ROBERT EASTON (Bass)
ALEXANDER MOSKOWSKY (Violin)
THE WIRELESS MILITARY BAND :
Conducted by B. WALTON O'DONNELL
OLDER listeners whoso memories of Covent
Garden Opera go back to the closing years of last century, will have no need to be reminded of Mancinelli. He made his first appearance there as conductor in 1888, and in the following years often filled that important post with conspicuous success. Ho was one of those who had the good luck to be promoted from the ranks, and the ability to profit by the chance which came to him. As a young man ho was principal violoncellist in tho Apollo Opera House in Rome ; on one occasion a sudden accident left the Opera without a conductor and Mancinelli was asked to step into the broach. His conducting of Aida was so brilliant that aisuccessful career was immediately assured for him.
Besides his appearances in London, he conducted in many other of tho world's famous theatres, and produced his own music in this country as elsewhere. Though most of it has fallen into some neglect, it was warmly acclaimed in its own day, as listeners who hear this bright and bustling Overture will have no difficulty in believing.
For 5.15-8.45 Programmes see opposite page
by the Rev. J. E. Levo, S.P.G.
Between the Atlantic and the Caribbean, two of the most romantic seas in literature, lie the Virgin Islands, about which Mr. Levo will talk this afternoon. Set right in the centre of the seas the buccaneers sailed, they abound in names smacking of piratical days - Beef Island, Salt Island, Hell Gate, and, almost incredibly, across Drake's Channel lies the island called Dead Man's Chest.
The buccaneers have left their mark on the people as well as on the map; the inhabitants of the islands are seamen of the most daring, achieving feats of incredible courage amongst their squally seas; and one can meet law-abiding citizens with names that take one back to the wildest days of the Spanish Main.
In contrast to all this, the islands today present a purely idyllic picture of untroubled peace. Mr. Levo will describe the charm of living in a place where the doors of the solitary gaol stand open all day; where there are no politics, no crime and no news. And he will pay a tribute to the inhabitants, a pleasant, kindly people, with their queer mixture of "slave and Quaker and pirate blood."
ESTHER, Chap. vi, 1-14 and Chap. vii
1-10
IT is a curious fact thnt the name of God is not mentioned in the book of Esther.
It contains little or no religious writing, but deals historically with events occurring during the reign of Ahasuerus or Xerxes King of. Persia, the outcome of which was the emancipation of the Jews held in captivity by him.
A certain Haman was Grand Vizier at the tune, and the edict went forth that every one should bow down before him...
Now Esther the Queen was herself a Jewess, niece of one of the exiles named Mordicai, who, since he had revealed a' plot against the King's life, sat daily at the King's gate. But because he was a Jew, he refused to do homage to Haman.
This filled Haman with anger, and he swore enmity against all Jews, and the destruction of Mordicai.
Indeed, he went so far as to prepare a gallows fifty cubits high on which to hang this insolent man who refused to obey the Royal decree.
This afternoon's reading relates how Esther with the assistance of Mordicai accomplished the downfall of Haman, so that lie himself was hanged on the gallows he had made.
The last chapters of the book tell of the deliverance of the Jews, who were allowed to slay their enemies for two days.
' WEINEN, KLAGEN, SORGEN, ZAGEN '
(Wailing, crying, mourning, sighing)
Relayed from the Guildhall School of Music
NELLIE WALKER (Contralto)
HUBERT EISDELL (Tenor)
FRANKLYN KELSEY (Bass).
JOHN FIELD (Oboe)
LESLIE WOODGATE (Organ) :
THE WIRELESS CHORUS and The WIRELESS ORCHESTRA
(Trumpet, Bassoon, Oboe and Strings) Conducted by STANFORD ROBINSON
(For the words of the cantata sea page 514.)
Relayed from St. David's College, Lampeter
S.B. from Swansea
St. David's College celebrated its centenary on October 11, 1927. The Archbishop of Canterbury was present and the Archbishop of Wales preached at the centenary service.
Hymn, 'Hail! Gladdening Light- (A. and M., No. 18)
General Confession
Prayer
The Lord's Prayer
Versifies
Psalm 62
Lesson - Romans xii
The Magnificat
Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent
Prayers and Intercessions
Hymn, ' The King of Love my Shepherd is' (A. and M., No. 197)
Address by the Rev. Canon Maurice Jones, D.D. (Principal of the College)
Hymn, 'Sweet Saviour in Thy Pitying Grace' (A. and M., No. 490)
The Benediction
A hundred years of Welsh history are enshrined in the records of the College from which a service will be Broadcast tonight. The College was founded October 11, 1527, and when it held its centenary celebrations the Archbishop of Canterbury was present, and the centenary sermon was preached by the Archbishop of Wales. Forty years earlier another Archbishop of Canterbury laid the foundation stone of the building that still bears his name - a pleasant, dignified block that, like most of the College buildings, recalls one of tho Oxford Colleges. It is not an inappropriate resemblance, for St. David's College is not a theological college in the ordinary sense; although it was founded for the training of Ordination candidates, it holds University status by Royal Charter, and it can confer degrees. Another interesting feature of its constitution is that it is open to all, without distinction of creed.
(For 8.45 to 10.30 Programme opposite page)
Appeal on behalf of the Poor Out-Patients' Department of the Royal Veterinary College, by Professor F.T.G. Hobday, C.M.G., F.R.C.V.S., F.R.S.E., Principal of the College
The foundation of the Royal Veterinary College, London, in 1791, may be said to mark the beginning of serious veterinary science in England. Before that time, the care of animals was left to all kinds of quacks, and the remedies they prescribed varied between the ready application of red-hot irons and the internal administration of live frogs. Everyone knows how things have changed since then, and much of the credit for the change is due to the College, for which an appeal is being broadcast tonight. As the bulk of its buildings date back to its foundation, the need for rebuilding has become very great.
Contributions should be addressed to Professor Hobday, at [address removed].
JOHN THORNE (Baritone)
THE WIRELESS STRING ORCHESTRA
Conducted by JOHN ANSELL
Bourrée, Andante, Menuett and Rondo
Max Brauer
The Carman's Whistle (William Byrd (1542-1623, arr. Granville Bantock )
THE name of our great old English composer, William Byrd, has appeared most often on wireless programmes of part songs, Glees, and Madrigals. Vocal music formed a very large part of his output, although he left instrumental music too, particularly collections for the Virginal, one of the little ancestors of the pianoforte. But he was keenly interested in singing, and anxious that singing should be cultivated for its own sake. In the preface to one of his best-known collections of part songs, published, as the title page shows, 'For the recreation of all such as delight in Musicke,' he gives eight 'reasons briefly set downe by th'auctor to perswade euery one to learne to singe.' These included such thoroughly wholesome sentiments as: 'The exercise of singing is delightfull to Nature, and good to preserue the health of Man.'
'There is not any Musicke of Instruments whatsoeuer, comparable to that which is made of the voyces of Men, where the voyces are good, and the same well sorted and ordered.'
'The better the voyce is, the meeter it is to honour and serue God there-with: and the voyce of man is chiefely to be imployed to that ende. Since singing is so good a thing, I wish all men would learne to singe.'.
His old tune, known as The Carman's Whistle, has been deftly arranged for strings in five parts by Professor Granville Bantock. It is an eminently simple little tune, obviously English, and closely akin to many of the folk songs and folk dance tunes which listeners have heard. In this arrangement it is presented with several changes of mood, but with the tune running distinctly through each.
THIS is not by any means the first occasion on which listeners have had a chance of hearing the chamber music of Alfred M. Wall. He has also taken part himself in chamber music programmes, as violinist. A distinguished student of the Royal College of Music in London, he has been a Professor at the Newcastle Conservatoire of Music for a good many years, and has done notable work in that city too as a director of its chamber concerts.
MARCO ENRICO BOSSI is an organist of world-wide reputation, and one of the most important figures in the Italian music of the present day. He was one of the first Italian composers to desert the old tradition of Opera for the realm of symphony and concert music.
(Solo Violin, S. KNEALE KELLEY )
(Details of the Epilogue will be found