The Foundations of English Music
Under the direction of Sir RiCHARD RUNCIMAN TERRY
Seventeenth Century Songs
Sung by JOHN ARMSTRONG (tenor)
During the latter half of the seventeenth century the Playford family was responsible for the publication of practically all the English music printed during that period. John Playford , starting as a bookseller, published his first musical work, ' The English Dancing Master', in 1651. From that year onwards his publications were *of the greatest value to English music, the history and importance of which are associated as much with the name of I honest' John Playford as of anybody's living at that time
John died in 1686 and had, therefore, time to publish such of Purcell's music as saw print in the years before that date ; and it is quite in the spirit of the times that Purcell should have commemorated his death with. a piece of music specially written for the occasion.
This Pastoral Elegy is as appropriate a tribute as Purcell could have made, for amongst other things we are deeply indebted to Playford for his preservation of the great wealth of Country Dances, Airs and Ballads of the English people. The collection of tunes in Playford's ' The English Dancing Master' is immortal, and almost every English composer who has since his time set
, pen to music paper has, on some occasion or another, made use of the wonderful material contained in Playford's famous volume.

Contributors

Unknown:: Sir Richard Runciman
Tenor:: John Armstrong
Unknown:: John Playford
Unknown:: John Playford

Source: Radio Times

19:30

Famous Trials-4

National Programme

Fri 7^th Dec 1934, 19:30 on National Programme Daventry

View in Radio Times

The Tragical History of The Honourable John Byng , Esquire
Admiral of the Blue being
A True Account of the Famous Sea-fight off Minorca in 1756, the loss of that island, and the trial and death of the British Commander
The Cast includes
Anthony Ellis , Ewart Scott , Edward Craven , Harold Clayton , Percy Rhodes , Harcourt Williams , John Cheatle , Victor Fairley , Philip Wade , Charles Lefeaux , Louis Goodrich , Henry Hal latt, Norman Shelley , Gordon McLeod , 1 Charles Mason , Ruth Anderson ,
Philip Desborough , Muriel Taylor , Naomi Ludolf , Margaret Blackwood , A. J. Denton , James Pearce , S. H. Culley , Rollo Gamble and Eric Lugg
Reconstructed by ANTHONY L. ELLIS
Production by VAL GIELGUD
When The King's Tryall was broadcast in February it was realised that a new medium of dramatic expression had been found for the microphone. Here in the realism of the Court-room, the echo of hoofs in Whitehall, the stamp of feet in the corridors, was drama all the more real and tense because it was based on facts and not conceived in fiction. The human story of a man who lived and died, the actual words he spoke, the way he faced his judges and executioners, held listeners as perhaps no radio drama had ever done before.
The Trial and Execution of Charles I was followed in May by ' The Trial of Simon, Lord Lovat', and in July by that of Richard Hathaway , and the good opinion of this new form of drama was confirmed.
Tonight's broadcast differs from the Trials that have preceded it in that it is not confined to the Court Martial. It is given in four main scenes : i, Byng setting out; 2, The battle; 3. The Court Martial ; 4, The execution. It is the first of the Trials to be produced by the Drama Director, and another point of interest is that the author of the script will play Admiral Byng.