NEXT WEEK’S RADIO

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25246, 26 July 1947, Page 7

NEXT WEEK’S RADIO

MAINLY ABOUT TALKS

Professor lan Gordon spent most of rhe last University summer vacation on a trip to Japan to lecture to men of the J-Force; on Monday next, July 28, he is to speak from 2YA in the Winter Course Talk series called “Our Pacific Neighbours.” The . particular neighbour he will talk about is Japan —a non-imperial Japan with an Emperor but no Empire. There will no doubt be a few hundred former J Force members among Professor Gordon’s listeners to-morrow evening, some of them ready to corroborate and others to contradict. As the purpose of the series is to enlarge the knowledge of New Zealandes of life and conditions in the countries bordering the Pacific, any argument that grows out of the talks is welcomed by those who have prepared them. Apathy signals New Zealand’s future danger; interest points a hope. WHOSE TITLE?

It may well be that Alan Mulgan’s new series of autobiographical talks (IYA, Mondays, 7 p.m.) will be the most successful yet recorded by the N.Z.B.S. If anyone should prepare good talks, it should be Alan Mulgan —lately supervisor of talks for the N.Z.8.5., author (“Golden’ Wedding,” “Spur of Morning,” “Home,” and history books), newspaper editor, and contributor for many years of Saturdays to the literary columns of various papers. He has also done a good deal of broadcasting. He was born in KatiKati and has lived in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. I was unable ip hear the first talk in the series from Auckland last Monday, but I hear warm reports from listeners who did hear it; I am sure that many listeners in the south as well as in the Wellington district will battle with the static rather than wait possibly months Uli the series moves south—as it will when 3YA and 4YA can find spaces for more talks. At this stage, I have one criticism only: the title, “The Making of a New Zealander,” is the title of the story I consider Frank bargeson s best, and no second-best m any company. For all I know it may be unoriginal even there; but I tnink it should not have been taken Sni v?f„ pro te rid ? on the air it will have with this series. BACK IN DUNEDIN

Warwick Braithwaite’s second conNational Orchestra in J^?^ edl n will be broadcast in full by 4YA on Tuesday evening. Two great TrhJril in v the Programme are the Tchaikovski sixth (“Pathetique”) symphony and Bach’s concerto for two violins and string orchestra. The two 11 be the leader of the T inricav a ’ o Vmcent Aspey. and Alex. Ll .P dsa y« 8 .young man who served w }J h the R.N.Z.N. during the war and FnSin J bat s P ent eight years in England studying the violin and latterly playing in the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

more talks Wabb ’ 8 ver y stimulating talks. ‘Women’s Affairs To-day,” have gone the rounds of most of the stations and are now on 2YH on Tuesday mornings; they have not yet been heard from 3YA or IYA and may be expected from those stations later. „, R ° ber . t Gibbings is at present in Wellington at work on a book, probably about some of the things he saw ba *°lj: water in the warmer areas of the Pacific during his recent island journeys. We are promised a Sunday evening talk from this candid Englishman some time in August. From various stations (2YA Tuesday evenings; 4YA Sunday afternoons) Douglas Cresswell’s recorded talks on historic New Zealand estates are heard. These make vivid use of their abundant information and have a buoyancy and an avuncular familiarity that seem to appeal to listeners, though I wonder if it always appeals to members of the families he talks about. BOOMERANG MUSIC

John Antill’s ballet suite ‘‘Corroboree” has been round the world from Sydney to London and back near home again in 8.8. C. recordings that will be heard from 2YC to-morrow evening at 9 o’clock. This should be an exciting half-hour—if reports on the music can be relied on. The suite, in four movements, is described by Sir Adrian Boult, who conducted the 8.8. C. Symphony Orchestra in the recorded performance, ’as an epitome ,of the ballet with necessary descriptions. To judge by the story of the ballet, the descriptions will help. Based on tribal dances of Australian aborigines, it is full of such characters (in paint, feathers, horns, and whiskers) as Witchetty Grub, Emu, Thippa Thippa, and Bull Roarer. The 8.8. C. sent but a

circular with the records, explaining that the work was discovered by Eugene Goossens during a tour of Australia a year or so ago, that he brought the score back to London with him and conducted the first performance, and that a ballet production is promised on the stage at Sadler’s Wells. It also explains that among the instruments in the augmented orchestra needed to play this work are a slapstick, a thunder-sheet, and a bullroarer. I imagine the bull-roarer is the type of thing still used, I believe, on the high country runs to call the cattle home—or to help extract wild beasts from precipitous gullies by working on their inquisitive ears: a horn through which the musterer blows a most moo-like and plaintive roar. Anyone who has ever heard such a horn will recognise it to-morrow evening, if it is among the instruments of the 8.8. C. Orchestra.