Relayed from the National Museum of Wales
National Orchestra of Wales

Happiness came to Beethoven when, in 1806, he became engaged to the Countess Therese of Brunswick. The engagement, alas, came to nothing in the end, but for the time being the Composer was in bliss; and this Symphony, written soon after that happy period began, was surely affected by his joyful feelings, for it is one of the most exhilarating of all the nine Symphonies.
It is in four Movements.
First Movement. A slow Introduction precedes the lively Movement, whose first main tune is heard on Strings and answered by Woodwind. The second main tune is a rustic little phrase in Bassoon, then Oboe, then high up in the Flute, which prolongs the Tune.
This leads into other tunes-first a boisterous one, then a quiet, conversational one in Woodwind. There is still more material, but this is the most important, and rules a delightful piece in which some attractive novelty is for ever cropping up.
Second Movement. This is in strict 'Sonata' form. It opens with a sustained, song-like first main tune in Strings. This is repeated by Woodwind, with decoration in Violins and pizzicato (plucked) accompaniment in the lower Strings. Afterwards, something of a climax is developed by full Orchestra. When this dies down, the Clarinet gives out the second main tune, another song-like melody. There is a soft string accompaniment. After this there is a very brief development section, followed by a regular recapitulation of the two main tunes.
Third Movement. A gay Minuet (with the usual 'Trio' as contrast in the middle) needs no special description. For once, however, Beethoven, after repeating his Minuet, gives both Minuet and Trio again, making a five-section piece.
Fourth Movement. A glorious bit of the cheeriest Beethoven, this, woven out of the usual two main tunes (first going off at once, and second entering, after a full orchestral climax and a dying down of the excitement, quietly and expressively.)

(to 14.00)

Frank Thomas (Violin); Ronald Harding (Violoncello); Hubert Pengelly (Pianoforte)

The two Trios which Mendelssohn wrote for Piano, Violin and 'Cello do not rank among his most famous works, but they are admirable examples of his sincerity and tunefulness, and every Movement in them is put together with great accomplishment.
The First Movement of the C Minor Trio (the Composer's Op. 66, dedicated to Spohr) has capital vigour and good tunes.

Relayed to Daventry Experimental

National Orchestra of Wales

German's Rhapsody, first produced at the Cardiff Festival of 1904, is built in four sections, roughly corresponding to the four Movements of a Symphony, though it has not quite the close development of themes which generally characterizes such a work.
The March is the Last Movement of the Rhapsody. It is founded on The Men of Harlech, fragments of which tune are heard from here, there and everywhere in the Orchestra; then the whole tune is given out, still softly. The excitement is cleverly worked up, a subsidence for a few moments leading to a still bigger climax, when the whole Orchestra is soon glorying in the March. Then the pace quickens, and the end is reached in a magnificent outrush of triumphant joy.

J. Eddie Parry
An Interlude of Welsh Humour

Alwyn Jones
Penillion Singing on Welsh Traditional Airs

In his book of reminiscences: 'My Art and My Friends', Sir Frederick Cowen says of his 'Welsh' Symphony: 'I do not remember at the moment whether I gave it this title myself, but in any case it had a certain amount of Celtic flavour about it, and I expect its composition was not unconnected with the recollections of my rambles, my broken-down old piano, the hymn singing, and the honeymooners of two years before' (in the summer of 1882, when he had spent some weeks in Wales at a little country place called Tan-y-Bwlch).

(to 23.05)