IN the Colonial Song, the Australian-born
Percy Grainger has told us, he has undeavoured to express some of the feelings aroused by the contemplation of the varied scenes of his native country.
LAURENCE BINYON , reading some of his own poetry
MR. LAURENCE BINYON is one of those fortunate poets who have another interest besides poetry ; this being, according to man / authorities, the only way in which a poet can keep sane. He is Deputy-Keeper i the British Museum, where he is in charge of Oriental Prints and Drawings, and his expert knowledge of Oriental art has found expression in several books, besides probably helping his appreciation of the genius of William Blake, on whom he is one of the best commentators. His own poems and plays include 'Atila,' ' 'Sakuntala,' 'The New World,' ' The Four Years,' and ' Boadicea.'
THE Arabesque of Debussy was originally a Piano piece belonging to his earlier period (1891, when he was still under thirty). The word 'Arabesque ' refers to the fantastic intertwining of lines and alternations of colour in Arab architectural decoration, and Schumann, Debussy, and others have, in a fanciful way, applied the term to a certain light-fingered and delicately shaded type of music.
THE last piece of the group is an exciting
Russian national dance by Moussorgsky, the ex-army officer, one of the ' Five ' who gave a new trend to Russian music after the middle of last century.