Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Seven Ages of Christmas

What does Christmas mean to different age groups? Nina Sosanya and Robert Webb read festive poetry and prose describing the manger and nativity plays to cooking and unwanted gifts.

Readers Nina Sosanya and Robert Webb delve into a Christmas stocking of poetry and prose covering all ages. According to popular song Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year", but whether or not you agree might depend on your age. Taking our cue from Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man, Words and Music explores the varying attitudes to Christmas for different age groups - from the baby in a manger to wide-eyed, Santa-obsessed youngsters; blas茅 teenagers to relationship-stymmied 20 and 30 somethings; life-weary parents to grumpy old men and women. We hear from Jane Austen's Emma and Mr Knightley's reluctance to leave his fireside on Christmas Eve to visit friends, a cash-strapped teenage Adrian Mole, singleton Queenie, eleven-year-old Anne of Green Gables overcome with wonder at her Christmas dress, eight-year-old Kevin, who finds himself unexpectedly Home Alone for Christmas, fastidious planner and cooking guide for so many of us Delia Smith, T.S. Eliot's Magi, and the ultimate Christmas humbug, Ebenezer Scrooge himself.

The musical soundtrack is packed with seasonal favourites, with carols ranging from a mediaeval lullaby through to Florence Price, Sally Beamish and John Rutter, and popular songs from Louis Armstrong and Mariah Carey. And as it鈥檚 Christmas Eve, there鈥檚 music especially written for this magical night by Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker); Corelli (Christmas Concerto); and Puccini (La Boh猫me).

From the contemplative and spiritual to raucous party fun, whatever your view of Christmas, there will be something that chimes with your festive outlook.

Producer: Graham Rogers

READINGS
Sarah Teasdale: Christmas Carol
Nicholas Moore: On Christmas Eve
Esther Freud: Hideous Kinky
John Irving: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Alice Beer: December 24th
LM Montgomery: Anne of Green Gables
Tod Strasser: Home Alone
Marion Strobel: On Christmas
Sue Townsend: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 戮
Sharyn November: Christmas
Candice Carty-Williams: Queenie
Jane Austen: Emma
Shona Kerr-Hill: Christmas Shopping
Delia Smith: Delia Smith's Christmas
Judith Holder: The Secret Diary of a Grumpy Old Woman
Pam Ayres: Goodwill To Men - Give Us Your Money
Agatha Christie: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
Elizabeth Strout: Oh William!
TS Eliot: Journey of the Magi
Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Christmas Eve 2023 17:00
大象传媒 Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Madame Bovary and independent women

Next

惭辞濒颈猫谤别

See all episodes from Words and Music

Music Played

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

  • 00:00

    Trad.

    Star Carol

    Performer: Simon & Garfunkel.
    • Columbia C3K 64780.
    • 21.

  • Sarah Teasdale

    Christmas Carol, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:02

    Anon.

    Coventry Carol

    Choir: Tallis Scholars. Director: Peter Phillips.
    • Gimmel CDGIM010.
    • 6.

  • Nicholas Moore

    On Christmas Eve, read by Robert Webb

  • 00:03

    Trad.

    Away in a manger

    Music Arranger: Graham Fitkin. Performer: Ruth Wall.
    • GFR GFCD011213.
    • 14.

  • Esther Freud

    Hideous Kinky, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:07

    Trad.

    Zither Carol

    Performer: David Rees-Williams Trio.
    • Champs Hill CHRCD047.
    • 8.

  • John Irving

    A Prayer for Owen Meaney, read by Robert Webb

  • 00:10

    Gustav Holst

    In the bleak midwinter

    Performer: Sheku Kanneh鈥怣ason. Performer: Isata Kanneh鈥怣ason.
    • Decca 4834677.
    • 1.

  • Alice Beer

    December 24th

  • 00:11

    Franz Xaver Gruber

    Stille Nacht

    Choir: Taverner Choir. Conductor: Andrew Parrott.
    • Warner 5099950368051.
    • 3.

  • Lucy Maud Montgomery

    Anne of Green Gables, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:15

    John Williams

    Home Alone 聳 Main title

    Conductor: John Williams.
    • CBS SK 46595.
    • 1.

  • Todd Strasser (based on screenplay by John Hughes)

    Home Alone, read by Robert Webb

  • 00:20

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Trepak (The Nutcracker)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • EMI 6463852.
    • 6.
  • 00:21

    Gerald Finzi

    The Salutation (Dies Natalis)

    Performer: Amy Dickson. Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Decca 4789357.
    • 2.

  • Marion Strobel

    On Christmas, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:26

    Sally Beamish

    In the stillness

    Choir: ORA. Conductor: Suzi Digby.
    • Harmonia Mundi 905295DI.
    • 4.
  • 00:28

    Wheatus

    Teenage Dirtbag

    • Columbia 6696562000.
    • 1.

  • Sue Townsend

    The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 戮, read by Robert Webb

  • 00:30

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    In dulci jubilo BWV751

    Performer: Wilhelm Kempff.
    • DG 439108-2.
    • 21.

  • Sharyn November

    Christmas, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:32

    Florence Price

    Song for Snow

    Choir: VocalEssence. Performer: Paul Shaw. Conductor: Philip Brunelle.
    • Clarion CLR907CD.
    • 3.
  • 00:34

    Chilly Gonzales

    All I want for Christmas is you

    • Gentle Threat GENTLE022CD.
    • 8.

  • Candice Carty-Williams

    Queenie, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:36

    The King's Men

    All I want for Christmas is you

    • King聮s College Cambridge KGS0017D.
    • 2.

  • Helen Fielding

    Bridget Jones聮s Diary, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:40

    Giacomo Puccini

    La Boheme 聳 Act 2 (conclusion)

    Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • Warner 5099909481954.
    • 6.

  • Jane Austen

    Emma, read by Robert Webb

  • 00:45

    Arcangelo Corelli

    Concerto Grosso in G minor Op.6 No.8 聯Christmas night聰 聳 6th mvt

    Ensemble: Gli Incogniti. Conductor: Amandine Beyer.
    • Zig Zag ZZT 327.
    • 34.

  • Shona Kerr-Hill

    Christmas Shopping, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:49

    Johnny Hawksworth

    Ready to Serve (Delia Smith聮s Cookery Course)

    Performer: Johnny Hawksworth.
    • De Wolfe Music DWCR 004.
    • 15.

  • Delia Smith

    Delia Smith聮s Christmas, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:50

    John Rutter

    Shepherd聮s Pipe Carol

    Choir: The Cambridge Singers. Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia. Conductor: John Rutter.
    • Collegium CSCD510.
    • 11.

  • Judith Holder

    The Secret Diary of a Grumpy Old Woman, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 00:54

    Trad.

    Deck the Halls

    Music Arranger: Craig Leon. Ensemble: London Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Christopher Warren鈥怗reen.
    • Sony 88697988872.
    • 1.

  • Pam Ayres

    Goodwill To Men - Give Us Your Money, read by Robert Webb

  • 00:55

    罢谤盲诲

    God rest you merry gentlemen

    Performer: Aimee Mann.
    • V2 VVR1043968.
    • 8.

  • Agatha Christie

    The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, read by Robert Webb

  • 00:58

    Victor Hely-Hutchinson

    Carol Symphony 聳 3rd mvt

    Orchestra: Pro Arte Orchestra. Conductor: Barry Rose.
    • EMI CDM 764131 2.
    • 3.

  • Elizabeth Strout

    Oh William!, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 01:03

    Peter Cornelius

    Three Kings

    Choir: Choir of King鈥檚 College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.
    • Collins 13352.
    • 17.

  • T.S. Eliot

    Journey of the Magi, read by Nina Sosanya

  • 01:07

    Felix Bernard

    Winter Wonderland

    Performer: Louis Armstrong. Ensemble: Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra.
    • Hip-O Records B0000697-02.
    • 14.

  • Charles Dickens

    A Christmas Carol, read by Robert Webb

  • 01:10

    Isaac Watts

    Joy to the World

    Performer: Ella Fitzgerald.
    • Capitol B0000697-02.
    • 5.
  • 01:10

    Isaac Watts

    Joy to the World

    Performer: Earth, Wind & Fire.
    • Sony 88875015982.
    • 1.
  • 01:11

    Judith Weir

    My Guardian Angel

    Choir: ORA. Conductor: Suzi Digby. Conductor: Suzi Digby.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 14.

Broadcasts

  • Christmas Eve 2021 18:15
    大象传媒 Radio 3
  • Christmas Eve 2023 17:00
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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.