W.E.A. Syllabus of Talks

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 39, 8 April 1932, Page 21

W.E.A. Syllabus of Talks

. From 1YA BEGINNING on April 18 and 14, two series of four talks each will be broad east weekly from 1YA, as followe>-

‘Four Modern Poets" By Rev. W. Jellie, B.A. 1. Osbert Sitwell-An Aristocratie Satirist. 2. W. H. Davies-The Tramp Poet. 3. D. H. Lawrence-The Man who was Charged with Blasphemy. 4, Robert Bridges-The Testament of Beauty.

"The Modern Orchestra and Iis Instruments" By Mr. H. Hollinrake, M.A, 1. The String Instruments. 3 The Wood-wind Instruments, ’ The Brass Instruments. 4, The Percussion Instruments,

From 2YA.

"The Pleasures of Readings" By Mr. G. W. von Zedlitz, M.A. Thurs., April 14: 1 Introductory. Thurs., April 21: 2 The Modern Spirit. Thurs., April 28: 3 The Drama. Thurs. May 5: 4 Biography and History. Thurs. May 12 5 Fiction. Thurs., May 19: 6 Conclusion.

"The Earth and Man" By Mr. R. J. Waghorn, M.A. Sat., April 16: 1 Man’s Origin and Harly History. Sat., Awril 23: 2 Man’s Climatic Binvironment. Sat, April 80: S$ Discovering the Darth and Its Riches: Sat., May 7: 4 Our Shrinking World. Sat., May 14: 5 Population and Migration. Sat., May 21: 6 The Future. .

The speakers have expressed their willingness to answer, as far as possible, any questions addressed to them. by listeners on points arising out of their talks. An outline of the first talk in each of the series from 1YA appears below. Osbert Sitwell-Aristocratic Satirist. t. No.community is ever without satire in some form. Satire is born of 2 hate, which is the reverse side of love. It attacks, sometimes individuals, mostly moral or social conditions, with the weapons of laughter, ridicule and scorn. With an ideal vision it is destructive and purging. 2. Osbert Sitwell’s hatred arose (1) out of the war. He was 22 in 1914, and, like most of the young poets who survived its opening years, revolted against its stupidities, sufferings, ugliness and brutality at home and abroad. But (2) his mood of dissatisfaction had begun before the war. Its origin lay in the aristocratic conditions of his childhood and youth. The society in which he moved impressed him ag narrow, ignorant, conventional He had become a criti¢ of the manners and outlook of his own aristocracy. 8. The title of his first volume of poems, "Argonaut and Juggernaut" (1919), indicates the double side to the satirist’s nature-a passionate search for beauty and a hatred that would destroy. 4, These two moods will be illustrated so long as time permits, and a word | of explanation will be added concerning his free verse. The String Group. 1. Instruments contained in the String Group: Violins, violas, violincello double basses. By means of a gramophone record each of these instruments wilt be heard separately and their tone quality recognised. 2. Capabilities ot Stringed Instruments. ssentially instruments of melody -can move with greatest rapidity---player can pluck the strings ("pizzicato’’?)can play two melodies simultaneously ("double-stopping"). INustrated by vio lin on gramophone record, 8. Construction of Stringed Instruments. Construction compared with human voice. Control of bow is_like control of breath-vibration of strings is like vibration of vocal chords. Resonance provided by body of violin, compared with resonance in head when singing. In the string choir the first and second violins are sopranos and contraltos, violas are tenors, ‘cellos are basses. . & History of Stringed Instruments. Ancestors, the viols of Blizabethan period. 5. Use of the Stringed Group in Orchestral Music. A series of examples from orehestral compositions will be provided by gramophone records. These illustrations reveal the actual use of each instrument by great composers in their orchestral music.