CHRISTMAS PROGRAMMES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 443, 19 December 1947, Page 8

CHRISTMAS PROGRAMMES

S usual, a number of Christmas . broadcasts will be heard before December 24, and of these one of the most notable will be the presentation from the 2YA studios of Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, sung by the Studio Singers under the direction of Harry Brusey.. This will be the first "live" performance of the work in New Zealand. When it was first heard in England in 1942, the Ceremony of Carols was acclaimed as an original and daring choral work that demonstrated the composer’s unusual ability to combine the elements of an old and.a new art. The traditional verses describing the Nativity should be familiar to many listeners, especially the well-known Hodie Christus Natus Est, which, sung as plainsong, is used for a processional approach at the beginning and again for the departure at the end. W. McNaught, writing in the Musical Times about this work, said, "Epithets that come to mind are ‘ingenious,’ ‘spirited,’ ‘picturesque,’ ‘original’; they leave out essentials, for the suite has qa grain, atmosphere, or quiddity of its own that is partly mode of expression, partly composer’s personal craft, and will not go into words. It is difficult now and ther to reconcile the headlong pace with the sense of the words .. . but more often one is asking how Britten came to think of some notion that is freakishly but unassailably the right thing; and the whole suite is full of invention afd suggestion that over-ride passing doubts." The Ceremony of Carols was written for boys’ voices and harp, but Harry Brusey’s performance of it will be by women’s voices, and the accompaniment will be played on the piano by Ormi Reid. The broadcast is timed for 8.33 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23. Christmas in ‘America EATRICE ASHTON, who will be familiar to many readers of The Listener through her series of articles discussing the American way of life, has recorded a talk describing the way the people of' the United States celebrate Christmas. It will be broadcast from 2YA at 10.25 a.m. on Monday, December 22, under the title Christmas in America. In her own penetrating and impartial way Mrs. Ashton analyses what she calls the "festival abandon" with which Americans approach the sites period, and shows just how it from our own, and possibly more sober, attitude. She tells how the gaiety and excitement with which everyone is filled sometimes overflows into "nausesentimentality," althuugh it is based on genuine feeling and pleasure in giving. The essentials of a_ typically American Christmas-turkey, cranberry ‘sauce, and so on-are all described, and the joys and tribulations of the American housewife at this time are compared with those of her New Zealand counterpart. ©

Allegorical Play RSULA BLOOM is best-known for her 30 or 40 romantic novels (with titles like The Passionate Heart and The Judge of Jerusalem) nearly all of which champion the woman’s point of view. Her play Displaced Persons, which has been produced by the NZBS, will be heard from 2YC at 8.0 p.m. this Sunday, December 21. Displaced Persons is described as a Christmas allegory, and the chief characters are a young man and his wife, refugees from some Central European country, who are trying to’ get back to their native land. They find they can’t get lodgings anywhere, so they appeal to a householder who says they can stay in his outhouse if they don’t mind sleeping amongst his gardening tools. Since their position is desperate (the young wife is going to have a baby) they accept his offer. From this point on the parallel of the allegory becomes obvious. But when the child is born, it turns out to be a girl, and the play then develops the theme that women are needed as much ‘as men to redeem the world. "All childTen are redeemers,"’ the husband says, "and if these children don’t save the world it will pass away by our own mischief." "| Sing. of a Maiden" SOME of the loveliest and most interesting of the Christmas songs are the least known. In a programme called I Sing of a Maiden the BBC have gathered together some of these littleknown melodies with the English baritone Frederick Fuller to sing and describe them. For one of his earliest examples Fuller goes back to a song mentioned in Chaucer, "Angelus ad Virgineém," which tells of the story of the Annunciation. Others are taken from English folk-lore, and from Ireland, Wales and America. Several of these songs have been given very beautiful settings by contemporary composefs, for instance, Frederick Austin’s setting of "The Twelve Days of Christmas,’ Martin Shaw’s "Boar’s Head Carol," and "The Frost-Bound Wood," by Peter Warlock, Strangely enough Fuller does not include any example of Scottish origin, but the reason for this, he explains, is that the Presbyterian Scots in past days disapproved of the keeping of religious feasts’ and the making of carols. (Details of broadcasts are given in the table, on page 9.) Outdoor Ceremony A DRAMATIZED version of the Christmas story, enacted in Myers Park, will be broadcast by 1YA at 9.30 p.m. on > Christmas Eve. The relay from the park will be handled by a commentator from 1YA, and the production, which has been artanged by the Y.W.C.A., will tell the story of the Three Wise Men, of the shepherds who watched by ‘night, and the scene at the Manger-with individual players and a narrator. This portion of the ceremony will conclude with a solo rendering of the carol

"Silent Night." Then follows the reading of the poem, "A Candle is a lovely thing to light for Him to-night." During the recitation candles held by those participating will be lit. After the candle-lighting, there will be 15 minutes of carol singing. As a result of the epidemic restrictions younger children will not be able to attend the ceremony, but the suggestion has been made that they participate by listening in and lighting their candles at thé appropriate time, and by joining in the carol singing, Fantasy CHRISTMAS fantasy on a Rip Van Winkle theme will be heard from 1YX at 7.20 p.m. on Christmas Day, Entitled Mr. McKenzie Goes On, it concerns a man of 1847 who is projected in time to 1947, and finds himself in @ city on Christmas Eve. He meets the Spirit of: 1947, to whom he expresses hig criticism of the people. The Spirit of 1947 explains to Mr. McKenzie why the people are what they are and aftef satisfying him sends him back to where he came from. The play was writtert and produced in the NZBS studios. Folk Opera HEN, during the early years of the first world war, Rutland Boughton, the English composer, was living in Glastonbury, he wrote a folk-opera which he called Bethlehem, the story of the Nativity. It was first performed by {and was, in fact, written for) a body of amateur singers in the neighbouring village of Street. After the production of Bethlehem, the amateurs found they had won fame as the Glastonbury Players. One or two of the main parts demanded more of the performer than local resources could give, so they were played by professionals, but the great majority were villagers who brought much earnestness to the production. The girl chosen to play the Virgin Mother, for example, declined the honour because she was not "good enough," but she was ready to sing in the choruses. The man cast for the Unbeliever refused to sing so unchristian a passage, and Boughton himself took over the offending words. A recording of Bethlehem, made by the BBC Transcription Service with leading singers and the BBC Theatre Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Stanford Robinson, will be heard on Christmas Day from 2YH at 9.30 p.m., 2YA at 7.15 p.m., and 4YA at 8.0 p.m. Carol Symphony 2 [Tt was a few years ago that HelyHutchinson, struck by the dearth of symphonic music specially suitable for

use at Christmas, wrote his Carol Symphony, based entirel; on five traditional Christmas melodies. The symphony is in the usual four contrasted parts, the first being a joyous tune on the strings which soon becomes a counterpoint to one of the most widelyloved of Christmas hymns, Adeste Fideles. The cheery carol, God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, is the theme of the second movement, the third is built on Lullay and The First Nowell, and in the last movement Here We Come aWassailing is heard. Carol Symphony will be broadcast from 2YA on Tuesday, December 23, at 9.30 p.m.; 4YA on Christmas Day, at 11.0 a.m., and from 2YH on Monday, December 29, at 9.30 p.m. It is played by the London Radio Orchestra under Denis Wright. Empire Programme "THE Empire reunion programme Men ‘of Goodwill which the BBC will broadcast on Christmas Day will be picked up and _ rebroadcast from 2YA and the four ZB stations at 2.0 am. on Boxing Day and repeated over the main National stations at 9.0 am. The programme, which will be introduced by Sir Laurence Olivier, will present a vivid panorama of the world as it is on Christmas Day. From Britain, a farmer from an East Anglian farm, a Durham miner, and a Cockney will each tell how they are enjoying their austerity Christmas; commentators from the old battlefields of Alsace will tell how the people from that part of France are rebuilding their’ war-ravaged villages and schools; Christmas among the troops of British-occupied Germany will be described by another commentator; yet another will talk from Warsaw. Greetings from a weather ship in mid-Atlantic will be followed by messages from the Commonwealth and the Colonies, and finally listeners will hear from Washington the voice of Sir John Boyd Orr, speaking from the United Nations. At 3.0 am. His Majesty the. King will broadcast his Christmas message, which will be heard again from the main National and the four ZB stations at 7.15 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. on Boxing Day. With the ZB’S ° To celebrate the Christmas season all ‘"+ ZB stations and Station 2ZA will stay on the air till 1.0 a.m. on Christmas Day to broadcast greetings and seasonal music. Station 1ZB will hold a. Christmas Eve party at 11.30 p.m.; Station 2ZB will broadcast a special programme including some of the principal recordings requested during the year at 11.15 p.m; Station 3ZB will broadcast at midnight a session called Merry Christmas to You; Station 4ZB’s programme at 11.45 p.m. will be called As Time Goes By, and from Station 2ZA, at 11.45 p.m. listeners will hear Carols by Candlelight, followed by three-quarters of an hour of Music, Mirth and Melody. In addition, Station 3ZB will present a broadcast from the children’s ward of the Christchurch Hospital on Tuesday, December 23, at 4.45 p.m. Both Stations 1ZB and 2ZB held a "toy week" this year with the idea of gathering in Christmas presents for distribution to children. In each case gifts arrived in thousands; 1ZB_ estimated that it had received between 7,000 and 8,000 articles. The toys will go to Auckland orphanages. Station 2ZB also received a good response, and the toys were distributed to children,

CHRISTMAS EVE Features and Plays: 1YA, 7.40 p.m.: "The Lovely Lady of Bethlehem" (play). 1YA, 9.30 p.m.: A Dramatized Christmas Story (relayed from Myers Park). 2YA, 11.30 p.m.: "This the Happy Morn." 3YA, 10.45 p.m.: The Carollers (Studio programme), 4YA, 8.30 p.m.: "Round About This Time" (NZBS play). 4YZ, 8.15 p.m.: "A Christmas Carol" (Dickens). Music and Carols: 1YA, 7.30 p.m.: "Christmas Symphony" (Schiassi ). 2YA, 7.30 p.m.: Christmas Songs (Studio recital ). 2YH, 11.30 p.m.: "Music for Christmas" (BBC programme). 3YA, 7.53 pm.: "Christmas Concerto" (Corelli). 3YA, 8.9 p.m.: The People Sing (from the Civic Theatre). 3YA, 9.30 p.m.: "I Sing of a Maiden’ (BBC programme). 4YA, 11.45 p.m.: Carols. 4YZ, 2.15 p.m.: "Christmas Oratorio" (Bach). 4YZ, 11.45 p.m.: Songs of the Season (4YZ Choristers). Religious Services: 1YA: Midnight Mass-St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 2YA: Midnight Mass-St. Gerard’s Church. 3YA: Midnight Mass (Anglican — St. Michael’s Church. CHRISTMAS DAY Features and Plays: 1YA, 3.0 p.m: "A Christmas Carol" (Dickens). 1YX, 7.20 p.m.: "Mr. McKenzie Goes On." 2YA, 11.0 am.: "Santa Claus Rides Again." 2YA, 8.28 p.m.: "The Plot to Overthrow Christmas"? (Corwin). 2YD, 8.5 p.m.: "Dick Whittington.’" 2YH, 8.0 p.m.: "The Man Who Bought Up Fairyland" (BBC). 2YN, 7.6 p.m.: "The Story of the Three Wise Men" (Charles Laughton). 3YA, 2.0 p.m.: "A Christmas Carol" (BBC). 3YA, 8.0 p.m.: "A Reputation for Benevolence" (NZBS play). 3ZR, 8.0 p.m.: "Thine Inheritance" (play). 4YO, 5.20 p.m.: "Mr. Pickwick’s Christmas" (Charles Laughton). Music and Carols: ; 1YA, 7.30 p.m.: Christmas Music. 1YX, 9.40 p.m.: "A Ceremony of Carols’ (Britten). 2YA, 7.15 p.m.: "Bethlehem" (Boughton). 2YD, 7.33 p.m.: Christmas Parties. 2YH, 9.0 a.m.: Cavalcade of Christmas. 2YH, 7.15 p.m.3 "Bethlehem" (Boughton). 2YN, 7.0 p.m.: "Christmas Overture" (Taylor). 3YA, 9.30 a.m.: Christmas Music of the Masters. 3YL, 8.32 p.m.: "The Miracle’ (Humperdinck). 3ZR, 11.0 a.m.: Cavalcade of Christmas. 4YA, 11.0 a.m.: Carol Symphony (HelyHutchinson). 4YA, 2.43 p.m.: "Music for Christmas’ (BBC* programme). 4YA, 8.0 p.m.: "Bethlehem" (Boughton). 4YO, 9.0 pm. "I Sing of a Maiden" (BBC). 4YZ, 11.0 a.m.: Carillon Recital of Christmas Music from St. Paul’s. 4YZ, 2.15 p-m.: Organ Recital of Christmas Music (St. John’s Church). 4YZ, 7.30 p.m.: "I Sing of a Maiden" (BBC). Religious Services. ‘ 1YA, 10.0 a.m.: Combined Service. 1YA, 11.0 a.m.: Anglican Service. ~ 3YA, 11.0 a.m.: Methodist’ Service. 3ZR, 5.0 p.m.: The Christmas Service. 4YA, 7.0 p.m.; Combined Christmas Service. BOXING DAY 2YA, 1ZB, 2ZB, 3ZB and 4ZB, 2.0 a.m.: "Men of Goodwill" ~- a _ rebroadcast of the BBC’s Empire Christmas progtamme, followed at 3.0 a.m. by the King’s Christmas broadcast. The King’s Message will be heard again from the main National and the four ZB stations at 7.15 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., and the Empire programme will be repeated at 9.0 a.m. by the main National stations.