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New Shakespeare Songbook: United Kingdom

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, from Macbeth - a 大象传媒 Shakespeare Lives and 大象传媒 Radio 3 co-commission

On the 400 anniversary of his death, the 大象传媒, Austrian broadcaster ORF, with the support of the European Broadcasting Union, have decided to commission a New Shakespeare Songbook, offering today’s composers and musicians across Europe, the chance to respond afresh to these timeless texts.

New Shakespeare Songbook: United Kingdom

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, from Macbeth - performed by Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
— To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

— Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 17-28)

Behind the scenes with composer Matthew Herbert

New Shakespeare Songbook: Matthew Herbert interview

Composer Matthew Herbert on Shakespeare and Macbeth

Sounds of Shakespeare on 大象传媒 Radio 3

  • Sean Rafferty launches Radio 3's Sounds of Shakespeare anniversary celebration weekend with a special In Tune live from Stratford-upon-Avon.

About the New Shakespeare Songbook

Peter Maniura - 大象传媒 Shakespeare Lives:

"If music be the food of love, play on..."

Shakespeare is a great songwriter; songs permeate the tragedies, comedies and histories and have provided a source of inspiration for composers, lyricists and performers for four centuries.

On the 400 anniversary of his death, the 大象传媒 and Austrian broadcaster ORF, with the support of the European Broadcasting Union, have decided to commission a New Shakespeare Songbook, offering today’s composers and musicians across Europe, the chance to respond afresh to these timeless texts.

But this isn’t just music to be heard, it’s meant to be seen as well. Composers and performers worked with film-makers and directors to produce new songs which were also conceived as films.

The teams were free to use any Shakespeare text from his plays and sonnets and to set them in English, or in their native tongue. There was no restriction in terms of musical genre. The British songs were co-commissioned by 大象传媒 Shakespeare Lives and 大象传媒 Radio 3.

We hope you enjoy the imaginative, diverse and poetic results – welcome to the New Shakespeare Songbook!

Other countries' music videos

  • Gustav performs Liebe, Ach! (O, love) - Shakespeare's Sonnet 23

  • Omxo Puccino performs Shakespeare's Sonnets 91 & 94

  • Ane Brun performs Shakespeare's Sonnet 138

  • Trio R锚verie perform Ne, ona nima 啪ametnih o膷i (My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun) - Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

  • Anah矛 Traversi performs Povera Anima (Poor Soul) - Shakespeare's Sonnet 146

  • Kathryn Rudge performs Love Sought - a new setting by Roxanna Panufnik, from Twelfth Night

New Shakespeare Songbook