THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 534, 16 September 1949, Page 26

THINGS TO COME

| Battle for Britain O commemorate the Battle for Britain, a new BBC programme in which Chester Wilmot, Australian historian, broadcaster and war correspondent, traces the reasons for Hitler’s | failure to invade the British Isles in

1940, will be heard from 2YA this Sunday, September 18, at 9.32 p.m. An earlier programme on this dramatic episode of the war was heard from the NZBS about a year ago, but since then new material has become available, notably

the diplomatic papers of Count Ciano, and the picture of the abortive "Operation Sealion," is now shown in full detail. Wilmot has compiled his script from German Admiralty and Air Force archives, the minutes of Hitler’s conferences with his admirals, the interrogations of Raeder, Von Runstedt, Sperrle, Kesselring and many other German war leaders, and from personal records kept by Air. Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, who’ was C.-in-C. Fighter Command throughout the battle. How They Took the Count \/ HEN the time drew near for Count von Luckner, who was on a lecture tour of New Zealand after World War I, to speak at the Theatre Royal; Christchurch, the theatre manager found that the public address system, set up for playing a record of the National Anthem, had broken down, He dashed into a flat in the theatre building, found a pianist, told him what was wanted during the rush down the aisle to the orchestral well, and the burly German got away to a good start after a right, proper and ship-shape musical preliminary. New Zealanders who heard his lectures have speculated about the ultimate fate of von Luckner-if he is still alive, and where he is living. No answer to this can be expected from 2YA at 1,25: p.m. on Thursday, September 22, in the To-day in N.Z, History series, but listeners will hear something about the Count’s capture and escape during World War I. The Last ITMA ISTENERS to 2YA at 8.28 p.m. on Saturday, September 24, will hear the last ITMA--that is, a transcription made from the performance of the show on Januery 6, 1949. Tommy Handley’s sudden death the following- week-end was marked by remarkable expressions of grief and affection; tributes flowed in to the BBC from people in every walk of life. His funeral cortege on the following Thursday passed through streets packed with silent crowds, and some days later.at a memorial service in St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Bishop of London spoke to a congregation numbering some 5,000, of the man whose genius "transmuted the copper of our common experience into the gold of exquisite foolery." Symphony of Psalms ~ August 15, 1930, Igor Stravinsky . completed his Symphony of Psalms, written for the 50th anniversary of the

Boston Symphony Orchestra, and characteristically dedicated "a la gloire de Dieu." The score is for chorus and orchestra without violins‘ or violas, which suggests intentional elimination of expressive quality in tone-colour. The time is indicated only by metgonome marks, and the three component movements are a chorale, a fugue, and a rhythmic finale. Due to a change of dates the world premiere of the Symphony of Psalms took place not in Boston; but in. Brussels on December 13, 1930. The Boston performance ‘followed on December 19, 1930: Listeners to 1YA will hear the composition during the classical hour (which starts at 2.30 p.m:) on Friday, September 23. It will’ be presented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Choir conducted by Ernest Ansermet. Poets and Composers OT long ago a writer in The Listener said that A. E. Housman appeared to have been allergic to music. The word "allergic," to’ those who have had physical experience of what it means, may seem an exaggeration, but it is known that Housman simply did not care for music. There is the testimony of a friend of the disturbing effect upon him of settings of his own poems by a noted English composer, sung by one of England’s finest artists. And yet Housman was perhaps more sought after than any other contemporary poet. Grant Richards says in his biography that the composers who set Housman’s verses to music must have numbered scores, Listeners to 2YA at 3.30 p.m. on Sunday, September 25, will hear Molly Atkinson ~ (Wellington i: 4

contralto) in a programme called Poets of Our Time: Inspirers of Song-A, E. Housman (the second of a series of studio -presentations). Peows 2 English S wide a choice of | English music as a listener is likely to find in ~ the

compass of one programme will be broadcast by 2YZ Napier at 2.0 p.m. on Sunday, September, 25, under the title The Englishman’s Music. This, a BBC production, will offer a panorama of the native music of England, played, and sung by men, women and children who make music because they enjoy "it. And wherf players and singers are so clearly happy about it, it’s a fairly safe assumption, that listeners will like it too. There will be brass bands from Cornwall and the North Country, shepherds, quarrymen and farmers singing "Iikla Moor" in the bar of a Yorkshire inn, an amateur string orchestra in Derby, the Singers’ Club in Birmingham, and the Royal Marines at Chatham putting all they have into "Lilliburlero." Even a girls’ choir and the bellringers in the tower of a Suffolk village church will contribute to this three-quarter-hour

| pare -w — programme, Dr. Thomas Wood, an exe pert on traditional music, wrote the programme, which was produced by Maurice Brown, with Frederick Grisee ‘wood as narrator. The Right Thing to Do "W HAT standards guide me in make ing my day-to-day decisions between right and wrong?" The BBC ine vited Professor Gilbert Murray, the vet~ eran Greek scholaryand poet, to answer this question for the benefit of listeners, In a talk which was subsequently re-

corded by the BBC Transcription Ser vice Professor Mure fay declares that "in all moral education there will be a prolonged tug-of-war, as it were, hetween egoism, care for’ oneself, and altruism, care for others," and concludes that it is the Will of God that, above all _ things, "man’s moral sense sees as in a #?lass

darkly, and strives to approach." Listen. ers to Station 3YA will hear this talk at. 4.0 p.m. on Sunday, September 25. Radio Guide AVE you heard of "lookering?" It is the name they, give to a shepherd’s calling in Kent, England, and it is one of the many things about that delectable and very English county you can learn from the first programme of a new BEC series, Looking at Britain, which starts at 4YA at 2.1 p.m. on Sunday, September 25. Kent is well named the Garden of England-its fruit and hops are famous-but it can claim more than being a rich food-producing county. It has seen the whole pageant of English history unfold, from the days ‘of the Romans to the Battle for’ Britain. The programme was, written by D. F. Aitken and the producer was R. D, Smith.