Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Fruit and Vegetables

Paterson Joseph and Jane Whittenshaw read poetry and prose on the theme of fruit and veg - from Beatrix Potter's lettuce-loving Peter Rabbit to a haiku about the hackberry fruit.

As farmers hope for a good harvest and a plentiful crop of autumn fruits, Paterson Joseph and Jane Whittenshaw read poetry and prose on the theme of the humble fruit and vegetable. From Beatrix Potter's lettuce-loving Peter Rabbit to the Campion's tempting Cherry-Ripe; these dietary stalwarts have long been associated with indulgence and, sometimes, misbehaviour. Sometimes they are just pure pleasure, as in William Carlos Williams's poem about 'cold' and 'delicious' plums in an icebox. For Nigel Slater, just 'the rough feel of a runner bean between the fingers' can bring a special sort of comfort. The nutritious soundtrack includes Joplin's Pineapple Rag, Nina Simone's Forbidden Fruit and Handel's Ruddier than the Cherry.

Producer: Georgia Mann

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 27 Aug 2023 17:30

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    Scott Joplin

    Pineapple Rag

    Performer: Itzhak Perlman. Performer: Andr茅 Previn.
  • 00:01

    Scott Joplin

    Pineapple rag, arr. Perlman for violin and piano [orig. for piano]

    Performer: Itzhak Perlman. Performer: Andr茅 Previn.
    • Warner 2564613025.
  • Wendy Cope

    The Orange read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:02

    Vincent Rose

    Blueberry Hill

    Performer: Fats Domino.
    • Imperial ?聳 X5386.
  • 00:02

    Fats Domino

    Blueberry Hill

  • William Carlos Williams

    This Is Just To Say read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:04

    Henry Purcell

    Fantazia upon one note (Z.745) in F major for 5 instruments

    Performer: Fretwork.
    • Harmonia Mundi HMU907502.
  • 00:04

    Henry Purcell

    Fantazia upon one note, Z.745

    Ensemble: Fretwork.
  • Thomas Campion

    Cherry 聳Ripe read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:06

    George Frideric Handel

    O Ruddier than the Cherry (Acis and Galatea)

    Singer: John Tomlinson. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: David Parry.
  • 00:06

    George Frideric Handel

    O Ruddier Than The Cherry (Acis and Galatea)

    Performer: John Tomlinson. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: David Parry.
    • Chandos CHAN3044.
  • 00:00

    John Dowland

    Semper Dowland Semper Dolens

    Performer: Paul O鈥橠ette.
    • Harmonia Mundi HMU 907515.
  • 00:09

    John Dowland

    Semper Dowland Semper Dolens

    Performer: Paul O鈥橠ette.
  • Milton

    Extract from Paradise Lost read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:11

    Nina Simone

    Forbidden Fruit

  • 00:11

    Oscar Brown Jr.

    Forbidden Fruit

    Performer: Nina Simone.
    • Colpix CP 419.
  • 00:14

    Noel Gay

    Run Rabbit

    Lyricist: Ralph Butler. Performer: Flanagan and Allen.
    • DMG TV ?聳 DMGTV017.
  • 00:14

    Flanagan and Allen

    Run Rabbit Run

  • Beatrix Potter

    Extract from Peter Rabbit read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:16

    Frank Zappa

    Call Any Vegetables

    Performer: The Mothers of Invention.
    • Trystar ?聳 TR006.
  • 00:16

    The Mothers of Invention

    Call Any Vegetables

  • Nigel Slater

    Extract from Tender: A Cook and his Vegetable Patch read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:18

    The Vegetable Orchestra

    Scoville

  • 00:18

    The Vegetable Orchestra

    Scoville

    Performer: The Vegetable Orchestra.
    • Transacoustic Research TRES008.
  • 00:19

    David Lang

    Just

    Ensemble: Trio Medi忙val.
  • 00:19

    David Lang

    Just (After Song of Songs)

    Performer: Trio Medi忙val.
    • Indisgo Film 399 773-2.
  • King James Bible

    Extract from The Song of Soloman read by Paterson Joseph

  • Emily Dickinson

    Forbidden Fruit A Flavor Has read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:22

    Herbert Chappell

    Caribbean Concerto, Nocturne

    Performer: Eduardo Fern谩ndez. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth.
    • Decca 4830586.
  • 00:22

    Herbert Chappell

    Caribbean Concerto (2nd mvt: Nocturne)

    Performer: Eduardo Fern谩ndez. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth.
  • Derek Walcott

    Extract from Star Apple Kingdom read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:25

    George Gershwin

    Let's call the whole thing off

    Performer: Ella Fitzgerald. Performer: Louis Armstrong.
  • 00:25

    Ira & George Gershwin

    Let聮s Call the Whole Thing Off

    Performer: Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.
    • Performance (7) ?聳 38119.
  • Grace Nichols

    Winter Thoughts read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:30

    Abel Meeropol

    Strange Fruit

    Performer: Billie Holiday. Performer: Sonny White.
    • Affinity CDAFS10198.
  • 00:30

    Billie Holiday

    Strange Fruit

  • 00:33

    Rachel Portman

    Apple Tree

    Performer: Rachel Portman.
    • Node Records.
  • 00:33

    Rachel Portman

    Apple Tree

  • Sylvia Plath

    Metaphors read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:35

    The Beach Boys

    Vegetables

  • 00:35

    Brian Wilson

    Vegetables

    Performer: The Beach Boys.
    • Capitol Records C2 0777 7 81294 2 4.
  • Jerome K. Jerome

    Extract from Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:41

    Arthur Sullivan

    Pineapple Poll - Opening dance

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones.
    • Naxos 8570351.
  • 00:41

    Arthur Sullivan

    Opening Dance (Pineapple Poll)

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones.
  • 00:44

    Ted Waite/Andy Phillips

    I've Never Seen A Straight Banana

    Performer: The Demon Barbers.
    • ASV CD WHL2089.
  • 00:44

    Demon Barbers

    I've never seen a straight banana

  • Elizabeth Gaskell

    Extract from Cranford read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:46

    Manfred Mann

    Sweet pea

  • 00:46

    Tommy Roe

    Sweet Pea

    Performer: Manfred Mann.
    • Spectrum Music (2) ?聳 552 375-2.
  • 00:49

    Benjamin Britten

    Gloriana - symphonic suite Op.53a: Courtly dances: March & Coranto

    Orchestra: 大象传媒 Philharmonic. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Chandos CHAN10658.
  • 00:49

    Benjamin Britten

    Courtly Dances (Gloriana)

    Orchestra: 大象传媒 Philharmonic. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
  • Shakespeare

    Extract from As You Like It read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:51

    Peteris Vasks

    The Fruit of Silence

    Choir: VOCES8. Conductor: Hugh Watkins.
    • Decca 4830968.
  • 00:51

    Peteris Vasks

    The Fruit of Silence

    Ensemble: Voces 8. Conductor: Hugh Watkins.
  • 00:56

    Claude Debussy

    The Snowflakes are Dancing from Children聮s Corner

    Performer: Isao Tomita.
    • RCA RD84587.
  • 00:56

    Claude Debussy

    The Snowflakes are Dancing (Children's Corner)

    Performer: Tomita.
  • Matsuo Basho

    As the hackberry fruit falls read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 00:58

    Arnold Bax

    Summer Music

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones.
  • 00:58

    Arnold Bax

    Summer Music

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones.
    • Nxos 8.570573-74.
  • Seamus Heaney

    Blackberry-Picking read by Paterson Joseph

  • 01:02

    Ravi Shankar

    Extract from Swara-kakali for violin, sitar and tabla arr. from Rag tilang, Gat in Teentala

    Performer: Daniel Hope. Performer: Gaurav Mazumdar. Performer: Asok Chakraborty. Performer: Gilda Sebastian.
    • Warner Classics 256461329-2.
  • 01:02

    Ravi Shankar

    Swara-kakali

    Performer: Daniel Hope. Performer: Gaurav Mazumdar. Performer: Gilda Sebastian.
  • Rabindranath Tagore

    Extract from Fruit-Gathering read by Jane Whittenshaw

  • 01:05

    Aarif Jaman

    Hijaaz Yamani

    Performer: Aarif Jaman.
    • Music Box International (2) ?聳 MBLP 266.
  • 01:05

    Arif Jaman

    Hijaaz Yamani

  • Khalil Gibran

    The Pomegranate read by Paterson Joseph

  • 01:08

    Nick Drake

    Fruit Tree

    Performer: Nick Drake.
    • IMCD 196, 524 007-2.
  • 01:08

    Nick Drake

    Fruit Tree

Broadcasts

  • Sun 24 Jan 2021 17:30
  • Sun 27 Aug 2023 17:30

The hidden history of plant-based diets

The hidden history of plant-based diets

Forget social media influencers - the meat-free movement started with the Victorians.

Books website

Get closer to books with in-depth articles, quizzes and our picks from radio & TV.