Radio Catherine Woulfe
The Best of the Week
SATURDAY JANUARY 13
Storytime (RNZ National, 6.08am). It appears this line-up of children’s stories is timed to coincide with sunrise and, therefore, bounce-outof-bed time for kids all over the country. Thank you, O wise programmers. Today’s sleep-in (let’s be optimistic) is brought to you by such greats as Ginette McDonald and Barbara Else. It may be a better fit for older children – the various stories involve a forest fire and ghosts. Highlight: Pakaru Piano, written by Judith Holloway and read by Erina Daniels. Runs on Sunday, too.
SUNDAY JANUARY 14
The 3 O’Clock Drama (RNZ National, 3.04pm). A two-part story by Ingeborg Topsøe, Lost in Mexico follows two English backpackers, Rachel and Sally, who are about to head home from a trip to Central America when it all goes catastrophically wrong. Trying to pull an insurance scam, they tell police their camera has been stolen. A search of their hotel room says otherwise and the pair – neither of whom speaks Spanish – are dumped in jail. Their story soon hits the British tabloids, but will that help or hinder them?
Opera on Sunday (RNZ Concert, 6.00pm). Concert will be rolling out 22 operas performed this season at the Metropolitan Opera. Appropriately, first up is a special holiday version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, sung in English and slightly shorter than usual. It’s worth visiting the Met site (tinyurl. com/Mzflute) for a glimpse of the gorgeous spectacle that Julie Taymor set up for the stage. And the music? HannaElisabeth Müller is “silvery and lovely … ideally poignant … [with] pristine technique”, said reviewer Antoni Garcia. Charles Castronovo “bloomed” as her heroic young prince. Kathryn Lewek sings the Queen of the Night; Evan Rogister conducts.
FRIDAY JANUARY 19
Music Alive (RNZ Concert, 7.00pm). The Wellington Jazz Festival series continues with the Secret Islands Quintet at St Peter’s Anglican Church. Jim Langabeer, a jack-of-all-jazz and respected improv tutor, plays tenor sax, flute and taonga pūoro.
His daughter Rosie Langabeer, a lauded composer based in the US, plays piano. Roger Manins takes alto sax, Chris O’Connor drums and percussion, and Paul Dyne the double bass.