Religion in China

Press, 10 December 1981, Page 19

Religion in China

Listening

Since the fall of the Gang of Four there has been a new spirit of freedom in China. This freedom is found in political life, in fashion and pop. music and in freedom of religious belief. Signs of religious ' revival are found everywhere — from the mosques of the ancient silk route s to the Buddhist, temples of the south and the Christian churches of Shanghai. Philip Short, former 8.8. C. correspondent in Peking, looks at the reasons behind this .revival of interest in religion. (Concert radio, 9.08 tonight.) Has the regime really changed or are the new policies just a shortterm tactic? Are religious belief and Communist Chinese ideology reconcilable? Melos Quartet The Melos Quartet of Stuttgart, recorded at a Wellington concert during their New Zealand tour, play the Brahms String Quartet in C minor, Op 51. Concert, 7.20 p.m. N.Z. poetry “The Child as the Cause” is the third of a brief series of

New Zealand poetry programmes. Louis Johnson reads a selection of - poems about his children from the perspectives of both young and middle-aged fatherhood. Concert, 8.15 p.m.

D. H. Lawrence

Lawrence’s story, “In Love,” dramatised for radio by Bill Baer, is this week’s contribution to the current Concert Programme “D. H. Lawrence Season,” at 4 p.m. tomorrow. It is 1927 and Joe is madly in love with Hester who is “absolutely divine?.’ But Hester finds his spooning the most dreadful bore: “I could stand him all right till he started being in love with me— now he’s simply out of the question.” What is a girl to do?

‘Time for Music’

“Time for Music”features music about voices: songs and arias such as “Voices of Spring,” “Una Voce Poco fa,” and “My Heart at thy Sweet Voice” from Saint-Saens “Samson and Delilah.” Also included is a Concerto for Voice and Orchestra by the Russian, Reinhold Gliere. National, 7.30 p.m. tomorrow.