Soul Music
167 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 251 ratingsSeries about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact
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Episodes
Plaisir d'Amour / Can't Help Falling in Love With You:
November 19, 2014 09:30 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBMarianne Faithfull recalls the classical French Love song which went on to inspire a 1960s hit record by Elvis Presley. 'Plaisir d'Amour' somehow found its way through 18th century orchestration (Hector Berlioz) and 1960's folk revival, to an unexpected re-invention as Elvis’s 'I Can't' Help Falling in Love with You'. Written in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, the song muses on the pleasures and pains of love and was inspired by a poem in Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian's novel 'Célestine...
A Shropshire Lad
November 12, 2014 14:25 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MB"Into my heart an air that kills From yon far country blows: What are those blue remembered hills, What spires, what farms are those? That is the land of lost content, I see it shining plain, The happy highways where I went And cannot come again." So wrote the poet AE Housman lamenting the loss of his brother in the Boer war in his epic poem A Shropshire Lad. It harks back to a simple idyllic rural way of life that is forever changed at the end of the 19th century as hundreds of country ...
Adagio in G minor
April 29, 2014 11:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBAlbinoni's Adagio in G Minor, is one of the most popular and moving pieces of music. But, as academic and composer Andrew Gant explains, it wasn't written by Albinoni and is now attributed to 20th century Italian composer, Giazotto. Award-winning veteran BBC foreign correspondent, Malcolm Brabant recalls the ' cellist of Sarajevo', Vedran Smailovic, playing it everyday for weeks amidst the wreckage of the beautiful city, as Serbian gunfire raged around. Actress Virginia McKenna explains i...
Myfanwy
April 22, 2014 10:30 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThe hauntingly beautiful Welsh song Myfanwy 'is in the air in Wales' according to singer Cerys Matthews. She along with others discuss what the melodic tale of unrequited love means to them. They include a Welsh woman living in Sicily for whom the song represents 'hiraeth', a longing or homesickness for Wales and another who believes it expresses the 'wounded soul of the Welsh'. A man remembers how his late brother and he used to sing it in pubs in North Wales and how the song symbolise...
Something Inside So Strong
April 15, 2014 10:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBLabi Siffre wrote Something Inside So Strong in 1984. Widely believed to have been inspired by seeing film footage from South Africa, of young blacks being shot at by white policeman, the singer-songwriter now reveals that the lyrics were also informed by the oppression he had experienced as as a gay man. The song has been taken up by individuals and groups around the world who have suffered from discrimination. The Choir With No Name in Birmingham, made up of homeless singers, always c...
Crazy
April 08, 2014 11:06 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MB"It's the kind of music that makes you feel like you're just hurting so good" People of different ages reflect on why the pop country classic 'Crazy' made famous by Patsy Cline brings out such strong emotions in them. Featuring a young woman mourning the loss of a father's love after divorce - and broadcaster Fiona Phillips reflects on losing her father to Alzheimer's disease. 87 year old Wayne Rethford met Patsy Cline in 1961 and two years later happened upon the crash site where she die...
Rhapsody in Blue
April 01, 2014 10:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB"I'm convinced it's the best thing ever written and recorded in the history of things written and recorded" - Moby. Rhapsody in Blue was premiered on February 12, 1924, in New York's Aeolian Hall. Through its use at the opening of Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' it’s become synonymous with the city that inspired its creation. But for people around the world, George Gershwin's "experiment in modern music" has become imbued with the most personal of memories. LA based screenwriter Charles Peac...
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
December 24, 2013 11:31 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThe story behind the song, 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. It was first performed by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me In St Louis', for the now famous scene in which she and her seven year old sister, played by Margaret O'Brien are downcast about the prospect of moving away from their beloved home. Garland asked the composer, Hugh Martin to modify his original lyric, explaining it to be too depressing for her to sing, or the audience to hear. Martin's collaborator a...
Brahms' German Requiem
December 17, 2013 11:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBHow Brahms' German Requiem has touched and changed people’s lives. It was written as a tribute to his mother and designed to comfort the grieving, Stuart Perkins describes how the piece arrived at the right time in his life, after the death of his aunt. Axel Körner, Professor of Modern History at University College London, explains the genesis of the work and how the deaths of Brahms' friends and family contributed to the emotional power of the piece. Daniel Malis and Danica Buckley reca...
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
December 12, 2013 09:55 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBFew songs can claim to be - quite literally - as far reaching as the 1967 classic 'Can't Take My Eyes off You'. Former astronaut Christopher Ferguson heard this song as an early morning wake-up call aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. Mother of two, Michelle Noakes sang this classic piece to the baby she was told she may never be able to carry. A honeymoon couple recall how their marriage proposal began with a hundred strong 'flash mob' performance of this track. Singer Frankie Valli ...
Gymnopédie No 1
December 03, 2013 12:00 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBFrom the seat of a concert hall piano, Pascal Rogé, one of the world's greatest interpreters of French piano music, leads us through a personal and musical journey of Erik Satie's Gymnopédies. You may not immediately know the title but in hearing just the first few notes you are most likely to know the music. Erik Satie's Gymnopédies are a collection of short, atmospheric pieces of which Gymnopédie No.1 is perhaps the most popular. Music historian and author Mark Prendergast has studied...
Strange Fruit
November 26, 2013 12:10 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MB"Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves and blood at the root..." Billie Holiday's famous song expresses the horror and anguish of those communities subjected to a campaign of lynching in the American South. Soul Music hears the stories of people whose relatives were lynched by white racists and of the various forms of grief, anger and reconciliation that have followed. These include the cousin of teenager Emmett Till, whose killing in 1955 for whistling at a white woman,...
Elgar's Dream of Gerontius
August 02, 2013 09:39 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBHow the choral work The Dream of Gerontius, by Edward Elgar, has touched and changed people's lives. For Terry Waite, it was the first piece of music he heard as a hostage in the Lebanon, after four years in solitary confinement. Writer and broadcaster Stephen Johnson describes how Elgar's own fragile emotional state is written into the music, which describes the journey taken by a dying man. Singer Catherine Wyn-Rogers explains how Elgar's music helped her come to terms with the loss of ...
Don't Leave Me This Way
July 25, 2013 11:25 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBDon't Leave Me This Way was written in the early 1970s by songwriters Huff, Gamble and Gilbert who were the composers behind the famous black American Philadelphia Sound. It was first performed by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass on lead vocals, and later became a hit for Thelma Houston and The Communards. As the title suggests, the song is all about longing, yearning and loss. Remarkable stories reflect the pain expressed in this soul classic, including one ...
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
July 16, 2013 08:43 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThe hymn 'Make Me a Channel of Your Peace' found its way into weddings, funerals and school assemblies and in this week's 'Soul Music' we hear how it has also embedded itself into the hearts of peace campaigners, charity workers and reformed alcoholics. The simplicity of this hymn often belies the challenges at its heart. Its lyrics call for unconditional love and forgiveness in the toughest situations. The words are based on a poem which has often been attributed to St Francis of Assisi. H...
Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar
July 09, 2013 11:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBWritten by Joaquin Rodrigo in 1939, the Concierto de Aranjuez is a guitar classic. He wrote it amid the chaos of the Spanish Civil War, and in circumstances of poverty and personal tragedy. How has it touched and changed people's lives? The composer's daughter Cecilia Rodrigo explains how the blind composer was inspired by the fountains and gardens of the palace of Aranjuez. Nelício Faria de Sales recounts an unforgettable performance deep inside one of Brazil's largest caves. David B...
Lili Marlene
July 03, 2013 11:41 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBStories of love, loss and friendship through the Second World War favourite, Lili Marlene. She was made famous by Marlene Dietrich - with songs sung by soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact Producer: Maggie Ayre. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2013.
Shipbuilding
March 08, 2013 10:15 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBWritten by Elvis Costello and Clive Langer for Robert Wyatt, Shipbuilding was recorded in several versions by Elvis Costello himself, Suede, June Tabor, Hue and Cry, Tamsin Archer and The Unthanks. The blend of subtle lyrics and extraordinary music makes this a political song like no other. It transcends the particular circumstances of its writing: the Falklands War and the decline of British heavy industry, especially ship-building. Clive and Elvis describe how the song was written in 198...
Pergolesi's Stabat Mater
February 26, 2013 12:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThe Stabat Mater's imagines the sufferings of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross, and Pergolesi's 18th-century setting remains a choral favourite. Pam Self tells the moving story of how this piece unites her and her friend Helen Vaughan, both during life and after. Soprano Catherine Bott reflects on the piece's themes. The Stabat Mater has been reinterpreted many times over the years: Sasha Lazard recalls singing it in the school choir, before later taking the melody and transformin...
She Moved through the Fair
February 19, 2013 12:49 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThe Irish traditional song She Moved Through The Fair is well loved and well recorded by many. To some it is a ghost story that tells of unfulfilled longings and of hopes and aspirations cut short. Sinead O' Connor and other fans talk about the haunting beauty of this ancient song and of why its imagery is carved into their souls. Featuring: Sinead O'Connor Catriona Crowe Bernie Warren David Johnston. Producer: Maggie Ayre First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2013.
She Moved Through The Fair
February 19, 2013 12:49 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThe Irish traditional song She Moved Through The Fair is well loved and well recorded by many. To some it is a ghost story that tells of unfulfilled longings and of hopes and aspirations cut short. Sinead O' Connor and other fans talk about the haunting beauty of this ancient song and of why its imagery is carved into their souls. Featuring: Sinead O'Connor Catriona Crowe Bernie Warren David Johnston. Producer: Maggie Ayre First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2013.
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
February 12, 2013 17:29 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBMore than just 'da da da dum': Beethoven's 5th Symphony is this week's Soul Music. It accompanied Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on the regular Bombay to Basra route he sailed during his early days in the Merchant Navy. Archaeologist and crime novelist, Dana Cameron, spent many a long day in a dark, lonely basement analysing artefacts from a merchant's house in Salem, Massachusetts. A CD player was often her only companion and Beethoven's 5th buoyed her through these arduous days working towards...
Peggy Lee's Is That All There Is?
February 08, 2013 14:45 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MB‘Is That All There Is?’, a Leiber & Stoller song made famous by Peggy Lee, is based upon a short story by Thomas Mann called 'Disillusionment'. But those who know and love it feel it's inspirational rather than a cynical, world weary musical take on existentialism and the futility of life. ‘Soul Music’ uncovers the compelling individual stories behind our collective love of music. Producer: Maggie Ayre First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2013.
Bach's St Matthew Passion
October 09, 2012 08:32 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBBach's St Matthew Passion was written in 1727 and was probably first performed as part of the Good Friday Service at Thomaskirche in Leipzig. This programme explores ways in which Bach's St Mattew Passion touches and changes people's lives. Guitarist Andrew Schulman describes what happened when he was played this music whilst he was in a coma. James Jacobs talks about the St Matthew Passion providing solace in difficult times during childhood. And singer Emma Kirkby, conductor Paul Spi...
Brothers in Arms
October 08, 2012 16:40 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBAn exploration into the enduring appeal of the Dire Straits classic, Brothers in Arms. Although thought to have been written by Mark Knopfler in response to the Falklands war in the mid 1980's, it's a piece that people now associate with many other conflicts; military, personal and social. Bass player, John Illsley explains why it remains such a special piece for Dire Straits, while Marines chaplain, Nigel Beardsley, recalls the important part it's played in the lives of so many soldiers i...
The Skye Boat Song
October 08, 2012 16:33 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBThe Skye Boat Song brings back a wealth of childhood memories for many. The words "Speed Bonnie Boat Like a Bird on the Wing" tell the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape to the Isle of Skye - dressed as a maid - after defeat at the battle of Culloden. Originally written by Sir Harold Boulton and Anne MacLeod back in the 1870's, we explore the song’s beauty and how it continues to touch people's lives across the world in very different ways. The Queen's Piper, who has played it in hap...
Beethoven's Violin Concerto
October 08, 2012 16:23 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBBeethoven's Violin Concerto in D major Opus 61 was written in 1806, but was not a success at its premiere. 200 years on and this Concerto is regarded as one of the greatest pieces ever written for the violin. Beethoven Violin Concerto has touched and shaped people's lives in many ways. Writer Kelly Cherry describes her father loving this piece and still remembering it even when he had Alzheimers. Violinist Robert Gupta talks about this piece being the music which cemented his friendshi...
Dvorak's New World Symphony
August 28, 2012 16:18 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBWhile for many, it will be always associated with brown bread, the Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony is an enduring a piece that never fails to move and inspire. Anti- apartheid campaigner Albie Sachs explains that through whistling the theme while in solitary confinement, he was able to make contact with the wider world and kept his spirit and hope alive. Margaret Caldicott recalls the important role the piece played in her mother's life while in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Se...
The Hallelujah Chorus
February 28, 2012 11:30 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThe Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah is stirring, emotional and unmistakable. The Alzheimer's Society runs a group called 'Singing for the Brain'. It's for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s and their carers who come together to sing in a group. As music is tied so closely to emotional memories, often lyrics and music remain firmly fixed in the brain, while other memories have died away. Julia Burton recalls the power of the Hallelujah Chorus, as performed at a special event by Sin...
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
February 21, 2012 11:30 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThe powerful song, Non, je ne regrette rien was made famous by Edith Piaf. Written in 1960 by Charles Dumont, in a fit of despair, he gave the music to lyricist Michel Vaucaire, but was surprised by the words he wrote. Dumont thought the song should be about war or revolution. Vaucaire explained he wanted to give the song to Edith Piaf. She was living in Paris at the time, having recently finished her 'suicide tour' during which she had collapsed. At that time, Piaf didn't think much of...
Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto
February 14, 2012 11:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBRachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto, which was famously featured in David Lean's film "Brief Encounter", is one of the world's most popular pieces of classical. In this programme people describe the way in which Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto has touched and shaped their lives. The programme features a pianist from Taiwan whose memories of a repressive childhood were dispelled by the emotions contained within this music. Plus a story from an acclaimed pianist from Argentina who was told she wo...
Rachmaninov, 2nd Piano Concerto
February 14, 2012 11:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBRachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto - famously featured in David Lean's film "Brief Encounter" - is one of the world's most popular pieces of classical music. Some of its fans describe the way in which it has touched and shaped their lives. Featuring a pianist from Taiwan whose memories of a repressive childhood were dispelled by the emotions contained within this music. Plus a story from an acclaimed pianist from Argentina who was told she would never play the piano again after a serious...
Gresford, the Miners' Hymn
February 07, 2012 11:30 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBAn exploration of the haunting melancholy of Gresford, the Miners' Hymn. Written by a former miner, Robert Saint, to commemorate the Gresford pit disaster in 1934, it has been played at mining events ever since. George Leslie Lister wrote the words in 1970. With the thoughts of Albert Rowlands who was working in the lamp-room of Gresford colliery when there was a devastating underground explosion. His father was among the men lost. Plus the composer's grandson, David Saint, organist at...
Baker Street
January 31, 2012 11:30 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBBaker Street is Gerry Rafferty's glorious and instantly recognisable hit. It’s arguably the most popular track from his widely respected musical legacy. (Gerry sadly died aged just 63 in 2011) His daughter Martha Rafferty recalls hearing him develop the melody in the attic of their Glasgow home. His inspiration for the lyrics came from a book by Colin Wilson about the sense of disconnection from the world that artists often feel. Featuring: * Musician and founder member of Stealer...
Let's Face the Music and Dance
September 13, 2011 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBIrving Berlin’s enduring classic, Let's Face the Music and Dance is celebrated by those for whom it has a special significance. It was written in 1932 as a dance number for the film ‘Follow the Fleet’ starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Since then it has taken on a life of its own, being recorded by hundreds of artists including Diane Krall, Shirley Bassey, Frank Sinatra, Vera Lynn, Ella Fitzgerald and Matt Munroe. For Sir John Mortimer's widow, Penny, it conjures up the very essenc...
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
September 06, 2011 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThe words of one of our most loved hymns, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, were taken from the last six verses of John Greenleaf Whittier's poem, The Brewing of Soma, an attack on ostentatious and overt religious practise. But it wasn't until over 50 years later, that a school teacher at Repton in Derbyshire had the inspiration to pair it with a tune by Sir Hubert Parry, thus confirming it as a favourite for assemblies, funerals and weddings. Repton’s former music director, John Bowley, ...
Spiegel im Spiegel
August 30, 2011 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBExploring the impact that Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel has had on people's lives. Written in 1978, just prior to his departure from Estonia, Arvo’s piece for piano and violin is musically minimal, yet produces a serene tranquillity. It's in F major in 6/4 time, with the piano playing rising crotchet triads and the violin playing slow scales, alternately rising and falling, of increasing length, which all end on the note A. The score of the piece looks deceptively simp...
Wichita Lineman
August 23, 2011 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBWitchita Lineman is the ultimate country/pop crossover track - written by Jimmy Webb for the Country star Glen Campbell. Released in 1968, it tells the story of a lonely lineman in the American Midwest, travelling vast distances to mend power and telephone lines. The song has been covered many times, but Glen’s version remains the best-loved and most played. Johnny Cash also recorded an extraordinary and very raw version. Peter Lewry, a lifelong Cash fan, describes how it came about. D...
Mendelssohn's Octet
August 16, 2011 13:30 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBAn exploration of the impact that Mendelssohn's Octet has had on different people's lives, demonstrating the healing power of music in a variety of situations around the world. Felix Mendelssohn wrote his Octet for double string quartet in 1825 aged just 16. Despite his youth, this is a mature and brilliant piece of music described by our interviewees as "carnivalesque", "a romp", "a party". Choreographer Bill T Jones describes the way in which the Octet showed his company how to keep livi...
Mahler's Adagietto
March 29, 2011 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBGustav Mahler wrote his 5th Symphony during the summers of 1901 and 1902. The Adagietto is the 4th movement which is thought to have been inspired by falling in love with Alma who he married around this time. This single movement is the composer’s most well-known piece of music. It was famously used in the 1971 Luchino Visconti film Death in Venice. It was also conducted by Leonard Bernstein at the mass at St Patrick's Cathedral, New York on the day of the burial of Robert Kennedy. Comp...
Schubert's Winterreise
March 22, 2011 13:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBWinterreise was written the year before Franz Schubert's death aged just 31, these 24 songs based on poems by Wilhelm Müller describe a journey that takes us ever deeper into the frozen landscape of the soul. Singers Thomas Hampson, Mark Padmore, Alice Coote and David Pisaro describe the experience of immersing themselves in this music. And Bernard Keefe tells of the time he sang these songs in Hiroshima to survivors of the bomb. Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotion...
The Impossible Dream
March 15, 2011 13:30 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBIn this series that explores those pieces of music that never fail to move us, this week we feature, 'The Impossible Dream', a song that talks of the resilience of the human spirit. It tells the story of a quest and it's had a surprising journey of it's own. It was originally composed for the 1965 musical The Man of La Mancha which was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes story of Don Quixote. The music was written by Mitch Leigh and the lyrics by Joe Darion. Now in his 80's Leigh explains ho...
Simple Gifts
March 08, 2011 13:30 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBSimple Gifts started life as a Shaker Hymn and became incorporated into the hymn Lord of the Dance and Aaron Copland's ballet suite Appalachian Spring. Nora Guthrie describes the central place this tune has played throughout her life. Pete Lashley tells how he heard it unexpectedly whilst touring in New Zealand. Michael Carter explains why his father chose this tune for his famous hymn "Lord of the Dance" and Scott Malchus describes running a marathon whilst listening to this music. Feat...
Mozart's Clarinet Quintet
March 01, 2011 13:30 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBMozart's Clarinet Quintet was written in 1789, two years before the composer’s death. The first ever work for string quartet plus clarinet remains a firm favourite for music lovers around the world. Professor Paul Robertson describes how his wife played this piece to him whilst he lay in a coma. Clarinettist Peter Furniss tells of the solace the slow movement provided his mother as she lay dying. And Alex Smith explains the importance of this piece in his work to help children with aut...
The Emperor
October 05, 2010 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBBeethoven's fifth and final piano concerto, The Emperor is majestic and moving in equal measure. Richard McMahon plays extracts and discusses the virtuosic it demands. Australian film producer, Hal McElroy, talks about using the Adagio (the second movement) to illustrate the classic 1970s film Picnic at Hanging Rock. That was where Andrew Law – who was Chaplain at Malvern College - first heard the piece. He describes the Adagio as being 'one of those pieces of art which it is worth bein...
How Great Thou Art
September 28, 2010 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBAn examination of the enduring popularity of the hymn, How Great Thou Art. Based on a Swedish poem by Carl Gustav Boberg, it was written by the British missionary Stuart Hine in 1949. It subsequently become an Elvis Presley classic and as the country and western star , Connie Smith explains, it's the piece she always sings to close her show, the stirring lyrics and soaring melody having the ability to move and inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds. At the age of 101, George Beverl...
Faure Requiem
September 21, 2010 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MB"He wanted it to be something that's consoling and helpful. It's the end of their lives where they can rest in peace." World renowned choral conductor Sir David Willcocks, shares his personal reflections on the Faure Requiem alongside those for whom the music has comforted and inspired. Known for its peaceful and hopeful nature the Faure Requiem has been called 'The lullaby of death'. Whilst Gabriel Faure himself never spoke directly about what inspired his interpretation of the Requiem, ...
Ma Vlast
September 14, 2010 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBAt the core of Czech cultural identity Bedrich Smetana’s Ma Vlast. Written in the late 19th century, it's a series of six symphonic poems. For a western audience the most popular and best loved is Vltava, a soundscape conjuring up vivid images of the river which runs through Prague. Jan Kaplan is a Czech born film-maker who has lived in the UK since 1968. He describes the 'educational concerts' he had to attend as a young boy when - bored to tears - he would endure long performances of S...
Send in the Clowns
September 07, 2010 12:30 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBStephen Sondheim's song, Send In the Clowns, from the musical 'A Little Night Music' was written late in rehearsals for the actress Glynis Johns, playing the part of Desiree. A song of regret and anger, the part has famously been played by Judi Dench, and the song became an independent hit, sung by Judy Collins, Shirley Bassey and Barbra Streisand. Hannah Waddingham played the youngest ever Desiree in Trevor Nunn's production, and used her memories of an unhappy relationship to inspire h...
Bach's Goldberg Variations
March 23, 2010 13:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBSeries exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal. Bach wrote his Goldberg Variations for harpsichord in the 1740s, but today it's performed by pianists all over the world. People describe the place these pieces have in their lives, including a neuroscientist from New York, pianist Angela Hewitt, a father driving his family through the night in the Australian Outback, and a woman from Oregon whose life was transformed, perhaps even saved, by this music. Produced by Sarah C...