Radio & Television Broadcasts

This list does not include many talks for CKWS (Kingston, Ontario) and CFRC (Queen's University) radio.

The professional broadcasts listed below were preceded by three short radio talks:

  1. “Contemporary Canadian Poetry”. 5-minute contribution to a 30-minute CBC broadcast transmitted by short wave to England. Radio. 4 Nov 1947
  2. “Canadian Poetry.” CKWS. 30-minute talk. Radio. 30 Apr 1951
  3. “The Music of Poetry.” CKWS. 30-minute talk. Radio. 30 Sept 1951

Professional Broadcasts

  1. “Saying it in Verse.” CBC Trans-Canada Matinee. Six 15-minute poetry readings. Radio. 11 June to 16 July 1953.
  2. “An Introduction to Poetry.” CBC Wednesday Night. Four 30-minute talks, with poetry readings. Radio. 16, 23, 30 Sept to 7 Oct 1953.
  3. “The Tristan Legend.” CBC Wednesday Night. 15-minute introduction to Tristan and Yseult by John Reeves. Radio. 4 Nov 1953.
  4. “Death in the Barren Ground.” CBC Wednesday Night. 60-minute feature for 4 voices. Radio. 3 Mar 1954.
    1. 4A. A new production. CBC Wednesday Night. Radio. 30 June 1954. Honorable Mention in Ohio State Festival, Apr 1955. Endered in Italia Prize Competition. Sept 1955.
    2. 4B. CBC International Service. BBC rebroadcast (date unknown); Michigan State University FM. Radio. 14 Dec 1957; &c.
    3. 4C. A new production by Esse Ljungh. CBC The Human Condition. Radio. 10 April (FM), 17 June 1967 (AM). [For the TV version, see number 22 below.]
  5. “A Library Cormorant.” BBC Third Programme. 20-minute talk on Coleridge. Radio. 23 Aug 1954; repeated 10 Dec 1954. [Printed in the Listener.]
  6. “Poetry I Like.” One of a series by four authors. CBC Wednesday Night. 30-minute talk with poetry readings narrated by George Whalley. Radio. 18 Aug 1954.
  7. “Love is a Crooked Thing.” Yeats and Maud Gonne. CBC Wednesday Night. 60-minute feature for actors, with specially composed music by Graham George. Radio. 9 Feb 1955.
  8. “An Introduction to Aesthetics.” CBC Exploring Minds. 30-minute feature for actors, with graphics, music, poetry reading; GW as narrator. Television. 18 Dec 1955.
  9. “The Drawing Instructor.” CBC Open House. 15-minute pleasantry, with drawings by Peter Whalley, Leonardo, and others. Television. 4 Apr 1956.
  10. “A Noise of Musicians.” An irreverent celebration of Shakespeare's birthday. CBC Wednesday Night. 90-minute feature, with actors, musicians, and choir; George Whalley acting. Radio. 25 Apr 1956.
  11. “Reading of three poems.” CBC Anthology. 20-minute reading. Radio. 27 Apr 1956.
  12. “Imagination in Action.” CBC Wednesday Night. Four 30-minute talks with poetry readings; with a fifth 30-minute reading by George Whalley of Gerard Manley Hopkins's “The Wreck of the Deutschland.” Radio. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 1956.
  13. “Hooded Eagle: a Likeness of S.T. Coleridge.” BBC Third Programme. 45-minute portrait for 5 voices; narrated by George Whalley. Radio. 24 Aug 1956; repeated 25 Aug 1956, 3 Feb 1957.
    1. 13A. BBC transcription service. Oct 1957.
    2. 13B. A new production. CBC Wednesday Night. Narrated by George Whalley. Radio. 20 Nov 1957.
  14. “Words for Music Perhaps.” Yeats on the speaking of poetry. BBC Third Programme. 30-minute feature for 3 actors and two readers; narrated by George Whalley; followed by 15-minute poetry reading by actor interspersed with percussion music. Radio. 4 Aug 1957; repeated 8 Aug 1957; repeated on CBC Wednesday Night through BBC International Service 5 Mar 1958; repeated by CFRC autumn 1958.
  15. “Henri Bergson.” “Architects of Modern Thought.” CBC Wednesday Night. 30-minute talk. 29 Jan 1958. Radio. [Published in Architects of Modern Thought.]
  16. “Henry James and H.G. Wells.” CBC Wednesday Night: “Journals and Letters.” 30-minute feature for 3 voices. Radio. 28 May 1958.
  17. “Peter Abelard.” Part adaptation of Helen Waddell's Peter Abelard, part a new translation of the letters of Abelard and Heloise from the Latin. CBC Wednesday Night. 140-minute feature for actors, with special music. Radio. 10 Sept 1958.
  18. “Redpath Press.” Eighteenth century hand press at McGill, with demonstration of hand composition. CBC Tabloid. 10-minute film. Television. Nov 1958.
  19. “Of Love and Marriage.” CBC Explorations. 30-minute essay; narrated by George Whalley. Television. 20 Mar 1959.
  20. “Eastward in Eden.” Radio essay. CBC Producer's Choice. 60-minute essay for actors, with special musical score by Maurice Surdin; narrated by George Whalley. Radio. 2 Aug 1959.
  21. “The Wreck of the Deutschland.” The origins and composition of Hopkin's poem. CBC Wednesday Night. 60-minute feature. Radio. 26 Aug 1959.
  22. “Death in the Barren Ground.” CBC Explorations. 30-minute feature for 4 voices over still photographs. Produced by Ted Pope, additional photographs by Lutz Dille. Television. 28 Oct 1959.
    1. 22A. Repeated in Q for Quest, with introduction by Ross Maclean, as memorial to Ted Pope, producer of both the original radio productions and the TV version. Television. 6 June 1961.
  23. “In Foul Case.” The Cariboo Gold Rush and a Californian Printer. CBC Wednesday Night. 60-minute feature for actors, with special music. Radio. 18 May 1960; rebroadcast by WNYC.
  24. “Sunnyside.” CBC Open House. 30-minute film; narrated by George Whalley. Television. 23 June 1960; repeated 23 June 1960, 28 Oct 1960, 12 June 1961, and later by CKWS. [National First Award at Ohio State Festival 1961.]
  25. “The Old North.” George and Lionel Douglas on the Dease River 1911-12. CBC. 30-minute feature edited from taped interviews. Radio. 21 July 1960.
  26. “Horace Walpole.” CBC Wednesday Night: “Journals and Letters.” 50-minute feature for actors and interpolated recorded music. Radio. 4 Jan 1961; repeated CFRC March 1961.
  27. “Dorothy Wordsworth.” CBC Wednesday Night: “Journals and Letters.” 60-minute feature for actors. Radio. 7 March 1961; repeated 29 March 1962.
  28. “Behold the Lamb.” A meditation for Good Friday. CBC Trans-Canada. 30-minute essay for 3 voices over graphics. Television. 31 March 1961.
  29. “The Articulation of the Image.” The poetry of W.B. Yeats. CBC Four's Company. 60-minute feature. Radio. 28 July 1961.
  30. “The Gift of the Young.” Commonwealth Christmas Broadcast. 30-minute special feature prepared on request of BBC, and composed from tapes collected throughout the Commonwealth. Radio. 25 Dec 1961.
  31. “A Commonwealth of Sounds.” 30-minute special feature commissioned by BBC for Commonwealth broadcast, and composed from taped sounds drawn from all parts of the world. Radio. 1 July 1962.
  32. “Cold as Charity.” CBC Heritage. 30-minute film, narrated by GW. Television. Nov 1962.
  33. “Comfort and Joy.” CBC Take Thirty. 30-minute essay for Christmas, for 2 voices over graphics. Television. 25 Dec 1962.
  34. “Translations.” CBC Four's Company. 60 minutes. Radio. c. 1 June 1963.
  35. “Sun.” CBC Take Thirty. 30-minute essay for 2 voices over graphics. Television. 21 June 1963.
  36. The Fourth Estate. CBC, various dates.
    1. 36A. “Journalist Verse.” 30-minute feature. Radio. 30 July 1963.
    2. 36B. “Nonsense Humour.” 60-minute feature. Radio. 9 June 1964.
    3. 36C. “Puzzles and Competitions.” 30-minute feature. Radio. 29 July 1965.
    4. 36D. “Britain vs the USA.” 30-minute feature. Radio. 1 Aug 1966.
    5. 36E. “Learned Spoofs.” 30-minute feature. Radio. Nov 1967.
  37. “The World of Books.” BBC Home Service. 6-minute insert for program. Radio. 17 August 1963.
  38. “A Remembrance of Two Wars. An Elegy.” CBC Sunday Night. 60-minute composition from taped interviews, with interludes for actors and narrator. 10 Nov 1963.
  39. “Angels.” CBC Take Thirty. 30-minute essay for 2 voices over graphics and film. Television. 25 Dec 1963.
  40. “I am the Resurrection.” An Easter Meditation. CBC Sunday Night. Produced for 14 Apr 1963 by Esse Ljungh. Radio. Spring 1964.
    1. 40A. New production by John Reeves, with musical interludes. CBC Tuesday Night. Radio. 24 March 1970.
  41. “Symbol and Reality.” CBC Heritage. 30-minute essay for 2 voices over freely edited stockshot film, narrated by George Whalley. Television. 10 May 1964.
  42. “Wilfred Owen's War Poems.” Introduction to the first Canadian performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. CBC Sunday Night. 25-minute feature with poetry readings and special sound, narrated by George Whalley. Radio. 15 Nov 1964.
  43. “If This is a Man.” Adaptation of Primo Levi's Se questo e un uomo. CBC Sunday Night. 140-minute dramatic feature. Radio. 24 Jan 1965.
    1. 43A. Repeated in CBC The Human Condition. Radio. 8 Apr (FM), 3 June 1967 (AM).
    2. 43B. A new version. CBC Sunday Night, 90-minute dramatic feature. Radio. July 1968, [Broadcast with The Truce. Prepared for Italia Prize Competition.]
  44. “Be Secret and Exult.” A Tribute to W.B. Yeats on the 100th Anniversary of his birth. CBC Tuesday Night. 60-minute feature, with special music. Radio. 13 June 1965.
  45. “Single Form.” A Memorial to Dag Hammarskjöld. CBC Tuesday Night. 90-minute feature. Radio. 20 Sept 1966.
  46. “Let us now Praise Famous Men.” Adaptation of James Agee's book of the same title. 135-minute dramatic feature, with specially composed music. CBC Tuesday Night. Radio. 6 Dec 1966.
  47. “To an Unknown Country.” Based largely on Hammarskjöld's diary. 60-minute feature. Commissioned for CBC The Human Condition 4 April. Radio. 6 May 1967 (AM).
  48. “Reading and Writing.” Six 30-minute talks on poetry. CJOH and CTV network. Television. April-May 1967. Repeated autumn 1967, autumn 1968, spring 1969.
  49. “The Truce.” Adaptation of Primo Levi's book of the same title. CBC Sunday Night. 90-minute dramatic feature, prepared as a companion piece to “If This is a Man.” Radio. July 1968. [Entered in Italia Prize Competition.]
  50. “Orfeo.” Poetic and musical versions of the Orpheus and Eurydice theme. Poetry chosen by George Whalley, music chosen by Warren Drake. 60-minute feature. CBC Tuesday Night. Radio. c. 25 Nov 1969.
  51. “Time and Time Again.” Gotland. 60-minute Good Friday Special. CBC Trans Canada. Televsion. 27 March 1970. Repeated 9 April 1971.
  52. “The Life and Martydom of Robert Southwell.” With music of William Byrd sung by the choir of St. John's College Chapel, Cambridge. 120-minute dramatic feature. CBC Tuesday Night. Radio. 29 June 1971.
  53. “The Tragedy of Launcelot.” Five 30-minute dramatic adaptations from Sir Thomas Malory. CBC Trans Canada. Radio. 12-16 July 1971.
  54. “Hope Against Hope.” The Poetry of Osip Mandelstam. CBC Tuesday Night. Radio. 1 January 1972.
  55. “Meeting Point.” CBC. Television. 3 March 1972.
  56. “The Poems of David Jones.” CBC Anthology. Radio. c. January-March 1973.
  57. “Coppermine Martyrdom.” CBC Bush and Salon. Radio. 23 and 28 September 1973. Repeated 7 December 1974.
  58. “The Hours of John Barryman.” CBC Tuesday Night. Radio. 12 January 1974.
  59. “The Last Days of Auschwitz.” CBC Tuesday Night / Encore. Radio. 25 and 27 March 1975.
  60. “The Secret Princes.” A Meditation for Remembrance Day 1975, based on David Jones' poem of WWI entitled In Parenthesis. CBC Encore. Radio. 11 November 1975.
  61. “An Appraisal of J.R.R. Tolkein's The Simarillion.” CBC Anthology. Radio. 14 January 1978. Rebroadcast as part of another feature on J.R.R. Tolkein and The Simarillion. CBC. Radio International. 10 March 1978.