Each week the programme examines some of the larger questions of life, taking a spiritual theme and exploring it through music, prose and poetry.
Programme details: Sunday 21st December 2008
Birth
Today’s programme was presented by the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion.
The readers were Liza Sadovy, Paul Shelley and Phil Smith
Readings and Music
Music 1: ‘Infant Joy’ libretto by William Blake, music by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Performed by Benjamin Luxon (Baritone) and David Willison (Piano). From the CD, ‘Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel’, released by London.
Reading 1: ‘Prayer Before Birth’ by Louis MacNeice. Ed. Michael Dengley, Published by Faber and Faber (1988), ISBN : 0-571-15270-8
Music 2:‘Das Neugeborne Kindelein’ composed by J.S. Bach performed by Collegium Vocale. From the CD, ‘Weihnachtskantaten’, released by Harmonia Mundi.
Reading 2: ‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison. Published by Picador (1987), ISBN 0-330-30537-9. p84 & 85
Music 3: ‘Waters Above!’ from the Spring Symphony Op.44; libretto by Henry Vaughan, music by Benjamin Britten. Performed by Robert Tear and the London Symphony Orchestra. From the CD, ‘Britten: Spring Symphony’, released by EMI.
Reading 3: ‘The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole’ by Sue Townsend. Published by Penguin, p149/150/151.
Music 4: ‘Born at the Right Time’ composed and performed by Paul Simon. From the CD, ‘Essential Paul Simon’. Released by Warner Bros.
Reading 4: ‘Morning Song’ by Sylvia Plath from ‘Ariel’. Published by Faber & Faber (1968), ISBN 0571 086 268.
Reading 5: ‘The Spirit is too Blunt an Instrument’ by Anne Stevenson. Performed by the poet herself on the CD, ‘Anne Stevenson: Reading from Her Poems’, released by The Poetry Archive. Available through http://www.poetryarchive.org. (Book information: ’The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument’from ‘Fifty Fifty: Poetry Library Anthology’ (The South Bank Centre 2003) ISBN 09544 80708, ed. Simon Smith et al. Published by Bloodaxe Books)
Music 5: ‘Lullabye for Lucy’ composed by Peter Maxwell Davies and performed by the BBC Singers. From the CD, ‘Peter Maxwell Davies: Choral Works’, released by Collins Classics.
Reading 5: ‘Thaw’ by Kathleen Jamie from ‘Mr & Mrs Scotland Are Dead’, published by Bloodaxe. It is also available in the anthology ‘Staying Alive’, published by Bloodaxe.
Reading 6: ‘The Poisonwood Bible’ by Barbara Kingsolver. Published by Faber & Faber, p564/565.
Music 6: ‘Hodie Christus Natus Est’ composed by Poulenc. Performed by the Winchester Cathedral Choir, from the CD, ‘Winchester Cathedral Choir: Works by Honegger and Poulenc.
Something Understood is a Unique production for BBC Radio 4.
