17:00 - 17:40
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A History of Private Life Music from the series
Wiebke Thormahlen
I was thrilled when I received a phone call asking whether I could assist in adding a few splashes of aural colour to Amanda Vickery's A History of Private Life. But I had to face the fact that much of the music that has been preserved, particularly from the 17th and 18th centuries, was institutional music - music for the theatre and opera, military music, music for services and, of course, church music. Only in rare cases does this institutional music speak of 'private' settings - the world of pots and pans, laundry, wallpaper and even the messy (public) business of divorce.
Instead, I had to dig deep into the large body of balladry and folk song. Here, finding songs about daily events was easy, yet ascertaining when (and where) they originated was an entirely different story and one which, admittedly, I couldn't always tell with conviction. Still, I sing the praises of such wonderful databases as the Bodleian Library's Catalogue of Broadside Ballads and the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library online.
For me, the making of this programme was a fascinating journey of discovery, and I learned early on that the absence of repertoire on certain topics was as indicative of a story as the repertoire that I found. But more than leading me simply on a search for musical repertoire, A History of Private Life inspired me to rethink how we listen to music past and present and what it is that we - as private, individual listeners today - want from the music. I hope the series will entice you to follow me on this exciting journey.
About the musicians
David Owen Norris, concert pianist and professor of music
It's fascinating to see how domestic developments have always found their way into song. Songs about ironing - well, that provides our theme tune, of course - songs about sewing and stitching and sweeping, about good servants and bad servants, about washing machines and garden makeovers. We could sing our whole history. When we recorded the music for the series we had to cover the musical styles of four centuries - but the common thread was the voice of the canny British householder through the ages. Wanting to be comfortable, grateful for small mercies, and, though ever suspicious of Them Out There, ready to help with a warm-hearted humour.
Gwyneth Herbert, singer
The home has always been thought of as a retreat, where one's personal delights and secret sorrows might find courage to tiptoe out of the shadows. The songs we explored in this series illuminated such private feelings, from a girl's doe-eyed fantasies, through the flush of blushing courtship, to the joys of homemaking and the injury of neglect. The home may be a place of peace, but in these songs every corner seems filled with the glorious noise of living - whispering servants, squabbling children, the brush and the clang and the sweep and the moan. And whether finding pleasure in the simplicity of domestic life, or worn down by the drudgery of daily toil, no matter the century, I think we could all find similar things to sing about today.
Thomas Guthrie, singer
We had a great time with the songs for A History of Private Life - both finding them and recording them. It was fascinating to follow the thread of home-made and made-for-home music through the centuries, and among the serious research there were plenty of raised eyebrows - and elbows in the ribs. I do remember laughing a lot. There was a feeling of uncovering, not just tunes, but real lives as we crashed through song after song. We all knew when we'd got a good one - and it only took one look over at Elizabeth Burke, the producer, to confirm the stinkers (and there were a few of those!) But mostly wonderful melodies and stories. Can't wait to hear the whole thing together.
Related Links
On Radio 4
- Amanda Vickery on The History of Private Life
- Behind the Scenes Blog from Programme Producer Elizabeth Burke
- Radio 4 History Programmes
On bbc.co.uk
Elsewhere on the web
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