prentices, out for mischief and ready to tweak the noses of their masters. In the early days, when guilds had just begun, so to speak, they maintained a good standard of quality, prevented profiteering, promoted charitable works and good comradeship. Later, though, the richer masters weeded out the poorer and used the guilds to protect their own monopoly. The earlier and perhaps more vigorous period will be introduced by Dr. K. J. Sheen from 4YA on Tuesday evening next when he speaks on " The, Rise of the Guilds."