the Concert Programme in its heyday
stipulated suits for the men
twinset and skirt or a frock
for everyone else
the timbre of an old school tie
could be discerned on air
and received pronunciation
eliminated the local
you would be excused for assuming
there were no natives or sheep
and the calendar of the seasons
hung upside down
broadcasts to students allowed
scant leeway for topical sounds
(daytime listeners pounced on the phone
or resorted to the mail)
a diminutive audience
more stubborn by the year
dissolving like a lozenge
in the nation’s throat
