GERTRUDE JOHNSON (Soprano)
CEDRIC SHARPE (Violoncello)
THE WIRELESS MILITARY BAND
Conducted by B. WALTON O'DONNELL
THE SICILIAN VESPERS made its first appearance, in French, at the Paris Opera in 1855, two years after II Trovatore and La Traviata had appeared at Rome and Venice respectively. The libretto, by Scribe, deals with the massacre of the French invaders in Sicily while they were at vespers on Easter Monday, 1282. The tale is a thrilling one, if somewhat sanguinary, and the opera is full of Verdi's inimitable charm, so that it is a little difficult to understand why it has fallen into such neglect. The Overture, however, still holds a warm place in the affections of music lovers, and must be too well known to need very much in the way of description.
It begins with a slow introduction in which a menacing figure on drums and strings forms the accompaniment to a sad tune for woodwinds. The main part of the Overture, in Allegro agitato, begins with astrenuous figure suggestingstrifeand warfare ; this is succeeded, after a silent pau-e, by a violoncello solo, one of the Verdi melodies which an audience goes away humming to itself. It leads to a march tune beginning very softly and gaining in strength and vigour until we have again a stormy episode. The violoncello melody is repeated, this time with the assistance of clarinets, and with a fuller accompaniment than before being transferred a little later to the violins ,and a strenuous prestissimo brings the Overture to its close.
THE BEGGAR'S OPERA, as all have had opportunities of discovering for themselves, is very different from opera of the conventional order; it is peculiarly English in form. The tale is by Gay, and the music consists almost entirely of songs and ballads of that date (the first quarter of the eighteenth century), all of them of that popular order, which means that people hum and sing and whistle them as they go about. They were chosen because of their popularity, and fitted into the scheme of the opera by Dr. Christopher Pepusch , whose only original contribution to the work was the Overture. In the whole work there are some seventy such popular tunes of the day, some of which are still well enough known to be recognized even by those who have not heard the opera. It had a successful run when it was first performed at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in 1728 ; in a French version it was given in Paris in 1750.
by JOHN COATES (Tenor)
Old and Modern, Shakespeare Group
'The Marriage Ring,' a Sermon preached in the Chapel of Golden Grove by the Reverend JEREMY TAYLOR , D.D., future Bishop of Down and Connor
TWENTY years have elapsed since John Donne delivered his own funeral sermon. And in the firmament of English Eloquence his fervid brilliance has given place to a serener star.
The gulf of opinion fixed between Donne and Jeremy Taylor is best realized in their respective conceptions of death. Death for Donne had the positive terror of the mediaeval danse macabre, while for Taylor it was a negation, a gradual slowing down of life's momentum. But if Taylor was less mediteval than Donne, he was also more modern than his contemporaries. While Milton was defending Sectarianism and Rutherford writing against ' pretended liberty of conscience,' he was witnessing to the ' iniquity of persecuting differing opinions.'
The sermon on the Marriage Ring is one of that great Year of Sermons, which is Jeremy Taylor 's highest claim to eloquence. It was preached during the ten years of retirement at his patron Lord Carbery's seat of Golden Grove. In the comparative calm of that retreat
Jeremy Taylor produced his happiest and greatest work. And there, shielded from the blasts and counterblasts of passionate Sectarianism which followed the downfall of Archbishop Laud and the execution of Charles I, the flame of his sweet reasonableness burnt steadily and brightly.
(For 5.45-9.10 Programmes see opposite page)
'GELOBET SEI DER HERR, MEIN GOTT'
('I praise Thee evermore, my God') Relayed from the Guildhall School of Music
NOEL EADIE (Soprano)
ASTRA DESMOND (Contralto)
STUART ROBERTSON (Bass) LESLIE WOODGATE (Organ)
FRANK ALMGILL (Flute)
JOHN FIELD (Oboe d'Amour) S. KNEALE KELLEY (Violin)
THE WIRELESS ORCHESTRA (Trumpets, Tympani, Flutes, Oboes and Strings)
THE WIRELESS CHORUS
Conducted by STANFORD ROBINSON
THIS is one of a set of fifteen Chorale Cantatas composed somewhere between 1728 and 1734. Several of the fifteen have already been broadcast, so that listeners have learned something of the infinite variety which Bach could impart to different presentations of the same form. Each of the fifteen Cantatas is cast in very much the same mould, and yet each has a very definite character of its own. In all of them the chorale, which is its basis, is used in one way or another practically throughout, and in the opening chorus is usually given, as in this one, to the soprano voice. The other voices weave interesting parts about it and though the orchestral accompaniment is independent, it has always some kinship with the chorale melody itself.
A very rich and full accompaniment makes the final Chorale a truly impressive one,
English text by D. Millar Craig.
: Copyright British Broadcasting Corporation, 1929.
I.âChorus.
I praise Thee evermore, my God, My Light, my Life-breath, My Maker, 'tis from Thee
That flesh and Spirit cometh, My Father, Thou dost guard From childhood all life's day, And every passing hour
Dost bless me on my way.
II.âAria (Bass).
I praise Thee evermore, my
God, my Grace, my Life-breath
The Father's only Son, for me
Himself He giveth; .
Who by His precious blood, redeemed hath my Soul
And, one with Him in faith, hath sav'd and made me whole.
III.âAria (Soprano).
I praise Thee evermore, my
God, my Peace, my Life-breath,
The Father's Holy Ghost to me the Saviour giveth;
He doth my heart inspire, my failing strength renew,
And in my sorest need, He is my Helper true.
IV.âAria (Alto).
I praise Thee evermore, my
God Who ever livest,
Let all things praise Thee, all whose life and breath Thou eivest.
I praise Thee evermore, amid
Thy heav'nly Host,
The Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.
V.âChorale.
Now every heart and voice a glad Hosanna raises,
And as the heav'nly Host sing
Holy, Holy praises
So from Thy people still, our song shall rise to Thee ;
We praise Thee Lord our God through all Eternity.
Relayed from the United Free
Church Assembly Hall. S.B. from Edinburgh.
Chairman, His GRACE THE DUKE OF
Montrose. C.B., C.V.O.
Praise, Psalm 46, vv. 1-5. 'God is our refuge.'
Prayer by The Rt. Rev. THE MOD
ERATOR OF THE CHURCH OF SCOT
LAND.
Scripture Lesson. Ephesians 2, vv.
13—22. read by The Rt. Rev. The MODERATOR OF THE UNITED FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.
Address by The Most Rev. The
ARCHBISHOP OF UPSALA : ' The Church and the Nation.'
Praise, Psalm 102 (2nd Version), vv. 13-18. Thou shalt
Address by JOHN BUCHAN , Esq. :
' What the Union of the Churches will bring to Scotland.'
Praise, Psalm 126—' When Zioh's bondage God turned back.'
Benediction.
"RELAYS from the Annual Assemblies of the two Churches have become a regular feature in the Scottish programmes ; and this year, following upon the Scottish relays of a selection of the proceedings, the special service in which the two Churches are collaborating is being broadcast nationally. Among the speakers are Col. John Buchan , and Dr. Soderblom, Archbishop of Upsala and Primate of Sweden. It was in 1914 that Dr. Soderblom was called to the leadership of the Swedish Church. An untiring worker for Christian Unity, he has not only been one of the chief promoters of the J World Faith and Order Movement,' but also of the ' Life and Work Movement ' which held its 'International "Copec " Conference ' at Stockholm in 1925. He is a remarkable linguist and, in 1926, preached the opening sermon nt the Seventh Assembly of the League at Geneva. It is particularly apt that this cosmopolitan worker for Christian Unity should be associated with the two great Scottish Churches, which are shortly uniting.
(For 9.10-1030 Programmes see opposite page)
(London only)
Appeal on behalf of the Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund by Mr. R. HOLLAND-MARTIN , Vice-President
THE Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund was founded fifty-six years ago. In 1886 the amount received from congregations was more than £35,000; last year, although London's population has vastly increased and although five hundred more congregations made collections. no larger a sum was achieved. The reason is obvious. Forty years ago the week-end habit was scarcely known ; today, the Sunday exodus carries thousands into the country. Fortunate folk are these, but they should not forget, in the luxury of the health their week-ends bring them, those who-not from London only, but from all over England-come to the London hospitals in search of health.
Donations should be sent to [address removed].
THE WIRELESS ORCHESTRA
Leader, S. KNEALE KELLEY
Conducted by Sir HENRY WOOD
This Programme will be on the lines of a Popular Night of the 'Proms,' with which Sir Henry is uniquely and solely identified. It wiU include some of your favourite Promenade pieces, such as the third ' Brandenburg' Concerto and the ' Air on the G String' which originally occurred in Bach's Fourth Suite in D, and was not written for the G string at all-this was an after-thought of the violinist Wilhelmji. But the air is so heavenly, what does it matten?
' THE Sons OF THE RIGHTEOUS '
