Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | France | 20150721 | France's popular music legacy is vast and diverse. Cerys Matthews travels to Paris in search of some of the key classic songs that constitute the French songbook, and talks to a panel of guests including musicologist Catherine Rudent, writer and commentator Catherine Guilyardi and popular music journalist Bertrand Dicale. Whilst some French songs have been chart successes in the UK, and others have become jazz standards, Cerys uncovers a patrimony that ranges from the seductive to the salacious, but which is always delivered with wit and panache. And with some 3,000 French songs including 'Paris' in their titles, the city itself acts as muse as well as backdrop to many of France's greatest popular classics.
Cerys Matthews goes in search of the classic popular songs that make the French songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America | |
| 01 | France | 20150721 | 20150816 (R4) | France's popular music legacy is vast and diverse. Cerys Matthews travels to Paris in search of some of the key classic songs that constitute the French songbook, and talks to a panel of guests including musicologist Catherine Rudent, writer and commentator Catherine Guilyardi and popular music journalist Bertrand Dicale. Whilst some French songs have been chart successes in the UK, and others have become jazz standards, Cerys uncovers a patrimony that ranges from the seductive to the salacious, but which is always delivered with wit and panache. And with some 3,000 French songs including 'Paris' in their titles, the city itself acts as muse as well as backdrop to many of France's greatest popular classics.
Cerys Matthews goes in search of the classic popular songs that make the French songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America |
| 02 | Ireland | 20150728 | Everyone has heard of the Great American Songbook. In this series Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of other countries.
Today: Dublin, where Cerys discusses the musical heart of the nation, seeks recommendations from a panel of experts and pieces together her own Great Irish Songbook.
Featuring musician and broadcaster Fiachna Ӏ Braonကin, singer and song researcher Jerry O'Reilly, and cultural historian Gerry Smyth. Recorded live at Whelans in Dublin.
Cerys Matthews pieces together her own Great Irish Songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America | |
| 02 | Ireland | 20150728 | 20150823 (R4) | Everyone has heard of the Great American Songbook. In this series Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of other countries.
Today: Dublin, where Cerys discusses the musical heart of the nation, seeks recommendations from a panel of experts and pieces together her own Great Irish Songbook.
Featuring musician and broadcaster Fiachna Ӏ Braonကin, singer and song researcher Jerry O'Reilly, and cultural historian Gerry Smyth. Recorded live at Whelans in Dublin.
Cerys Matthews pieces together her own Great Irish Songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America |
| 03 | Italy | 20150804 | In search of the musical heart of the nation, Cerys Matthews discusses the songs of Italy and pieces together her own Great Italian Songbook, with the help of literary scholar Francesco Durante, cultural historian Rachel Haworth and music journalist Federico Vacalebre.
Recorded in Naples at the Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella.
Producer: Martin Williams.
Cerys Matthews pieces together her own Great Italian Songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America | |
| 03 | Italy | 20150804 | 20150830 (R4) | In search of the musical heart of the nation, Cerys Matthews discusses the songs of Italy and pieces together her own Great Italian Songbook, with the help of literary scholar Francesco Durante, cultural historian Rachel Haworth and music journalist Federico Vacalebre.
Recorded in Naples at the Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella.
Producer: Martin Williams.
Cerys Matthews pieces together her own Great Italian Songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America |
| 04 | Spain | 20150811 | What makes a song typically Spanish? In a country of autonomous regions and different languages, is there such a thing as a 'Spanish songbook'? Cerys Matthews travels to the capital of Catalonia to meet people who live, breathe and sing some of Spain's complex legacy of popular songs. The discussion ranges from Civil War songs such as 'Ay, Carmela' to Franco-era copla ballads, to Beatles-inspired pop songs. She discovers one Catalan protest song that started life in the Franco era; it was subsequently taken up by protesters in Poland, and then more recently in Tunisia, before returning to the streets of Barcelona amidst protests against austerity. Cerys' guests include veteran rocker and writer Sabino Mendez, musicologist Silvia Martinez, music journalist Nando Cruz and cultural historian Alex Fernandez de Castro.
Cerys Matthews visits Barcelona to rummage through Spain's varied songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America | |
| 04 | Spain | 20150811 | 20150906 (R4) | What makes a song typically Spanish? In a country of autonomous regions and different languages, is there such a thing as a 'Spanish songbook'? Cerys Matthews travels to the capital of Catalonia to meet people who live, breathe and sing some of Spain's complex legacy of popular songs. The discussion ranges from Civil War songs such as 'Ay, Carmela' to Franco-era copla ballads, to Beatles-inspired pop songs. She discovers one Catalan protest song that started life in the Franco era; it was subsequently taken up by protesters in Poland, and then more recently in Tunisia, before returning to the streets of Barcelona amidst protests against austerity. Cerys' guests include veteran rocker and writer Sabino Mendez, musicologist Silvia Martinez, music journalist Nando Cruz and cultural historian Alex Fernandez de Castro.
Cerys Matthews visits Barcelona to rummage through Spain's varied songbook. Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America |