A programme for children under five
Nursery rhymes, stories, and music
'How many of your listeners,' asks the mother of a five-year-old girl, 'put words to your signature tune?' The answer, it seems, is quite a number! The little girl in question made up her version twelve months ago and has sung it ever since. A four-year-old boy sets these opening chimes to the words story-time, 'which,' writes his mother 'involves adding an extra note on the end so that he can finish "Story-time"!' Another little girl makes up her own programmes. She sits at the piano 'playing' the tune, and chanting 'Quarter to, quarter to, quarter to, quarter to, quarter to, quarter to, one, two.' But whether these opening chimes do or do not incite our under-fives to versification, their familiarity provokes instant recognition and the anticipation of fifteen minutes of eagerly-awaited pleasure. Familiarity has created much affection, too. for the piano duet that daily closes our programme,' and here for the benefit of numerous enquirers is the information for which we are so constantly asked - this closing music is the 'Berceuse,' the first movement of the suite called 'Dolly,' by Gabriel Faure.
(Elizabeth A. Taylor)