Around The Nationals

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 138, 13 February 1942, Page 20

Around The Nationals

ELPFUL and interesting talks H bringing first-hand information from London’s war-workers will be given in the women’s morning sessions from 2YA shortly. Mrs. Marjorie Fuller, a bacteriologist who was working in St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, will talk (at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 13), on "A Great London Hospital Under Fire." St. Thomas’s is an enormous place-Florence Nightingale began her work there-and®Mrs. Fuller should have a tale to tell. As a companion talk, Mrs. O. J. Gerard will speak a week later on the work of women volunteers in the early stages of the war. Ed Ba cod ENTHUSIASM for the cause of the Slav peoples inspired Tchaikovski’s "Marche Slav," which he wrote during the war between Turkey and Serbia in 1876. A good deal of feeling was aroused among all the Slav races, not least in Russia. The Russian pianist, Nicholas Rubinstein (brother of the better known Anton), organised a charity concert for the relief of wounded Serbs, and it was for this occasion that Tchaikovski wrote this march, which he sometimes called a "Russo-Serbian March." It opens very sombrely-"in the manner of a funeral march"-but the Russian national hymn emerges triumphant (cf. "1812 Overture"), and the whole ends in joyous acclamations, foretelling the victory of the Slavs. The march will be heard from 4YA at 8.50 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, SIR Granville Bantock’s Scottish ancestry gave him an enthusiasm for all things Scottish, which accounts for the large number of his vocal and instrumental compositions that are charged with the Gaelic spirit. Among these is his Suite for String Orchestra, Scenes from the Scottish Highlands, which was first heard in 1913. Three movements from this work will be played by the NBS Strings (under Andersen Tyrer), in the evening programme from 2YA on Sunday, February 15. * * ¥ AROLD WILLIAMS, the British baritone, has been back on the air for a week or two now, after three weeks’ silence, one week of which he spent in hospital in Wellington, with throat trouble. He was heard from 3YA on Monday, and during the coming week he will sing from 1YA on Monday and Tuesday, accompanied by Henri Penn. * bd * ‘THE name of Albert Mallinson, the English songwriter, is hardly familiar to New Zealanders, for all his 300-odd songs. He was born in 1870, and became an organiser. After being attached to various churches, he toured Denmark and Germany with his wife, a Danish singer, introducing his own songs. At one time, he lived in Melbourne. Five of his songs will be sung from 4YA’s studio by Mary Pratt (contralto), at 8.17 p.m. on Monday, February 16. ,