Speechification

The ‘Summer Season’ on ABC Radio National - for it is summer down here below the equator, hello! - essentially means a chance to repeat a load of old shows while everybody goes on holiday. Which is fine by me. This show’s had a little bit more effort applied, though. They’re lovingly compiled finds from deep, deep in the archive.

‘Scope’ was a magazine show, running from 1958 to early 1976, “under the guidance of ‘frequently-dishevelled, wild-eyed’ producer, Donald Ingram-Smith” it says here. Each week tackled a particular theme, and rather delightfully this show from 1967 focused on ‘Communication’ itself. Stand by for lots of rapid-fire cut-up fragments, talk of Telstar, the bleep-bloop of barely digital computers, and some great, groovy library music. These semi-nostalgic ‘reviews’ are set up by one of the show’s original presenters, Barry Anthony, who has an absolutely corking radio voice (here, simply drenched in reverb for maximum effect). Honestly, it’s so dated that you wander whether it is in fact some kind of elaborate hoax. Let’s assume it isn’t. It both serves as self-parody and is good value either way.

The Night Air: Reviewing Scope: Communication (mp3)

Tell me you don’t hear the tiniest trace of disdain in James Naughtie’s voice as he walks us through a motley parade of 1960s post-serialists and proto-minimalists. I think he’d really rather be telling us about Verdi or Mozart. Fascinating series, though (Real, MP3), and the music which goes out straight afterwards on Radio 3 (Real, MP3) is beautiful and surprising.