NEXT WEEK’S RADIO

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25282, 6 September 1947, Page 7

NEXT WEEK’S RADIO

THE DIRECTOR WRITES A LETTER With the three thousand or so others who attended the last concert of the National Orchestra’s first season—in rhe Wellington Town Hall three weeks ago—l received a letter from the Director of Broadcasting. The letter was inside the programme, so there wasn’t l he unfailing pleasure of the postman’s whistle—merely a slight twinge of curiosity. Typewritten? No, typewriter type; printed. That meant a block for the signature. Out of 3000 people there were probably a few simple ones who thought the letter was real. A pity to spoil the ship for a hap’orth of blue ink. If they’d made tw’o runs and used blue ink for the signature it would have looked even realer. Dear Listener, the letter began, and continued to mention the coming visit of the American violinist Isaac Stern; Mr Goossens was quoted in praise, a prophecy was made, and a list of concert dates was given, underlined. “I have no hesitation in commending to you this brilliant artist,” the Director typed. I set my mind steadily against the prejudice that reared its wayward head at me as I read this too much protesting page. Wait and hear, I told myself. There’s more than a week of waiting yet; but in the meantime I’m listening to recordings of Isaac Stern’s playing. Next week such records can be heard from 4YO on. Wednesday evening and from 3YA on Sunday afternoon (September 14). This evening 3YL will broadcast the Mendelssohn. Concerto in E Minor (Isaac Stern and N.B.C. symphony orchestra), which will be the main item in Stern’s first concert in New Zealand. PURCELL OPERA

The jewel of English opera (at least up to the time of “Hugh the Drover"), Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas.” will be broadcast'by 3YA to-morrow evening. It seems that this opera was written for the young gentlewomen of a boarding school directed by Josias Priest. The libretto was written by Nahum Tate and the first performance was about 1689, apparently by the young gentlewomen themselves. I wish 1 could slip back and see the performance; but that’s the only reason I can think of off-hand for wanting to be alive in that particular year. HUNGRY ENGLAND

The 8.8. C. presentations of Dickens characters, heard from 2YA or 2YC on Wednesday evenings, have the effect on me—and on others I know—of making me calculate how I can arrange to send more food parcels away. Last week's miserable picture of Wackford Squeers and Miss Squeers dehydrating their pathetic little charges was surely as potent propaganda in September, as it bas ever been in the past, simply because it gave so clear a picture of young boys suffering from hunger. The connecting remarks in these presentations are made by V. C. Clinton Baddeley (the friend of Yeats in his last period, best known for his 8.8. C. talks, later amplified and published in book form, on “Words and Music”). The extracts for quotation are excellently chosen and are spoken by good players. Next week: Mr Pecksniff.

Apart from the various other 8.8. C. Dickens readings to be heard from one station Or another, all well worth hearing if you have the time, there is one studio reading that should be mentioned for next week—Professor T. D. Adams presenting Sheridan’s “The Rivals” from 4YA next Friday evening, September 12—a chance to meet Mrs Malaprop. GRACIE BACK FROM CAPRI

The one sure-fire way of making me listen to a programme with a name like “Variety Magazine” is to tell me that Gracie* Fields will be singing two New Zealand songs in it; but once she has sung them I don’t expect to find time to listen to the programme on the off-chance of hearing her again. Others may care to, however. The programme is from 2YA on Saturday evenings—when these Saturday evenings are not occupied with The Competitions. It has not been announced that Gracie will be rebroadcasfc in this programme again, but it seems likely. The good news is that she is back on the 8,8. C. again. Films and journeys have kept her away for four years, not that I have any objection, since both Gracie and the films came to New Zealand. When she was here she seemed to be fairly sure that she was going home to Capri for a long holiday and no more films. Now it is clear she has gone right back to hard work, in the same old atmosphere of hard work, to be the star in the new programmes called “Gracie’s Working Party,” with workers from factories and mills and houses. I don’t know how soon, or how late sooner or later will be; but sooner or later these programmes will be heard here. Well, they’re surely worth waiting for. SOLDIER ON INDIA

Those to whom India is a complicated subject, even after the dozen or so talks given from various stations lately, may be glad to tune to any main national station or to 3ZR next Tuesday morning in the Correspondence School session to hear what Lieuten-ant-Colonel T. Orde Lees has to say about “Life in India.” I haven’t ever heard him speak about India, but I have heard him speak about other countries; and I fee] comfortably sure that his 10 minutes will be very energetically and enthusiastically filled | with good plain statements, the result of observations made with sharp and unweary eyes. You may find that this soldier speaks in a slightly too slow and deliberate manner for an adult audience; but I think many of our rise and-fall, brightness-is-all patterers would come to no harm if they took a lesson or two from him. Blessed thought: spoke in the Colonel’s low gear they’d be forced to leave out a few words in the patter every now and again. Boyd Neel’s third talk, on musical festivals, will be heard from 2YA next Friday evening. (It begins after the stock market report and so does not conflict with Professor Adams’s 4YA reading, which follows the 9 o’clock news.) . Alan Mulgan’s talks entitled The Making of a New Zealander,” heard from IYA on Monday evenings, are scheduled to begin from 3YA to-mor-row afternoon, and to continue on following Sunday afternoons. No, I do not call myself a detective, and I don’t intend to listen to any more of that silly 8.8. C. twaddle on Wednesday evenings from 2YA.