A prose anthology compiled by Basil Taylor and read by Mary O'Farrell and Charles E. Stidwill

A panorama of Aristophanic comedy written and produced by Louis MacNeice
Special music by Antony Hopkins
Choruses sung by the London Singers
This programme pays homage to a master of mockery and fantasy: illustrating his genius with scenes from most of his extant plays, including The Wasps, The Clouds, the Peace, The Birds, and the Lysistrata. From these emerge some striking parallels to our modern world. Aristophanes wrote most of his comedies during a bitter war and remained throughout an enemy of cant, stupidity, and selfish imperialism

Joan Cross (soprano)
Margaret MacArthur (contralto)
Rene Soames (tenor)
Trevor Anthony (bass)
Thornton Lofthouse (harpsichord)
Cyril Gell (organ)
BBC Chorus
(Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate )
BBC Symphony Orchestra (Led by Thomas Peatfield )
Conducted by Sir Adrian Boult
Part 1
(Parts 4 and 5)

A short account by John Heath -Stubbs of the poetical works of Ann Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661-1720). Readers, Joan Matheson , Kathleen Michael , and William Trent. Produced by E. J. King Bull

Part 2

Matyas Seiber talks about Bartok's string quartets

London String Trio:
Maria Lidka (violin), Watson Forbes (viola), Vivien Joseph (cello)
Peter Stadlen (piano)
BBC Singers:
Margaret Rees , Margaret Godley , Maude Baker , Margaret Rolfe , William MacMillan , Emlyn Bebb , Stanley Riley , Leonard Hubbard
Conducted by Cyril Gell

A topical pantomime written and produced by Michael Barsley , with music by Roy Douglas
Other parts played by Lucille Lisle , Charles Maunsell , and Arthur Ridley BBC Revue Orchestra and BBC Revue Chorus, conducted by Frank Cantell