from Restaurant Frascati

Mr. GERALD GOULD and Miss MARY SOMERVILLE, Reading and Writing '

A. BONNET LAIRD, ' Merrie England '

relayed from the New Gallery Kinema

'The Coming of Blairo' (H. Mortimer Batten ) ; ' FIGHTING THE FOG,' a chat about Railways, by CECIL J. ALLEN ; Songs by VIVIEN LAMBELET

directed by SIDNEY FIRMAN

by the Royal Horticultural Society

FIRST GENERAL NEWS BULLETIN
Lieut. -Col. W. P. DRURY , 'Historical Sketches -Sea Captains and the King.' S.B. from Plymouth

' Our Economic Difficulties '
MR. MONROE, the Premier of Newfoundland, came to England as the chief delegate of this, the oldest Dominion, to the Imperial Conference.

with HELEN HUNTER and her Ukulele

Act II. Performed by the BRITISH NATIONAL OPERA COMPANY
Relayed from the Opera House, Manchester
TANNHÄUSER is founded on an old German legend of the adventures of a thirteenth-century minstrel-a ' Minnesinger,' or ' Knight of Song.' He spends some time in dissipation at the Court of Venus, but presently grows tired of her enchantments. He returns to his fellow men, and learns that his old love, Elisabeth, niece of the Landgrave (or Prince), continues to mourn his absence.
The SECOND ACT takes place in the Hall of Song at the Castle of Wartburg. ELISABETH (Soprano) enters and greets the hall as the scene of Tannhauser's former triumphs of song.
WOLFRAM (Baritone) brings Tannhauser (Tenor) to her ; she asks him where he has been. but he can only reply evasively. He assures her of his love, and they sing a joyful duet.
The LANDGRAVE (Bass) enters, and tells Elisabeth that he intends to make her hand the prize at the contest of song. Now the Knights and Ladies of the Court assemble to the famous March. The Landgrave addresses them, explaining that the subject of the minstrels' impromptu songs is to be ' The Nature of Love.' The Knights draw lots to decide who shall begin. Wolfram sings of noble and spiritual love, but when Tannhauser's turn comes, he loses control of himself, and sings a wild song in praise of Venus. The Landgrave and the Knights are incensed, and would kill the impious Tannhäuser. but Elisabeth, grieving at his downfall, begs them to spare him. At this point, from the valley are heard the voices of the Pilgrims, on their way to Rome. The Landgrave enjoins the erring Knight, as a penance, to go with them, and seek the forgive. ness of the Pope. The Act ends with Tannhauser's sad departure on his pilgrimage.

Miss SYLVIA TOWNSEND-WARNER reading ENGLISH BALLADS
MISS SYLVIA TOWNSEND-WARNER, who, in this recital, is to show that the old
English Ballads have been rather unfairly neglected in favour of the Scottish, is the author of ' Lolly Willowes,' a fantastic novel that aroused much interest when it appeared early in the year. She has since published a book of poems under the pleasant title of ' The Espalier.'

PIANO DUETS interpreted by CECIL Dixon and V. HELY HUTCHINSON
Landler Dances. French Divertissement
SCHUBERT wrote a great many dances of various kinds, many of them for his friends to dance to at festive evenings. He was a sociable soul, and delighted to join in such jollifications, being always ready to sit down at the Piano and strike up a tune. The Landler was one of the national dances popular in Austria, Bavaria and the neighbouring parts of Europe. It was a kind of homely waltz, simple and graceful, that often had a vocal accompaniment.
There are among Schubert's duets several ' Divertissements ' or Fantasias on French airs, most of them including some easily-followed varied presentations of the tunes selected for treatment, and all of them providing plenty of fun for the players. It appears that he discovered the airs in a book of manuscript music that he came across while on a visit to a country house in 1818.

'Companionable Books:
Pepys's Diary '
PEPYS'S famous Diary is the most prominent example of the ' freak' literary master-piece. The whole story of the Diary is most romantic. This purely private journal, in which an outwardly very respectable Civil Servant. and afterwards Secretary of the Admiralty. recorded every detail of his personal and official life-a journal so private that it was written throughout in a secret cipher-lay in the library at Magdalene College. Cambridge, from his death in 1703 until 1825, when it was deciphered. published, and discovered to be both a rich and, humorous human document, and a most enlightening comentary on the public history of the day. Since then it has become one of the best-known books in the language, and, in particular, Pepys's characteristic phrase, ' And so to bed,' has become a household word-to say nothing of the fact that it is at the moment being used as the title of a successful London play.

SECOND GENERAL NEWS BULLETIN Local
Announcements .

The Kutcher String Quartet:
Samuel Kutcher (1st Violin), George Whitaker (2nd Violin), James Lockyer (Viola), Ambrose Gauntlett (Violoncello)
Assisted by Charles Draper (Clarinet)

The life of Hugo Wolf was subject to violent storms. He had a very highly-strung nature, and died insane whilst still young. He wrote a great quantity of songs, most of his compositions being done at white-heat, in a great access of creative force. Wolf seems to have been much in sympathy with Italy, for he set many typical Italian poems, besides writing this Italian Serenade for String Quartet, a vivid, attractive piece which fully justifies its title.

Quartet assisted by Charles Draper
Allegro energico; Larghetto affectuoso ; Scherzo, allegro leggiero; Finale, allegro agitato. (First Broadcast)