Places Where They Sing

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 824, 13 May 1955, Page 11

Places Where They Sing

] THINK one might fairly say that those npt members of any Church, nor interested in religion, would find little reason to listen to ordinary Church service broadcasts. Their purpose is, of course, devotional, and not aesthetic: but frequent indifferent preaching and music ensure that their appeal remains thus restricted. Yet it would be a pity if experience of our religious broadcasts were to deter anybody from listéning to the BBC Religious Service programme, broadcast from the YCs on Monday nights. These sessions, recorded in English churches, have an extra\appeal in the dignity of the services. the literate nature of the sermons, and the fineness of the musie. Anglican plainchant and Catholic Gregorian create an atmosphere that seems to me more suitable for radio than some other forms of church service. It was pleasing to recognise in last Monday’s excellent broadcast from _ Westminster Cathedral the name of

Maxwell Fernie (formerly of Wellington) as organist. The singing on this occasion was among the best heard in the series. And Canon Collingwood’s sermon showed that, contrary to what some local preachers seem concerned to establish, broadcast homilies need not be lengthy, ponderous and repetitive to produce a profound response. Korean Reverie U N. action in Korea, called by some * publicists, "the forgotten war." has inspired some bad films, but little else. However, Conrad Voss-Bark’s Letter trom Korea (1YC), one of the best BBC plays I have heard this year, did create, against a background of Korean cold and confused action, a most vivid impression of the stresses of war, underlining the irony in the statement, "In war the great issues overshadow the personal tragedy." The hopes, fears and nostalgia ot five British so:aiers holding a defile to cover the retreat of their unit, were revealed in a skilful mixture of dialogue and interior monologue. Reverie, which radio plays are well adapted to present, seems to me always in danger of becoming artificial and falsely rhetorical. But, despite some (perhaps intentional?) echoes of Henry V., the streams-of-consciousness- of Mr. Voss-Bark’s characters gave us a more believab!e insight into the minds of weary and desperate men than I can imagine any other technique doing. Skilful production and playing by the BBC Repertory Company made this a most satisfying play, which, though ostensibly set in Korea, touched issues raised whenever men are at wart.

J.C.

R.