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Long Life

With music from Arvo P盲rt, Elliott Carter, Holst and Richard Strauss and writing by authors including Diana Athill, Elaine Feinstein, Lewis Carroll, Roger McGough and WB Yeats.

Writings by Jan Morris, the world traveller who died in 2020 aged 94, begin and end this programme which explores the idea of longevity in humans and extraordinary lifespans in the natural world, such as whales, ocean quahogs and the redwood trees depicted in Richard Powers鈥� prize-winning novel 'The Overstory'. There are extracts from writers including Virginia Woolf and Tove Jansson and from George Bernard Shaw鈥檚 play 'Back to Methuselah' 鈥� whom the Bible claims lived to 969.

Music ranges from Arvo P盲rt鈥檚 'Sarah Was Ninety Years Old' based on Abraham鈥檚 wife in the Book of Genesis, to an 'Elegy' by Elliott Carter who lived to be 103, and music performed by Danish jazz violinist Svend Asmussen who lived to 100, British harpist Sidonie Goossens who lived until she was 105, and the pianist Menahem Pressler who died at the age of 99.

Our readers are Eileen O'Brien and Timothy West and the programme is repeated in tribute to Timothy West, who died aged 90, in November 2024.

Producers: Jenny Pitt and Lorna Newman

READINGS:
Jan Morris: In My Mind's Eye (A Thought Diary)
John Agard: Twilight Manoeuvring
Ruth Fainlight: Ageing
Joseph Edwards Carpenter: The King of the Southern Sea
Jonas Jonasson: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
Tove Jansson: The Summer Book
Lewis Carroll: You Are Old, Father William
Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon (Musings of a Geriatric Starlet)
Matt Haig: How to Stop Time
Virginia Woolf: Orlando: A Biography
WB Yeats: Sailing to Byzantium
Steven N Austad: Methuselah's Zoo
Roger McGough: The Oldest Tree on Earth: The Curse of Methuselah (poem six)
George Bernard Shaw: Back to Methuselah
Diana Athill: Alive, Alive Oh! (And Other Things That Matter)
Richard Powers: The Overstory
Elaine Feinstein: Long Life
James Hilton: Lost Horizon

1 hour, 14 minutes

On radio

Monday 18:15
大象传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

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

  • Speech: Jan Morris: In My Mind's Eye: A Thought Diary, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Jan Morris: In My Mind's Eye: A Thought Diary, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:01

    Gustav Holst

    Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age (from The Planets - suite Op.32)

    Performer: New Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Boult.
    • EMI.
    • 5669342.
  • 00:02

    Gustav Holst

    The Planets - suite Op.32

    Conductor: Adrian Boult. Performer: New Philharmonia Orchestra.
    • EMI.
    • 5669342.

  • Speech: John Agard: Twilight Manoeuvring, read by Timothy West

  • Speech: John Agard: Twilight Manoeuvring, read by Timothy West

  • 00:06

    Giuseppe Verdi

    "When you are old and full of tears" (from Macbeth - opera in 4 acts)

    Performer: Thomas Allen. Performer: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: David Parry.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 1147215.
  • 00:42

    Frank Bridge

    When you are old for voice and piano

    Performer: Benjamin Britten. Performer: Peter Pears.
    • DECCA.
    • 4785672.

  • Speech: Ruth Fainlight: Ageing, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Ruth Fainlight: Ageing, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:11

    Gioachino Rossini

    Enough of Memories, Let's Dance [Sins of Old Age, vol.6 no.4]

    Performer: Frederic Chiu.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • HMA1957102.
  • 00:12

    Gioachino Rossini

    Assez de memento - dansons for piano [Peches de viellesse, vol.6 no.4]

    Performer: Frederic Chiu.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • HMA1957102.

  • Speech: Joseph Edwards Carpenter: The King of the Southern Sea, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Joseph Edwards Carpenter: The King of the Southern Sea, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:16

    Alan Hovhaness

    And God created great whales Op.229

    Performer: Seattle Symphony. Conductor: Gerard Schwarz.
    • Delos.
    • DE3421.
  • 00:17

    Alan Hovhaness

    And God created great whales Op.229 for orchestra & recorded whalesong

    Conductor: Gerard Schwarz. Performer: Seattle Symphony.
    • Delos.
    • DE3421.

  • Speech: Jonas Jonasson: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, read by Timothy West

  • 00:19

    Peter Warlock

    "The Old Codger" (from 4 Codpieces, arr. clarinet, trombone & piano)

    Performer: John Bradbury. Performer: Richard Brown. Performer: Aly Zuntz.
  • 00:20

    Peter Warlock

    4 Codpieces

    Performer: Aly Zuntz. Performer: John Bradbury. Performer: Richard Brown.

  • Speech: Tove Jansson: The Summer Book, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Tove Jansson (transl. Thomas Teal): The Summer Book, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:21

    Bill Withers

    Grandma's Hands

    Music Arranger: Booker T. Jones. Performer: Bill Withers.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • G010004361493E.
  • 00:22

    Bill Withers

    Bill Withers arr. Booker T. Jones: Grandma's Hands

    Music Arranger: Booker T. Jones. Performer: Bill Withers.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • G010004361493E.

  • Speech: Lewis Carroll: You Are Old, Father William, read by Timothy West

  • Speech: Lewis Carroll: You Are Old, Father William, read by Timothy West

  • 00:25

    Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Twilight Way (from Poetic tone pictures Op.85 for piano)

    Performer: Leif Ove Andsnes.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.
    • 19439912092.

  • Speech: Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon (musings of a geriatric starlet), read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon (musings of a geriatric starlet), read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:28

    Aldous Harding

    Designer

    Performer: Aldous Harding. Performer: Gwion Llewelyn. Performer: H. Hawkline. Performer: John Parish. Performer: Stephen Black.
    • 4AD.
    • 4AD0102DA.
  • 00:29

    Aldous Harding

    Aldous Harding: Designer

    Performer: Aldous Harding. Performer: Aldous Harding. Performer: Gwion Llewelyn. Performer: H. Hawkline. Performer: John Parish. Performer: Stephen Black.
    • 4AD.
    • 4AD0102DA.

  • Speech: Matt Haig: How to Stop Time, read by Timothy West

  • Speech: Matt Haig: How to Stop Time, read by Timothy West

  • 00:32

    Michael Nyman

    To Music (from 'No time in eternity' for countertenor and viol consort)

    Performer: Iestyn Davies. Performer: Fretwork.
    • SIGNUM CLASSICS.
    • SIGCD 586.
  • 00:33

    Michael Nyman

    No time in eternity for countertenor and viol consort

    Performer: Iestyn Davies. Performer: Fretwork.
    • SIGNUM CLASSICS.
    • SIGCD 586.

  • Speech: Virginia Woolf: Orlando: A Biography, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Virginia Woolf: Orlando: A Biography, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:36

    David Motion

    Pavanne (from 'Orlando' film soundtrack)

    Composer: Sally Potter. Performer: Studio Orchestra.
    • VARESE SARABANDE.
    • VSD-5413.
  • 00:37

    David Motion

    with POTTER, Sally Orlando - music for the film

    Performer: Studio Orchestra.
    • VARESE SARABANDE.
    • VSD-5413.

  • Speech: William Butler Yeats: Sailing to Byzantium, read by Timothy West

  • Speech: William Butler Yeats: Sailing to Byzantium, read by Timothy West

  • 00:41

    Frank Bridge

    When you are old for voice and piano

    Lyricist: William Butler Yeats. Performer: Peter Pears. Performer: Benjamin Britten.
    • DECCA.
    • 4785672.
  • 00:44

    Arvo P盲rt

    Sarah was ninety years old for 3 voices, percussion and organ

    Performer: Sarah Leonard. Performer: Rogers Covey鈥怌rump. Performer: John Potter. Performer: Christopher Bowers-Broadbent. Performer: Pierre Favre.
    • ECM NEW SERIES.
    • 00042284753920.
  • 00:47

    Arvo P盲rt

    Sarah was ninety years old for 3 voices, percussion and organ

    Performer: Sarah Leonard. Performer: Rogers Covey鈥怌rump. Performer: John Potter. Performer: Christopher Bowers-Broadbent. Performer: Pierre Favre.
    • ECM NEW SERIES.
    • 00042284753920.

  • Speech: Steven N Austad: Methuselah's Zoo (excerpt about 'Ming' the quahog), read by Timothy West

  • Speech: Steven N Austad: Methuselah's Zoo (excerpt about 'Ming' the quahog), read by Timothy West

  • Speech: Roger McGough: The Oldest Tree on Earth: The Curse of Methuselah (poem six), read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Roger McGough: The Oldest Tree on Earth: The Curse of Methuselah (poem six), read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:50

    Elliott Carter

    Elegy for viola and piano

    Performer: Richard O'Neill. Performer: Anna Polonsky.
    • ONYX.
    • ONYX4129.
  • 00:51

    Elliott Carter

    Elegy for viola (or cello) and piano

    Performer: Anna Polonsky. Performer: Richard O'Neill.
    • ONYX.
    • ONYX4129.

  • Speech: George Bernard Shaw: Back to Methuselah, read by Timothy West, Eileen O'Brien and Barnaby Gordon

  • Speech: George Bernard Shaw: Back to Methuselah, read by Timothy West, Eileen O'Brien and Barnaby Gordon

  • 00:56

    John Lewis

    If I Were Eve

    Performer: Svend Asmussen. Performer: John Lewis. Performer: Jimmy Woode. Performer: Sture Kallin.
    • RHINO ATLANTIC.
    • 081227792961.
  • 00:57

    John Lewis

    J. Lewis: If I Were Eve

    Performer: Jimmy Woode. Performer: John Lewis. Performer: Sture Kallin. Performer: Svend Asmussen.
    • RHINO ATLANTIC.
    • 081227792961.

  • Speech: Diana Athill: Alive, Alive Oh! And Other Things That Matter, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Diana Athill: Alive, Alive oh! And Other Things That Matter, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 01:00

    Claude Debussy

    Reverie for piano

    Performer: Menahem Pressler.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 4798756.
  • 01:01

    Claude Debussy

    Reverie for piano

    Performer: Menahem Pressler.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 4798756.

  • Speech: Richard Powers: The Overstory, read by Timothy West

  • 01:04

    Bernard van Dieren

    Estemporale No.2 for harp

    Performer: Sidonie Goossens.
    • BRITISH MUSIC LABEL.
    • BML001.
  • 01:05

    Bernard van Dieren

    Estemporale No.2 for harp

    Performer: Sidonie Goossens.
    • BRITISH MUSIC LABEL.
    • BML001.

  • Speech: Elaine Feinstein: Long Life, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Elaine Feinstein: Long Life, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 01:07

    Richard Strauss

    鈥業m Abendrot鈥� (At sunset) from Four Last Songs

    Performer: Jessye Norman. Performer: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Kurt Masur.
    • PHILIPS.
    • 411052-2.
  • 01:08

    Richard Strauss

    4 Letzte Lieder AV.150 for voice and orchestra

    Conductor: Kurt Masur. Performer: Jessye Norman. Performer: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
    • PHILIPS.
    • 411052-2.

  • Speech: James Hilton: Lost Horizon, read by Timothy West

  • Speech: James Hilton: Lost Horizon, read by Timothy West

  • Speech: Jan Morris: In My Mind's Eye: A Thought Diary, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • Speech: Jan Morris: In My Mind's Eye: A Thought Diary, read by Eileen O'Brien

  • 00:07

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Macbeth - opera in 4 acts

    Conductor: David Parry. Performer: Thomas Allen. Performer: Philharmonia Orchestra.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 1147215.
  • 00:26

    Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Poetic tone pictures Op.85 for piano

    Performer: Leif Ove Andsnes.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.
    • 19439912092.

  • Speech: Richard Powers: The Overstory, read by Timothy West

Broadcasts

  • Sun 21 May 2023 17:30
    大象传媒 Radio 3
  • Monday 18:15
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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