THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 220, 10 September 1943, Page 2

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through The Programmes

| MONDAY |F a man from New Zealand were dropped among a heterogeneous collection of nationalites and commanded to speak, would that crowd shout with one voice "A product of New Zealand!" or would they merely murmur "From Britain or somewhere’? It would be an interesting experiment. And what about literature? Has New Zealand evolved a distinct type of literature yet or are we still just slavish imitators of England? A good man to answer the question is. Professor Ian Gordon, of Victoria College, and in the new series of Winter Course talks from 2YA (7.15 Monday evenings, beginning on September 13), he may do so, for his titles range from "Early Journals" and "Poetry from 1890" to "Tutira" and "Novels and Short Stories of To-day." Also worth notice: 2YC. 7.54 p.m.: NBS String Quartet 3YA, 9.25 p.m.: Haydn Trio No, 4 (Studio). TUESDAY T is not possible to include one woman among the world’s six greatest poets or six ‘greatest essayists or six greatests novelists or dramatists. Women do not lead in history or in travel or in letter-writing or even in autobiography. No woman has written a new gospel or founded a new Philosophy. But women have been best-sellers. They have moved mountains by appealing to the emotions. They have written three books for every two written by men since the doors of publishing houses were first opened to them, and they have usually succeeded in remaining serious. So Miss Winifred McQuilkan will have plenty to talk about when she turns at-7.15 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14 (4YA), to the status of women in general and of literary woman in particular. But she is not likely to support this paragraph. Also worth notice: 1YX, 9.12 p.m.: Violin Concerto (Elgar). 2YA, 8.0 p.m.: Studio recital by Owen Jensen (piano). 4YO. 8.0 p.m.: Violin Sonata in G Minor (Schubert) WEDNESDAY Ne nation can be so enslaved that every spark of creation is extinguished. Sometimes it even seems that enforced submission has urged oppressed people to creative efforts that they would never have made in freedom. A bold example of this is the music of the American negroes, which is an expression of their altered and tragic environment. Negroes have been responsible for much in the field of musicblues and ballads, swing and symphonies — but through it all runs the cry of the exile. Station 2YA _ will honour this race on Wednesday, September 15, at 8.38 p.m. in a programme entitled "Spirituals, the Stirring Music of the Negro," and judging by the wealth of material offering for such a’ subject, this programme should be worth hearing, Also worth notice: 1YA, 8.30 p.m.: Saint-Saens’ ’Cello Sonata’ (Studio). 3YA, 7.39 p.m.: Light Concert from a Military Camp. ! THURSDAY T is all very well to call the community to produce litters — even in the Bay of Plenty — but not every

mother is a potential Mrs. Dionne, It is true that every mother a hundred years ago produced a baby every 18 months or two years for about 30 years, but one at a time usually satisfied her. And only about one in two lived for more than a year. John Wesley, for example, as someone told the House of Lords recently, was one of 19 children, of whom 13 died. Queen Anne had 17 children who all died in infancy but one; and so it went on. Litters — by which we mean four at once or more-are a little less probable than white sparrows, and far less likely to survive. But hold hard! We have misread the item,, some-

one is calling out. The subject is pigs, not humans, and pigs, of course, is pigs! So we shall bow ourselves out, leaving it to the farmers of Whakatane to listen to 1YA at 6.45 p.m. on Thursday, September 16. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.24 p.m.: Sextet in A Major (Dvorak). 2YC, 8.0 p.m.: "Among the Moderns." 4YA, 8.0 p.m.: Russian Composers. FRIDAY IMES have changed since the days + of William Adams-even if we don’t know who William Adams was. He was, in fact, the first Englishman to enter Japan, lived in the 16th century, and was "in such favour with two emperors as never was any Christian in those parts." The reason for his favoured state was that he taught shipbuilding to the Japanese, so probably could be called the father of Japanese naval strength. An English poet who favoured the Japanese during the Russo-Japanese war depicted "the shade of Will Adams" watching over Togo’s fleet in its actions against the Russians. But times, as we have . said, have changed since then. Nevertheless, there is considerable interest in the story of "The Shipwright and the Shogun," with which the Rev. G. A. Naylor will begin a further series of readings from 1YA. The story of Adams will be heard on Friday evening, September 17, and subsequent readings will deal with other notable British adventurers, Richard Chancellor, who went to Russia; Thomas Dallam, organist at the court of Elizabeth, who went to see the Grand Turk on her behalf; Thomas Sanders, who ventured on the coasts of Barbary; and some others. Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.12 p.m.: "Votes for Women" (Jubilee programme). 3YA, 7.30 p.m.: "En Saga" (Sibelius). : 4YA, 9.33 p.m.: . Readings» from Shakespear’s Songs and Sonnets,

SATURDAY ‘TWENTY ONE years have nearly passed since a children’s branch of the Red Cross Society was first established in New Zealand — the Junior Red Cross, which has groups in Primary and Secondary Schools, and even among pupils of the Correspondence School. The organisation which probably fostered the elementary ‘training of a good many grown-up nurses of the present war is approaching its own "majority," and a _ special birthday _broadcast is scheduled for inclusion in the Children’s Hour at 5.0 p.m. on Saturday, September 18. Station 2YA, rebroadcast by other stations, will present a short five-minute programme, including one verse of the Junior Red Cross song, and a few words by Miss L. G. Small, Honorary Director of the ‘Junior Red Cross in New Zealand. The first circle of the organisation was formed in the parish of St. Peter's, Wellington, in 1922. Birthday greetings have recently been received from the League of Red Cross Societies in Geneva, and from Canada, Australia, the United States, and England. Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.3 p.m.: Play: "The Aristocrat." 3YL, 9.1 p.m.: Music by Tchaikovski. SUNDAY EXT week must be Haydn week in Christchurch; on four different days there are four different major works which might have been chosen to exhibit the variety of Haydn’s scope. On Monday, September 13, for instance, will be heard the fourth in the series of six Haydn trios which are being played from the studio after the 9.0 p.m. news. Then on Tuesday, 3YL offers its weekly instalment of the series of Haydn quartets, which has been going since the second week in June, and has now reached Opus 55, No. 1. But we are also to have the music that Haydn didn’t write: the cello concerto, to be heard on Friday evening (3YA, 8.33 p.m.), was taken for authentic Haydn until recent years, when experts decided that it was written by a pupil, Anton Kraft. Then at the end of the week there comes again the real thing-the Symphony in C Minor, known as No. 95, one of the several Haydn wrote in London for the admiring English. It will be heard from 3YL at 3.44 p.m. on Sunday, September 19. Also worth notice: 2YA, 9.42. p.m.: Opera, "The Magic Flute" (Mozart). 4YZ, 3.0 p.m.: Concerto No. 8 (Spohr).