Posted by Robert Thompson on September 09, 2006 at 18:29:33 from 80.177.174.120 user robert.
In Reply to: Re: Why Arctic and not Antarctic ? posted by PeterH on September 08, 2006 at 23:32:20:
John Grierson's film was a fine one, greatly boosted by Auden's verses.
To say nothing of the even greater contribution of Benjamin Britten, who wrote the music under the severe financial restraint of having to score for the minimum of instruments and players. W H Auden's contribution to the film is only the last few minutes, enough time only to hear his poem (This is the Night Mail crossing the border, etc.)
Link to the whole poem below.
For a link between Ransome and Britten, see Mixed Moss Winter 2000 (volume 3 no. 8).