Broadcasting House (Live)

This is the entrance hall to Broadcasting House

In the Latin inscription which you see up there above the central arch, we have tried to reflect the idea behind our work

What does it say?

A free translation would run like this

"This temple of the arts and muses is dedicated to Almighty God by the first governors of broadcasting in the year 1931

Sir John Reith being the Director General

It is their prayer that good seeds sown may bring forth a good harvest

That all things hostile to peace or purity may be banished from this house

And that the people, inclining their ear to whatsoever things are beautiful and honest and of good report

May tread the path of wisdom and uprightness"

Yes, I think I rather like that

So do I

Twelve floors, three-hundred-and-fifty offices

Seven-hundred people in this big house [?]

You who pay your ten shillings a year own the house

Six-million of you

I receive that signal, it is okay

Two-thousand of you write every day praising, blaming, inquiring

Letters for music department, drama department

Outside broadcast department, talk department, jazz band department

Engineers department, research department and finance department

"More variety, more variety," far less variety

Through soundproof doors, then doors, then doors again

You come to an inside core of the building, isolated from all the rest

Where the makers of the noises practise to make them good noises

(We're getting near it)

Now come and listen in on some of your big executives

The mighty but mysterious men who plan, scheme and arrange

Days and weeks ahead what you will hear for your ten-bob contribution to the fund

No branch or department works to itself

And no branch or department can do ill

Without that ill spreading throughout the whole organism

And an organism is a collection of individuals

And the health of one can affect the health of the whole

Well, stand by, everybody, we'll give you a light

All right effects, start the drum

(Affect the health of the whole)

The drums, the drums

Macbeth doth come

[Instrumental Outro]