THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 228, 5 November 1943, Page 2

THINGS TO COME

| A Run Through The Programmes

MONDAY RITISH inventiveness did not cease with the great machine age of the 19th century. Some notable British discoveries of later date have added materially to the well-being and comfort of mankind, and the BBC in a series of popular-science productions has succeeded in telling the story in a most attractive way. In most cases it is told by one of the active participants, and the listener learns of the objective, the failures, and final triumph-usually after much painstaking experiment. Under the heading of "How it Began," these BBC features will be presented from 2YA on Mondays at 7.15 p.m. The popular vacuum flask, a British invention, was not sought for by scientists so that we could keep our drinks hot, or cold; it was needed to store liquid air, and this is how the idea originated. Nor was stainless steel evolved so that the housewife could be relieved of the drudgery of polishing table knives. This was an afterthought when British inventors experimented successfully to obtain a noncorrosive steel for gun barrels. These are some of the things to be learned from this ‘series, which begins on November 8. Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.33 p.m.: NBS String Quaftet, 3YA, 9.25 p.m.: ’Cello Sonata in F Major (Beethoven). 4YA, 8.22 p.m.: Dunedin Training College Choir, TUESDAY HERE will always be people who sigh for other days; good and bad. In fact some people only enjoy themselves when they can run down present times and extol the vanished virtues of the past. But perhaps there is something to be said for the old Inns, though their qualities could scarcely be ranked as virtues, A flagon of sale, a tankard of cider, a good moog o’ beer-those were things to warm the cockles when drunk to the accompaniment of drinking songs, with firelight flickering on worn brick floors. But perhaps what added special seasoning to the fare were the blandishments of the beautiful buxom barmaid -an almost extinct species. Those oldtimers, e very old-timers, who sit hankering for the past should listen in to 1YA at 7.38 p.m. on Tuesday, November 9. The item at that time is entitled "The Beautiful Buxom Barmaid." Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.28 pm.: "The Clock Symphony" (Haydn). ae 3YL, 9.01 p.m.: Violin Sonata No, 4 (Beethoven). 4YO, 9.01 p.m.: Quintet in F Major (Bruckner). WEDNESDAY ON’T linger too long over your evening meal next Wednesday, or if you do, eat with the radio. Tune in to 2YA at 6.45, and see what the air-waves will bring you. Our information is that it will be something to set you thinking; but if that hurts, some one else will do the thinking for you. The session is called "What Do You Think?" but you are under no obligation to answer that question; or to say even what you think with. The Army Education and Welfare Service will provide the victims if you do not wish to be one yourself. But if you forget to listen, and are compelled next

day to listen to reasons why you should have listened, don’t blame us. Also worth notice: 1YA, 8.42 p.m.: "The Charterhouse Suite" (Vaughan Williams). 3YA, 9.30 p.m.: "Symphony Fantastique" (Berlioz). 4YO, 9.0 p.m.: "Peter and the Wolf" (Prokofieft ). THURSDAY STATION 2YA at 9.40 p.m. on Thursday, November 11, will present a programme entitled "Pupil and Teacher," in which will be shown the influence of

Dvorak on Novak. But, one might ask, what influences operated on Dvorak, and through him on Novak? Once you start following that line you can go a long way. For Dvorak was influenced by Wagner and Weber-and there you are in Germany among the Nationalist composers. From there you go to Mozart, the super-Nationalist and so to Carl Philipp and Johann Christian Bach. Then you can follow a branch line to Italy from Germany through Scarlatti, Carissimi, Pasquini, and Palestrina; and finally you arrive in Holland, through Jacob Arcadelt, contrapuntalist of the Netherlands School. By that time you will have covered several centuries as well as a lot of ground, for Novak was born in 1870 and Arcadelt in 1514. The feature of 2YA’s programme is "Trio in the Style of a Ballad," Op. 27, by Novak. This will be presented by Ormi Reid (pianist), William McLean (violinist), and Samuel McLean (’cellist). Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.28 p.m.: Hindemith Sonata. 2Y¥C, 8.0 p.m.: Piano Quartet, Op. 114 (Schubert). : 4YA, 8.34 p.m.: "Carnaval" (Schumann). FRIDAY At 08.00 hours on Friday, November 12, there will be a gathering of Scottish clans in the Civic Theatre, Christchurch. It is not clear from the programme whether, the kilts will appear on the stage or only in the minds of the devout, but they will be somewhere unless the bagpipes have lost their ancient power. And where the tartan is there will all Canterbury’s Scotsmen be in spirit. November 12 is not St. Andrew’s Day, but it is not very far away: from it, and clansmen do not need a Calendar excuse for coming together. What the excuse is on this occasion you wili discover if you tune in to 3YL a few minutes before eight. Also worth notice: 1YA, 8.0 p.m.: Lyrics by New Zealand Poets with settings by Harry Luscombe (studio), 2YA, 8.30 p.m.: The BBC Brains Trust. 3YA, 8.23 p.m.: "Magnificat" (Bach).

SATURDAY ‘PAFFY was a Welshman, and in the nursery rhyme something else in addition; but it is not that second reason that gives him his popularity with the BBC. It is his love of music-especially of vocal music. Remember the story told by General Smuts about the striking coal-miners during the last war. Their mood was so black that no English Minister had a chance of winning them back to work. Neither, he himself thought, had General Smuts when he faced them on the public platform. But he remembered their love of song and made what he regarded as a desperate last appeal to that. It worked. He got them singing "Land of Our Fathers," and the strike was over. So if your own mood is less bright or less co-operative then it ought to be next Saturday (November 13) tune in to,3YA at 7.30 p.m. Also worth notice: 2YC, 8.0 p.m.: Concert by, NBC Symphony. 3YL, 8.0 p.m.: Music by Beethoven. 4YA, ‘8.8 p.m.: "Songs from the Australian Bush" (studio). SUNDAY HOSE curious people in our illustration are not looking for a mouse or a long-lost bottle of whisky. They are investigating the "Queer Affair at Kettering." They are characters in the play to be presented by the Auckland Repertory Theatre. In this frivolous adventure, Elizabeth Blackburn takes her husband Jeffery-much against his willdown to Kettering Old House, recently rented by those inveterate practical jokers, Sally and Jim Rutland. Here they meet Rutland’s Aunt Florence Lambert, the detective novelist, afid Wishart, the financier. Here, too, they learn of a mysterious room-a room in which people are supposed to vanish in the twinkling of an eye. Of course, it was all fantastic-until, one by one, the household began to disappear! Listen in to 1YA at 9.33 p.m. on Sunday, November 14, and make you own guess about what lay behind this very Queer Affair. Also worth notice: 2YA, 2.30 p.m.r "Alto Rhapsody" (Brahms). 3YL, 8.15 p.m.: 3YA String Orchestra. 4YA, 2.30 p.m.: Sonata for Violin and Piano (Debussy ). St