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Richard Mabey

Michael Berkeley's guest is naturalist Richard Mabey, who selects music from Dowland, Butterworth and Canteloube, and performers from Corsica and Venezuela.

Michael Berkeley's guest this week is Richard Mabey, who has been described as 'Britain's greatest living nature writer'. His first book, 'Food for Free', came out in 1972, and since then he has published a stream of acclaimed books including a biography of Gilbert White, which won the 1986 Whitbread Biography of the Year', the ground-breaking bestseller 'Flora Britannica' (1996), and his latest book 'Weeds' (2010). He contributes frequently to 大象传媒 radio, wrote and narrated the 1996 大象传媒 TV series 'Postcards from the Country', and has made films for the 大象传媒 on Kew Gardens and the Yorkshire Dales. He is currently working on a book about Flora Thompson, author of 'Lark Rise to Candleford'.

His musical passions are wide-ranging, from a charming madrigal by John Dowland (which reminds him of his schooldays) and George Butterworth's poignant setting of Housman's 'Is my team ploughing?' to a modern setting of a First World War protest song, an improvisation by clarinettist David Rothenberg and two colleagues over the song of marsh warblers, 'The Quail' from Canteloube's 'Songs of the Auvergne', a male-voice choir from a Corsican hill-town singing a traditional song, and two contrasting pieces from Latin America, including one played by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 6 Feb 2011 12:00
大象传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • John Dowland

    Come Again.

    Performers: The Consort of Musicke: Evelyn Tubb (soprano), Lucy Ballard (alto), Andrew King (tenor), Simon Grant (bass), Anthony Rooley (lute and director)

    • Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
    • ASV GAUDEAMUS GAU 187.

  • Eric Bogle

    The Green Fields of France

    Performers: The men they couldn鈥檛 hang

    • Majestic Grill.
    • DEMON FIEND CD940.

  • Anon

    Les Ameriquains

    Performers: Le Concert des Nations/Jordi Savall

    • L鈥橭rchestre de Louis XIII.
    • ALIA VOX AV 9824.

  • I Muvrini

    Barbara furtuna

    • Collection i Muvrini Versions originales.
    • CDR 213.

  • Juan de Araujo

    Ay, Andar!

    Performers: Ex Cathedra/Jeffrey Skidmore

    • Moon, sun and all things.

  • Improvisation over the song of marsh warblers

    Soo-roo

    Performers: David Rothenberg (clarinet), John Wieczorek (percussion), Robert J眉rjendal (guitar). Has written a book on Nightingales, a passion shared with David Rothenberg, who has become a friend.

    • Soo-Roo.
    • TERRA NOVA MUSIC 0692 8630561-2.

  • Joseph Canteloube

    Lo Calh茅 (The Quail) (from Songs of the Auvergne)

    Performers: Netania Devrath (soprano), Orchestra conducted by Pierre de la Roche

    • VANGUARD 08800272.

  • George Butterworth

    Is my team ploughing?

    Performers: Roderick Williams (baritone), Iain Burnside (piano)

    • English Song Series, vol 20.
    • NAXOS 8.572426.

  • Evencio Castellanos

    Santa Cruz de Pacairigua (excerpt)

    Performers: Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela/Gustavo Dudamel

    • Fiesta.
    • DG 477 8337.

Broadcast

  • Sun 6 Feb 2011 12:00
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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