Composers In The Countryside

show more detail show less detail

Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country.

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

20051120

1/5. Elgar - Caractacus

Elgar's mother suggested that he write a piece based on the Iron Age hill fort at British Camp at The Malverns. Although he demurred at first, Elgar did write it, living, during the time of the composition, in a cottage where he could see the hills in the distance.

Legend has it that Caractacus was a British chieftain who fought off the Romans, but was eventually captured and went to Rome, where he so impressed the Emperor that he was allowed to live.

Simon Halsey walks the Malverns, talks to Elgar scholar Michael Foster and discovers how the landscape of the Malvern hills, and surrounding woodland, can be heard in the music.

20051204

Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country.

3/5. Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Inspired by a hymn taken from a psalm that Vaughan Williams discovered when he was putting together the English Hymnal, this inspirational piece went back to the Elizabethan composer Thomas Tallis. When, aged almost 40, he unveiled this piece by conducting it himself at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral, it was considered a quintessentially English work.

Simon Halsey returns to the place of its premiere, Gloucester Cathedral, and talks to music critic Stephen Johnson.

Producer Sara Conkey.

20051211

Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country.

4/5. Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath

Holst was a big fan of Thomas Hardy and the two men met in August 1927, a few months before Hardy died. Hardy took him in the car to what remained of Egdon Heath - made famous in Hardy's novel Return of the Native. Holst returned to the heath at night, at Hardy's suggestion, to get further inspiration.

Simon Halsey visits Hardy's Cottage and Rainbarrow on the heath, talks to composer Colin Matthews and Hardy scholar Furse Swann, and discovers the reality of what you can hear of the heath in Holst's music.

20051218

Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country.

5/5. Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire

Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire where the young Herbert Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.

20060805

1/5. Elgar's Caractacus: Elgar wrote Caractacus when his mother gave him the idea while they were walking in the Malverns. Simon Halsey visits British Camp to discover the story behind the piece.

20060812

2/5. Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes: Simon Halsey visits Aldeburgh in Suffolk to find out the inspiration behind Britten's opera and how we can hear the sea in Britten's music.

20060819

3/5. Vaughn Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

In September 1910, Ralph Vaughn Williams conducted the premiere of this piece in Gloucester Cathedral. Simon Halsey finds out how we can hear the cathedral, and surrounding landscape, in the music.

20060826

4/5. Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath

In 1927 Thomas Hardy took Gustav Holst to the heathland behind Hardy's childhood cottage in Dorset, known in his novels as Edgon Heath.

Simon Halsey visits the heath and discovers what inspired Holst to write the piece and how we can hear the landscape in the music.

20060902

5/5. Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire: Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire, where the young Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.

Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath

20060826

In 1927 Thomas Hardy took Gustav Holst to the heathland behind Hardy's childhood cottage in Dorset, known in his novels as Edgon Heath.

Simon Halsey visits the heath and discovers what inspired Holst to write the piece and how we can hear the landscape in the music.

05 LAST

Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire

20060902

Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire, where the young Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.

Elgar's Caractacus

20051120

20060805

Elgar's mother suggested that he write a piece based on the Iron Age hill fort at British Camp at The Malverns.

Although he demurred at first, Elgar did write it, living, during the time of the composition, in a cottage where he could see the hills in the distance.

Legend has it that Caractacus was a British chieftain who fought off the Romans, but was eventually captured and went to Rome, where he so impressed the Emperor that he was allowed to live.

Simon Halsey walks the Malverns, talks to Elgar scholar Michael Foster and discovers how the landscape of the Malvern hills, and surrounding woodland, can be heard in the music.

Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes

20051127

20060812

Simon visits Aldeburgh in Suffolk to find out the inspiration behind Britten's opera and to discover how we can hear the sea in Britten's music.

Produced by Sara Conkey.

Simon Halsey visits Aldeburgh in Suffolk to find out the inspiration behind Britten's opera and how we can hear the sea in Britten's music.

Vaughan Williams' Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis

20051204

20060819

In September 1910, Ralph Vaughn Williams conducted the premiere of this piece in Gloucester Cathedral.

Simon Halsey finds out how we can hear the cathedral, and surrounding landscape, in the music.

Inspired by a hymn taken from a psalm that Vaughan Williams discovered when he was putting together the English Hymnal, this inspirational piece went back to the Elizabethan composer Thomas Tallis.

When, aged almost 40, he unveiled this piece by conducting it himself at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral, it was considered a quintessentially English work.

Simon Halsey returns to the place of its premiere, Gloucester Cathedral, and talks to music critic Stephen Johnson.

Producer Sara Conkey.

Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath

20051211

Holst was a big fan of Thomas Hardy and the two men met in August 1927, a few months before Hardy died.

Hardy took him in the car to what remained of Egdon Heath - made famous in Hardy's novel Return of the Native.

Holst returned to the heath at night, at Hardy's suggestion, to get further inspiration.

05 LAST

Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire

20051218

Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire where the young Herbert Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
			20051120		1/5. Elgar - Caractacus Elgar's mother suggested that he write a piece based on the Iron Age hill fort at British Camp at The Malverns. Although he demurred at first, Elgar did write it, living, during the time of the composition, in a cottage where he could see the hills in the distance. Legend has it that Caractacus was a British chieftain who fought off the Romans, but was eventually captured and went to Rome, where he so impressed the Emperor that he was allowed to live. Simon Halsey walks the Malverns, talks to Elgar scholar Michael Foster and discovers how the landscape of the Malvern hills, and surrounding woodland, can be heard in the music.
			20051204		Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country. 3/5. Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Inspired by a hymn taken from a psalm that Vaughan Williams discovered when he was putting together the English Hymnal, this inspirational piece went back to the Elizabethan composer Thomas Tallis. When, aged almost 40, he unveiled this piece by conducting it himself at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral, it was considered a quintessentially English work. Simon Halsey returns to the place of its premiere, Gloucester Cathedral, and talks to music critic Stephen Johnson. Producer Sara Conkey.
			20051211		Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country. 4/5. Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath Holst was a big fan of Thomas Hardy and the two men met in August 1927, a few months before Hardy died. Hardy took him in the car to what remained of Egdon Heath - made famous in Hardy's novel Return of the Native. Holst returned to the heath at night, at Hardy's suggestion, to get further inspiration. Simon Halsey visits Hardy's Cottage and Rainbarrow on the heath, talks to composer Colin Matthews and Hardy scholar Furse Swann, and discovers the reality of what you can hear of the heath in Holst's music.
			20051218		Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country. 5/5. Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire where the young Herbert Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.
			20060805		1/5. Elgar's Caractacus: Elgar wrote Caractacus when his mother gave him the idea while they were walking in the Malverns. Simon Halsey visits British Camp to discover the story behind the piece.
			20060812		2/5. Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes: Simon Halsey visits Aldeburgh in Suffolk to find out the inspiration behind Britten's opera and how we can hear the sea in Britten's music.
			20060819		3/5. Vaughn Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis In September 1910, Ralph Vaughn Williams conducted the premiere of this piece in Gloucester Cathedral. Simon Halsey finds out how we can hear the cathedral, and surrounding landscape, in the music.
			20060826		4/5. Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath In 1927 Thomas Hardy took Gustav Holst to the heathland behind Hardy's childhood cottage in Dorset, known in his novels as Edgon Heath. Simon Halsey visits the heath and discovers what inspired Holst to write the piece and how we can hear the landscape in the music.
			20060902		5/5. Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire: Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire, where the young Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.
	04	Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath	20060826		In 1927 Thomas Hardy took Gustav Holst to the heathland behind Hardy's childhood cottage in Dorset, known in his novels as Edgon Heath. Simon Halsey visits the heath and discovers what inspired Holst to write the piece and how we can hear the landscape in the music.
	05 LAST	Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire	20060902		Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire, where the young Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.
01	01	Elgar's Caractacus	20051120	20060805	Elgar's mother suggested that he write a piece based on the Iron Age hill fort at British Camp at The Malverns. Although he demurred at first, Elgar did write it, living, during the time of the composition, in a cottage where he could see the hills in the distance. Legend has it that Caractacus was a British chieftain who fought off the Romans, but was eventually captured and went to Rome, where he so impressed the Emperor that he was allowed to live. Simon Halsey walks the Malverns, talks to Elgar scholar Michael Foster and discovers how the landscape of the Malvern hills, and surrounding woodland, can be heard in the music.
01	02	Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes	20051127	20060812	Simon visits Aldeburgh in Suffolk to find out the inspiration behind Britten's opera and to discover how we can hear the sea in Britten's music. Produced by Sara Conkey. Simon Halsey visits Aldeburgh in Suffolk to find out the inspiration behind Britten's opera and how we can hear the sea in Britten's music.
01	03	Vaughan Williams' Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis	20051204	20060819	In September 1910, Ralph Vaughn Williams conducted the premiere of this piece in Gloucester Cathedral. Simon Halsey finds out how we can hear the cathedral, and surrounding landscape, in the music. Inspired by a hymn taken from a psalm that Vaughan Williams discovered when he was putting together the English Hymnal, this inspirational piece went back to the Elizabethan composer Thomas Tallis. When, aged almost 40, he unveiled this piece by conducting it himself at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral, it was considered a quintessentially English work. Simon Halsey returns to the place of its premiere, Gloucester Cathedral, and talks to music critic Stephen Johnson. Producer Sara Conkey.
01	04	Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath	20051211		Holst was a big fan of Thomas Hardy and the two men met in August 1927, a few months before Hardy died. Hardy took him in the car to what remained of Egdon Heath - made famous in Hardy's novel Return of the Native. Holst returned to the heath at night, at Hardy's suggestion, to get further inspiration. Simon Halsey visits Hardy's Cottage and Rainbarrow on the heath, talks to composer Colin Matthews and Hardy scholar Furse Swann, and discovers the reality of what you can hear of the heath in Holst's music.
01	05 LAST	Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire	20051218		Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire where the young Herbert Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.