Radio Diary

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 19

Radio Diary

With International Women’s Day to be celebrated next Friday, the Concert Programme’s daily feature, “Composers) of the Week,” is given over to a selection of works by women composers, ranging from the Abbess Hildergard of Bingen (twelfth century) to the New Zealander, Jenny McLeod. In the introductory talk at 10.05 a.m. on Sunday (repeated at 7.30 p.m.) William Dart, of Auckland, discusses the music of a number of women composers. The series continues on week day mornings at 9.05. “With Great Pleasure” (tomorrow, Concert, 11.05 a.m.) features Harry Secombe’s choice of prose and poetry. Secombe and his son, Andrew, read excerpts from works by Dylan Thomas, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen, William McGonagall, Ogden Nash, Charles Dickens, and Spike Milligan. The book spot on National Radio (10.40

p.m.) is occupied by short stories for the next two days. This evening’s offering is “A Stitch in Time,” by G. W. Hitchcock; tomorrow 1 “A Gentler Touch,” by Marie Dale, can be heard. Both are Radio New Zealand productions. This will be followed on Monday by the first reading of a four-part 8.8. C. series, “Home Before Night,” humorous autobiographical sketches by the Irish playwright, Hugh Leonard. The reader is T. P. McKenna. The Sunday afternoon play on National Radio (3 p.m.) is Paul Thain’s award winner, “The Biggest Sandcastle in the World.” Three redundant workmen on Tyneside reminisce about the good old days. A memory of childhood trips to the seaside prompts them to build a sandcastle which will get into the record books as the biggest in the world. Their project attracts publicity — and trouble when the authorities hear about it —John Hickey.