THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 403, 14 March 1947, Page 4

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through The Programmes

An Old Friend Returns I ORD BLEDISLOE, Governor-General ~ of New Zealand from ‘1930 to 1935, is now paying this country a return visit, and is a guest of the Government. Primarily, he is in this part of the world on a purely agricultural mission, at the invitation of the Royal Agricultural Societies of Australia and New Zealané¢, but in fact his visit will be an opportunity for the renewal of many friendships. Lord Bledisloe will be in Wellington until March 15, and will then visit other parts of the Dominion, remaining in the country until April 16. Although as we go to press final arrangements have not been made, the NZBS hopes to be able to broadcast an address to the people of New Zealand by Lord Bledisloe at 8.45 p.m. on March 16-to be heard from all main national stations. Lili Kraus Concerts WO public concerts are to be given in Auckland next week by Lili Kraus, the Hungarian pianist, and both will be broadcast from the Auckland Town Hall by Station 1YA. The first, to be given on Tuesday, March 18, will be a Schu-bert-Haydn programme in which the Schubert items will include the "Wanderer" Fantasy and the Sonata in A Minor, Op, 42; and the Haydn works will be the Andante and Variations in F Minor, and a Sonata in D Major. On the following Saturday, March 22, Mme. Kraus will give a programme including the following works: Sonata in E Flat, Op. 31 (Beethoven); Sonatina (Douglas Lilburn); Mozart’s Sonata in D Major, K.576; and ‘Schumann’s "Carnaval" Suite. Fuller details of these programmes appear on pages 38 and 50 in this jssue. St. Patrick’s Day "THE patron saint of Ireland has his day on a Monday this year, so some of the national stations will begin their topical programmes with "The Irish Washerwoman" (4YA, for instance, at 7.30 p.m., and 2YN at 7.0 p.m.). And other items of the right colour for the occasion will follow. Not all the stations are going to be Erin-conscious, it seems, but YYA and 4YZ will be broadcasting local concerts from Christchurch and Invercargill. Christchurch’s concert will include choral singing and solo items by pupils of Xavier, Sacred Heart, Villa Maria, and St. Mary’s Colleges. And in the hour before the concert, 3YA listenets may also hear the garden expert on "St. Patrick and the Garden." Invercargill’s concert will be relayed from the Civic Theatre; and at 5.0 p.m. the samé evening, 4YZ offers a half-hour programme called "The Wearing of the Green." Stations 4YA and 2YN will have half-hour programmes of records for the oecasion (starting as we have said, with "The Irish Washerwoman"): and 3ZR has a fifteen-minute programme set down for 7.45 p.m. Agricultural Talks from 3YA HE Thursday evening talks on agricultural topics for Canterbury _listeners will begin this year on March 20 with a discussion between Dr. I. D. Blair and L. W. McCaskill, entitled "A Day’s Wofk in a Lincoln College Laboratory." It will begin (on Station 3YA) at 7.15 pm. Arrangements are now being

made for later talks in the same series, some of which will be done by experts from Canterbury Agricultural Colle (or "Lincoln College,’ as most people now call it), while others will be given by officers of the Department of Agriculture. The second talk, for instance

(March 27), will be "Why Use a StockLick?" by T. K. Ewer, Veterinarian to the Department. More Clem Dawe ADAME LOUJSE, which is to start at 2¥YD at 7.20 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, is another farce starring Clem Dawe, the Australian vaudeville comedian who used to bring his baggy pants across the Tasman fairly often before the war, It is written by Vernon Sylvane, and concerns a bookie (Clem Dawe) who-takes over a milliner’s business. Sydney Hollister is also in the cast. Two other Clem Dawe shows at present on the air are Thark (1YA Mondays), and Important People (2YH Tuesdays, and 4YO Mondays). One to Go W HEN we read the entry in 4YA’s programme for 8,0 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, we were somehow reminded of the old one we heard at school about "What is it that goes ninety-séven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, PLONK?" and? the answer was: a centipede’ with a wooden leg. There is indeed something suspenseful about 99, and wooden legs or no wooden legs, the Early Settlers of Dunedin may well look upon the concert that is to be broadcast from their Hall on March 22 as a Very Important Occasion All But One, Twelve months more and it will be 100 years since the colony of Otago was founded by settlers sent out under the auspices of the Free Church of Scotland. Everyone loves : round figure, and there are still 52 weeks" to go before the real thing, but in the meantime there is something to be said for speeding the departing century before embarking on the really important business of welcoming the new one. More Handel-Beecham HE GREAT ELOPEMENT, a new ballet suite arranged from music of Handel by Sir Thomas Beecham, has been recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Beecham’s baton, and will be heard in 3YA’s programme of New English Releases on Sunday evening, March 23, Both the story and the scenario for The Great Elopement

ell at are by Sir Thomas Beecham, and the music consists of 17 numbers taken from the operas and posthumous harpsichord suites of Handel. The scene is the city of Bath late in the 18th Century, and the "Elopement" is that of Richard Brinsley Sheridan with Elizabeth, daughter of the musician Thomas Linley. Bath at that time was one of the most fashionable pleasure resorts of Europe, and the celebrated Beau Nash was Master of Ceremonies. Thomas Linley (one of the most popular composers of his day) was the Director of Music. His daughter Elizabeth was sought in marriage by a local squire, but she met the young playwright (as yet unknown to fame), and to the chagrin of \Linley and the Squire, but with the help of Beau Nash, they eloped to London. The whole story is founded on what actually occurred, as some listeners will remember who have heard the BBC Men and Music programme on Thomas Linley. The names of the twelve parts of the ballet suite will be found in 3YA’s programme on page 54. Switzerland and Us UCAS STAEHELIN, a Swiss journalist and broadcaster who has lived in Australia for some years, recently visited New Zealand to have a look around, and before he left to return to Switzerland he recorded a talk for the NZBS called "Switzerland and New Zealand," which will be heard from 2YA at 3.0 p.m. on Sunday, March 23. Mr. Staehelin is the author of a biography of Henri Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross Society, and was for many years a Councillor of the Geographical Society of New South Wales. In his talk, he deals with the topography of his country and ours, with hotels, and with children. And listeners will hear some Swiss music from records he brought into the studio with him.