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Bluebird Over the White Cliffs of Dover

Ian Hislop meets Dame Vera Lynn, veterans, musicologists and even an ornithologist in his quest to find the hidden meaning of this classic wartime song.

Dame Vera Lynn's wartime classic is British, original, but not entirely without controversy. Ian Hislop discovers the chequered history of this musical mainstay of the British nation in its finest hour. Could it really be a song weighed down by politics, propaganda and even a touch of plagiarism? And what about those bluebirds - have you ever seen any in the Dover area?

Ian meets Dame Vera Lynn, veterans, musicologists and even an ornithologist in his quest to find the hidden meaning of this classic wartime song.

30 minutes

Last on

Fri 17 Jul 2020 11:00

Broadcasts

  • Thu 5 Apr 2007 23:30
  • Mon 12 Oct 2009 11:00
  • Fri 17 Jul 2020 11:00