St. George's Day

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 40, 19 April 1929, Page 8

St. George's Day

Shakespeare at 1YA and 2Y¥ A Special Programmes CESDAY, April 23, is the feast day of Engiand’s patron saint, Saint George, and it is also Shakespeare Day, the day on which the great dramatist was born. Both 1YA and 2¥A have special Shakespearean programmes for this evening. 1YA. At 1YA the artists presenting the programme will be the Auckland Dramatic Players, under the direction of Mr. J. IF. Montagne, assisted by the Auckland trio, Miss M. Kronfeld (mezzo-soprano), Mr. Len Barnes (baritone), and Mr. Eric Waters (pianist). The elocutionary numbers will be some of the choicest gems from the many plays and will comprise both dramatic and humorous selections. There will be scenes from "Henry IV," "The Merchant of Venice,’ "Henry Vv" (the speech before Harfleur), "Julius Caesar" (Marullus and the Roman mob), "Hamlet" (the graveyard scene), ‘Henry VI" (Queen Margaret’s speech), "Henry VIII" (Queen Katherine’s trial), "Much Ado About Nothing" (three comedy scenes), the Mercy Speech from "The Merchant of Venice." and the recruiting scene by Falstaff and Justice Shallow.

2VA. YA programme will consist of excerpts from Shakespeare’s betterknown works arranged by Mr. Byron Brown. the well-known Shakespearean elocutionist, vocal gems from Shakespeare by the Ariel Singers, and special orchestral selections in keeping with the occasion. The spoken portion of the programme will comprise such gems as "Mark Antony’s Oration over the Body of Caesar," "The Seven Ages of Man" (from "As You Like It’), the dialogue between Bassanio and Portia (in the scene ‘in "the "Merchant of . Venice" where Bassanio makes his fateful choice of the caskets), and "Gloucester’s Wooing of Lady Anne (from "Richard III’). Mr. Byron Brown will also give a brief address on Shakespeare and England’s patron saint. The vocal items will include "I Know a Bank," "Where the Bee Sucks" (soprano solos by Miss Jeannette Briggs); a mezzo-coutralto solo by Miss Ngaire Coster, "Crabbed Age and Youth"; two tenor solos by Mr. Roy Hill, "© Mistress Mine" and "When I was a Tiny Little Boy"; a bass solo by Mr. J. M. Caldwell, ‘‘Blow, Blow, thou Winter Wind"; a duet, "Sigh no More, Ladies," by Messrs. Hill and Caldwell; and a quartet number, "How Sweet the Moonlight Sleeps." Mr. Byron Brown will also make a few brief explanatory remarks about each vocal and elocutionary turn before it is performed, The orchestral items will be the overture "Oberon" (by Weber), the suite "Othello" (by Coleridge Taylor), "The Merchant of Venice Suite" (by Rosse), and the overture to "The raid Wives of Windsor" . (by Nicolai ao