| Description | Recording of a lecture by the Chinese/Belgian writer Han Suyin, given at Caxton Hall in London on 30 March 1966:
MS 4000/6/3/2/1 (3475)
MS 4000/6/3/2/2 (3476)
Recordings made by Charles Parker during a briefing weekend for the SACU Educationalists' Tour of China held at Plaw Hatch study centre on 12 February 1972:
MS 4000/6/3/2/3 (3480)
MS 4000/6/3/2/4 (3477)
MS 4000/6/3/2/5 (3482)
Recordings made by Charles Parker during the Educationalists' Tour of China between 3 April 1972 and 25 April 1972.
Parker wrote a brief note summarising the contents of the recordings he made on this trip (MS 4000/1/8/18/1), dividing them into four categories: Educational; Cultural; Social and Political; and General and Descriptive. The educational material is, in Parker's words 'a complete record of the expositions we were given and the discussions which followed, of the present situation in teaching methods since the Cultural Revolution - in Peking University, Canton Province Teacher Training College, a Cadre school largely for Peking Teachers, a Peking Middle School, Nan King Primary School, and Canton Kindergarten. The material includes participation in lessons and lectures, descriptions of factory and farm 'production labour', conversations 'off the cuff' with students and teachers... and a dance drama performance'
The cultural material includes formal visits to the Shanshi Provincial Museum, Po Tan Netholithic village and museum, and Ming Tombs. Performances included acrobats in Shanghan, the Yenan dance troupe, Tibetan songs, children's games, performances at Shanghai Children's Palace, and performances given to a PLA/Worker Congress.
The social and political material includes conversations with workers and peasants in Canton, Peking, Shanghai, and Sian.
Parker describes The General and Descriptive material as 'effects for sound pictures of Peking, Sian, and Shanghai early morning'. He also recorded during a rail journey from Sian to Nan King and during a conducted tour of the Shanghai Machine Tool Plant.
The archive contains two series of tapes recorded during this visit: the original recordings made in China on 5 inch tapes and a set of recordings on 7 inch tapes. Charles Parker probably made the 5 inch recordings while he was in China and then copied some of them onto 7 inch tapes, since some of the 7 inch tapes are duplicates of the 5 inch tapes. The original numbers on the tapes - between 1 and 101- are indicated on the list below as 'Tape 1', 'Tape 2' etc.
5 inch tapes:
MS 4000/6/3/2/6 Tape 1 Hong Kong (4276)
MS 4000/6/3/2/7 Tape 2 Train from Sumatran to Canton (4277)
MS 4000/6/3/2/8 Tape 3 Teachers college and bus journey (4278)
MS 4000/6/3/2/9 Tape 4 Teacher training college and state farm school (4279)
MS 4000/6/3/2/10 Tape 5 Kwang Tung teacher training college (4280)
MS 4000/6/3/2/11 Tape 6 Kwang Tung teacher training college (4281)
MS 4000/6/3/2/12 Tape 7 Discussion about culture and art/visit to school for children with speech and hearing impairment (4282)
MS 4000/6/3/2/13 Tape 8 Visit to a school for children with speech and hearing impairment (4283)
MS 4000/6/3/2/14 Tape 9 Visit to a school for children with speech and hearing impairment (4284)
MS 4000/6/3/2/15 Tape 10 Kindergarten (4285)
MS 4000/6/3/2/16 Tape 11 Kindergarten/Peking airport (4286)
MS 4000/6/3/2/17 Tape 12 Tien An Men Square (4287)
MS 4000/6/3/2/18 Tape 13 Peking (4288)
MS 4000/6/3/2/19 Tape 14 Peking (4289)
MS 4000/6/3/2/20 Tape 15 Agricultural school (4290)
MS 4000/6/3/2/21 Tape 16 Agricultural school (4291)
MS 4000/6/3/2/22 Tape 17 Agricultural school/Peking University (4292)
MS 4000/6/3/2/23 Tape 18 Peking University (4293)
MS 4000/6/3/2/24 Tape 19 Peking University (4294)
MS 4000/6/3/2/25 Tape 20 Peking University (4295)
MS 4000/6/3/2/26 Tape 21 Peking University/Peking streets/Ming tombs (4296)
MS 4000/6/3/2/27 Tape 22 Ming tombs/Great Wall of China/retired textile worker (4297)
MS 4000/6/3/2/28 Tape 23 Retired textile worker (4298)
MS 4000/6/3/2/29 Tape 24 Retired textile worker (4299)
MS 4000/6/3/2/30 Tape 25 Middle school, Peking (4300)
MS 4000/6/3/2/31 Tape 26 Middle school, Peking (4301)
MS 4000/6/3/2/32 Tape 27 Middle school, Peking (4302)
MS 4000/6/3/2/33 Tape 28 Central Institute for Nationalities (4303)
MS 4000/6/3/2/34 Tape 29 School for 'minority groups' (4304)
MS 4000/6/3/2/35 Tape 30 Airport/interview with a man (4305)
MS 4000/6/3/2/36 Tape 31 History of the province of Shaanxi (4306)
MS 4000/6/3/2/37 Tape 32 Chinese theatre/tour of a bell tower (4307)
MS 4000/6/3/2/38 Tape 33 Sian Neolithic Museum (4308)
MS 4000/6/3/2/39 Tape 34 Sian Neolithic Museum (4309)
MS 4000/6/3/2/40 Tape 35 Tour of a pagoda (4310)
MS 4000/6/3/2/41 Tape 36 Tour of a pagoda (4311)
MS 4000/6/3/2/42 Tape 37 Performance by a children's orchestra and choir (4312)
MS 4000/6/3/2/43 Tape 38 Performance by a children's orchestra and choir (4313)
MS 4000/6/3/2/44 Tape 39 Performance by a children's orchestra and choir (4314)
MS 4000/6/3/2/45 Tape 40 A man talks about the People's Liberation Army/sound of dawn chorus (4315)
MS 4000/6/3/2/46 Tape 41 Museum in Sian (4316)
MS 4000/6/3/2/47 Tape 42 Discussion about film making/tour of Shaanxi (4317)
MS 4000/6/3/2/48 Tape 45 Yenan (4318)
MS 4000/6/3/2/49 Tape 46 Yenan (4319)
MS 4000/6/3/2/50 Tape 47 Yenan (4320)
MS 4000/6/3/2/51 Tape 49 Yenan museum (4321)
MS 4000/6/3/2/52 Tape 50 Yenan dance school (4322)
MS 4000/6/3/2/53 Tape 51 Yenan Commune (4323)
MS 4000/6/3/2/54 Tape 61 Train journey to Sian (4324)
MS 4000/6/3/2/55 Tape 62 Train journey to Sian (4325)
MS 4000/6/3/2/56 Tape 63 Train journey to Sian (4326)
MS 4000/6/3/2/57 Tape 64 Haychi (4327)
MS 4000/6/3/2/58 Tape 65 Discussion on a train (4328)
MS 4000/6/3/2/59 Tape 66 Nanking Province (4329)
MS 4000/6/3/2/60 Tape 67 Nanking Primary School (4330)
MS 4000/6/3/2/61 Tape 68 Nanking Primary School (4331)
MS 4000/6/3/2/62 Tape 69 Nanking Primary School (4332)
MS 4000/6/3/2/63 Tape 70 Children's Palace, Shanghai (4333)
MS 4000/6/3/2/64 Tape 72 Commune, Shanghai (4334)
MS 4000/6/3/2/65 Tape 73 Interviews, Shanghai (4336)
MS 4000/6/3/2/66 Tape 74 Commune, Shanghai (4337)
MS 4000/6/3/2/67 Tape 75 Commune, Shanghai (4338)
MS 4000/6/3/2/68 Tape 76 Children's Dance Performance (4339)
MS 4000/6/3/2/69 Tape 76A Shanghai musical instrument shop (4340)
MS 4000/6/3/2/70 Tape 77 'Circus, pedicab driver, boat worker' (4341)
MS 4000/6/3/2/71 Tape 78 'Boat woman' (4342)
MS 4000/6/3/2/72 Tape 87 Music at Shanghai Children's Palace (4355)
MS 4000/6/3/2/73 Tape 88 Musical performance by primary schools (3753)
MS 4000/6/3/2/74 Tape 91 Shanghai street interviews/Nanshang People's Commune (4343)
MS 4000/6/3/2/75 Tape 92 Shanghai People's Commune (4344)
MS 4000/6/3/2/76 Tape 93 (Shanghai) People's Commune (4345)
MS 4000/6/3/2/77 Tape 94 Nan Shang People's Commune (4346)
MS 4000/6/3/2/78 Tape 95 Nan Shang People's Commune/ Kung Kiang Residents area (4347)
MS 4000/6/3/2/79 Tape 96 Kung Kiang children's performances/interview with retired worker (4348)
MS 4000/6/3/2/80 Tape 97 Interview with a retired woman from Shanghai (4349)
MS 4000/6/3/2/81 Tape 98 Sounds of a street/Circus (4350)
MS 4000/6/3/2/82 Tape 99 Canton pedicab driver/ old boat woman (4351)
MS 4000/6/3/2/83 Tape 100 Canton Women Workers/Old Boat Woman (4352)
7 inch tapes
MS 4000/6/3/2/84 Tape 1 Hong Kong (3504)
MS 4000/6/3/2/85 Tape 2 Hong Kong (3490)
MS 4000/6/3/2/86 Tape 3 Train to Canton (3505)
MS 4000/6/3/2/87 Tape 4 Kwang Tung Teachers' College (3502)
MS 4000/6/3/2/88 Tape 5 Kwang Tung Teachers' College (3503)
MS 4000/6/3/2/89 Tape 79 Peace River, Hong Kong (3483)
MS 4000/6/3/2/90 Tape 80 Nanking Primary School (3491)
MS 4000/6/3/2/91 Tape 81 Nanking Primary School (3492)
MS 4000/6/3/2/92 Tape 82 Nanking Primary School (3493)
MS 4000/6/3/2/93 Tape 83 Nanking Primary School (3494)
MS 4000/6/3/2/94 Tape 84 Nanking Primary School (3495)
MS 4000/6/3/2/95 Tape 85 Shanghai Children's Palace (3496)
MS 4000/6/3/2/96 Tape 86 and 87 Shanghai Street Interlude (4158)
MS 4000/6/3/2/97 Tape 86 and 87 Shanghai Street Interlude (4159)
MS 4000/6/3/2/98 Tape 86A Shanghai Children's Palace (3497)
MS 4000/6/3/2/99 Tape 87 Music at Shanghai Children's Palace/Visit to Shanghai Machine Tool Factory (3498)
MS 4000/6/3/2/100 Tape 88 Shanghai Machine Tool Factory (3499)
MS 4000/6/3/2/101 Tape 89 Shanghai Machine Tool Factory (3500)
MS 4000/6/3/2/102 Tape 90 Shanghai Machine Tool Factory (3501)
MS 4000/6/3/2/103 Tape 92 Nan Shang People's Commune (3506)
MS 4000/6/3/2/104 Tape 93 Nan Shang People's Commune (3507)
MS 4000/6/3/2/105 Tape 94 Nan Shang People's Commune (3508)
MS 4000/6/3/2/106 Tape 95 Nan Shang People's Commune/Kung Kuang Residential area (3509)
MS 4000/6/3/2/107 Tape 96 Kuang King: Children's performances and residential area (4161)
MS 4000/6/3/2/108 Tape 97 Retired electrical worker, Shanghai (4166)
MS 4000/6/3/2/109 Tape 98 Music shop and circus (3511)
MS 4000/6/3/2/110 Tape 100 Canton (3510)
MS 4000/6/3/2/111 Tape 101 Kwang Tung Teacher's College (3512)
Three other unidentified tapes of Charles Parker and others talking to people in China through an interpreter are also likely to have been made during the SACU tour in April 1972, although they are not labelled or dated as such:
MS 4000/6/3/2/112 (4041)
MS 4000/6/3/2/113 (4065)
MS 4000/6/3/2/114 (4076)
MS 4000/6/3/2/115 Conversation among a party of people including Charles Parker travelling on a train in China (3855)
MS 4000/6/3/2/116 Sound effects, probably recorded in China (3472)
Two tapes labelled 'SACU Round House':
MS 4000/6/3/2/117 Charles Parker talks to Chinese people during a tour of a museum, 18 June 1972 (3479)
MS 4000/6/3/2/118 Charles Parker talks to a Chinese woman about her life/an Irish man talks about leaving Ireland/Chinese music and folk songs, 18 June 1972 (3478)
MS 4000/6/3/2/119 Charles Parker talks to a Chinese man and woman about their experiences before and after the Cultural Revolution, July 1972 (3481)
Two tapes labelled 'Thomson tapes George and Kath in China', August 1972:
MS 4000/6/3/2/120 A performance of Chinese music, August 1972 (3513)
MS 4000/6/3/2/121 A performance of Chinese music, August 1973 (3514)
MS 4000/6/3/2/122 Collection of Chinese songs copied from a long play record titled 'Voyage autour du Monde', n.d. (3515)
MS 4000/6/3/2/123 Chinese traditional music and songs, n.d. (3516)
MS 4000/6/3/2/124 tape labelled 'Birmingham SACU insert to Sheffield'- clips from interviews with Chinese people interspersed with music, 10 March 1974 (3473)
Tapes relating to the making of 'An Ear to China':
MS 4000/6/3/2/125 Description of a street, n.d. (3852)
MS 4000/6/3/2/126 Sound effects, n.d. (3409)
MS 4000/6/3/2/127 Opening credits and description of a street, 18 July 1974 (3407)
MS 4000/6/3/2/128 Opening credits and description of trains and traffic in a street, n.d. (3410)
MS 4000/6/3/2/129 Assembly of part of the programme, 28 July 1979 (3408)
MS 4000/6/3/2/130 Assembly of the programme, (1973-1974) (3406)
MS 4000/6/3/2/130A Assembly of the programme, 1 July 1974 (3755)
MS 4000/6/3/2/130B Inserts reel A, n.d. (3754)
MS 4000/6/3/2/130C Inserts reel B, n.d. (3756)
Tapes relating to the making of a sequence called 'Night in Canton City' - these may be part of 'An Ear to China':
MS 4000/6/3/2/131 Two takes of Parker reciting a description of a city at night, n.d. (3837)
MS 4000/6/3/2/132 Several takes of Parker reciting a description of a city at night, n.d. (3838)
MS 4000/6/3/2/133 Several takes of Parker reciting a description of a city at night, n.d. (3839)
MS 4000/6/3/2/134 Assembly tape for a programme about China, 5 July 1974 (4029)
MS 4000/6/3/2/135 Chinese music/discussion between Charles Parker and a Chinese musician about form and content in music and dance (Track 7), 18 July 1974. Part of this tape is a duplicate of MS 4000/6/3/2/142 (4026)
Copies of programmes about China made by other filmmakers:
MS 4000/6/3/2/136 A programme about China made by Anthony Lawrence, 23 May 1972 (3471)
'Subject of Struggle', a documentary about the Cultural Revolution produced by Leslie Woodhead:
MS 4000/6/3/2/137 Part 1 (4359)
MS 4000/6/3/2/138 Part 2 (4360)
MS 4000/6/3/2/139 Part 3 (4361)
MS 4000/6/3/2/139A 'Late Night Line-up', introduced by Charles Parker: Si Chin talks about 'A Subject of Struggle' (3987)
A programme about China made by Anthony Lawrence
MS 4000/6/3/2/140 Part 1 (4357)
MS 4000/6/3/2/141 Part 2 (4358)
MS 4000/6/3/2/142 Chinese music/a discussion between Charles Parker and a Chinese musician about form and content in music and dance - part of this tape is a duplicate of MS 4000/6/3/2/135 (3474) |
| AdminHistory | Most of the recordings about China in the archive were made by Charles Parker during a three-week tour of China organized by the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU). The tour, which is described in the paper files as an Educationalists' Tour of China, took place from 3rd - 25th April 1972. The group met before the tour at a briefing weekend held at Plaw Hatch, Sussex, on 11th -13th February 1972.
Parker returned from China with over 150 hours of tape recordings which he used for talks, radio programmes, and in articles.
Parker's friend Katherine Thomson visited China in August 1972.
Parker used some of the material recorded in 1972 in a lecture titled 'Music and the Chinese Masses' at the University of Sheffield Students' Union on 11 March 1974.
In 1974, Parker made a programme titled 'An Ear to China' with David Selbourne, which is described as 'a series of shared responses to China recorded on tape by Charles Parker and in the words of David Selbourne'; this programme may not have been broadcast. |