Featherbrained
A sequence of poetry, prose and music on the theme of birds and the human imagination, with readings by Anna Maxwell Martin and Jonjo O'Neill.
An exploration of birds and the human imagination from Wallace Stevens to the crows in Disney's Dumbo with the actors Anna Maxwell Martin and Jonjo O'Neill.
Is there something atavistic about an earthbound creature's fascination with flying? Could this be why birds have such a grip on our imagination? Think of it - Shakespeare's starlings and jackdaws - Rossini's thieving magpie - Lewis Carroll and the dodo....The Owl and the Pussycat ...Messiaen's extraordinary musical aviary ... we're always adding to the list. Somehow, it seems, our minds are refreshed and perplexed by birds. Although profoundly different we seek out similarities with their behaviour; then, perversely, we decide to envy their singularity; we ponder their savagery, then wonder if we should follow their example; even as we hunt them, we marvel at their resilience - windblown scraps flying against a howling gale, or sandmartins snuggling together in deep domesticity. This evening's edition of Words and Music is an exploration of all things featherbrained - an all too human swoop from Wallace Stevens' blackbird to the singing crows in Disney's Dumbo; from the ambivalent sweetness of the dove you can hear in Du Fay or Penalosa to the slight and sensual figure of a wading girl that James Joyce transforms into a seabird. Whether a lark ascending makes your heart leap or whether you're stirred by the brassy lure of a buzzard, prepare to take wing.
Producer: Zahid Warley.
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Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:00George Gershwin
The Buzzard Song from Porgy and Bess
Performer: Miles Davis.- CBS.
- Tr1.
-
J A Baker
From The Peregrine read by Jonjo O聮Neill
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00:05Raautavara
Joutsenet muuttavat(Swans migrating)
Performer: Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Hannu Lintu conductor.- Naxos.
- Tr6.
Mark Doty
Migratory read by Anna Maxwell Martin
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00:14Carl Stalling
The High and the Flighty
Performer: Warner Brothers orchestra arranger Milt Franklyn.- Warner.
- Tr3.
![]()
00:20Oliver Wallace
When I see an Elephant Fly
Performer: Cliff Edwards and Hall Johnson Choir.- Disney.
- Tr13.
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00:22B Harris and Charlie Parker
Ornithology
Performer: Bud Powell.- Roulette.
- Tr12.
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00:28C Foxx and I Foxx
Mockingbird from All Time Greatest Hits of Rock 聭N聮 Roll
Performer: Inez Foxx.- EMI.
- Tr11.
Wallace Stevens
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird read by Anna Maxwell Martin
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00:33Francisco de Pe帽alosa
Unica est Columba mea
Performer: Pro Cantione Antiqua.- Hyperion.
- Tr10.
James Joyce
Extract from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man read by Jonjo O聮Neill
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00:39Guillaume Dufay
Responsory
Performer: Pomerium director Alexander Blachly.- Archiv.
- Tr12.
J A Baker
The Nightjar from The Peregrine read by Anna Maxwell Martin
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00:43Olivier Messiaen
L'alouette calandrelle Catalogue d'Oiseaux
Performer: H氓kon Austb酶.- Naxos.
- Tr4.
Thom Gunn
Tamer and Hawk read by Anna Maxwell Martin
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00:49Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending from Nigel Kennedy's Greatest Hits
Performer: Nigel Kennedy.- EMI.
- Tr4.
Seamus Heaney
Homecomings read by Anna Maxwell Martin
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00:58Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending from Nigel Kennedy's Greatest Hits
Performer: Nigel Kennedy.- EMI.
- Tr4.
Fleur Adcock
The Last Moa read by Anna Maxwell Martin
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01:10Folksong
Song of the Birds from Bach The Cello Suites
Performer: Steven Isserlis.- Hyperion.
- Tr13.
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01:13Trad.
On Christmas night (Sussex carol) arr. P Ledger for chorus and organ
Performer: Simon Bell. Performer: Frances Kelly. Music Arranger: Philip Ledger. Choir: Winchester Cathedral Choir. Director: Andrew Lumsden.- Christmas from Winchester: Winchester Cathedral Choir.
- Regent.
- 1.
Producer's Note - Featherbrained
Is听there something atavistic about an earthbound creature鈥檚 fascination with flying? Could this be why birds have such a grip on our imagination? Think of it 鈥� Shakespeare鈥檚 starlings and jackdaws 鈥� Rossini鈥檚 thieving magpie 鈥� Lewis Carroll and the dodo鈥�.The Owl and the Pussycat 鈥essiaen鈥檚 extraordinary 听musical aviary 鈥� we鈥檙e 听always听 adding to the list. Somehow, it seems, our minds are refreshed and perplexed by 听birds. Although profoundly different we seek out similarities with their behaviour; then, perversely, 听we decide to envy their singularity; we听 ponder their 听savagery, then wonder if we should follow their example; even as we hunt them, 听we marvel at their resilience 鈥� windblown scraps flying against a howling gale, or sandmartins snuggling together in deep domesticity. This evening鈥檚 edition of Words and Music is an exploration of all things featherbrained 鈥� an all too human听swoop听 from Wallace Stevens鈥� 听blackbird to the singing crows in Disney鈥檚 Dumbo; from the ambivalent sweetness of the dove you can hear in Du Fay or Penalosa听 to the slight and sensual figure of a wading girl that听 James Joyce 听transforms 听into a seabird.听 听Whether a lark听听ascending makes your heart leap or whether you鈥檙e stirred by the brassy lure of a buzzard, prepare to take wing.
听
Producer: Zahid Warley
Broadcasts
- Sun 1 Jun 2014 17:30大象传媒 Radio 3
- Mon 28 Dec 2015 16:30大象传媒 Radio 3
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