In Time To The Music

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Plaisir D'amour

20230131

20260502 (R4)

In Time to the Music is the story of a piece of music, song, an air or melody travelling through time as a folk tune, a theatre melody, a hymn, a composition, a symphony - reinterpreted across years, centuries or millennia through revival, musical revolution, social fashions or archaeological discovery.

We examine why certain tunes have managed to reach out over time, across genres, class, race and continents, how some are reimagined by oppressors even though they were written by its oppressed, how melodies from earlier periods are borrowed by subsequent composers, and how these illusive musical engravings change genre - from hymn to reggae, from court song to rock and roll - all with the passage of time.

The second episode explores the journey of Plaisir d'amour, starting out as a love song for Marie Antoinette to sing, through various revivals to its reworking as a 1961 hit for Elvis Presley. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time.

Featuring musicologists Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, Julia Doe, jazz pianist and educator Gareth Williams and singer Ian Shaw.

Written and Presented by Andrew McGibbon

Assistant Producer: Saul Sarne

Producer: Nick Romero

A Curtains For Radio production for BBC Radio 4

The story of Plaisir d'amour as it travelled across time.

The story of a piece of music travelling through time, reinterpreted across the years.

The story of Plaisir d'amour, a song written for Marie Antionette in 1784 that has travelled nearly 240 years to the present day.

[LISTEN NOW]

The House Of The Rising Sun

20230207

20260509 (R4)

The third episode explores the journey of The House of the Rising Sun - was it based on a 17th-century broadside ballad that travelled from northern England to the Appalachian Mountains in the US? Some version of it or a similar ballad passed down through generations until it was captured in a recording by celebrated musicologist Alan Lomax in the 1930s. It was a key song in the folk revival of the 1960s before becoming a hit for The Animals in 1964. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time.

Featuring musicologists Professor Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, singer Ian Shaw and pianist and educator Gareth Williams.

Hurrian Hymn No. 6 singer: Sevan Habib

Written and Presented by Andrew McGibbon

Assistant Producer: Saul Sarne

Producer: Nick Romero

A Curtains For Radio production for BBC Radio 4

The story of The House of the Rising Sun as it travelled across time.

The story of a piece of music travelling through time, reinterpreted across the years.

The story of The House of the Rising Sun, based on a 17th-century broadside ballad travelling nearly 350 years to the present day.

[LISTEN NOW]

My Funny Valentine

20230124

20260418 (R4)

The first episode explores the journey of My Funny Valentine from Broadway musical in 1937 to Chet Baker's theme tune in 1954 and its most recent variations with R&B artist Justina Valentine, Norwegian singing prodigy Angelina Jordan, and Brooklyn based, Neo-Soul singer Hadassah. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time.

Featuring musicologists Professor Laura Tunbridge and Professor Richard Dumbrill, writer Will Friedwald, jazz pianist and educator Gareth Williams and jazz singer Ian Shaw.

The story of My Funny Valentine as it travelled across time.

The story of My Funny Valentine across nearly a hundred years, starting as a 1937 show tune, becoming Chet Baker's theme in 1954, to present-day versions.

[LISTEN NOW]

Plaisir D'amour

20230131

20260425 (R4)

Featuring musicologists Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, Julia Doe, jazz pianist and educator Gareth Williams and singer Ian Shaw.

The story of Plaisir d'amour as it travelled across time.

The story of Plaisir d'amour, a song written for Marie Antionette in 1784 that has travelled nearly 240 years to the present day.

[LISTEN NOW]

The House Of The Rising Sun

20230207

Featuring musicologists Professor Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, singer Ian Shaw and pianist and educator Gareth Williams.

Hurrian Hymn No. 6 singer: Sevan Habib

The story of The House of the Rising Sun as it travelled across time.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
	Plaisir D'amour	20230131	20260502 (R4)	In Time to the Music is the story of a piece of music, song, an air or melody travelling through time as a folk tune, a theatre melody, a hymn, a composition, a symphony - reinterpreted across years, centuries or millennia through revival, musical revolution, social fashions or archaeological discovery. We examine why certain tunes have managed to reach out over time, across genres, class, race and continents, how some are reimagined by oppressors even though they were written by its oppressed, how melodies from earlier periods are borrowed by subsequent composers, and how these illusive musical engravings change genre - from hymn to reggae, from court song to rock and roll - all with the passage of time. The second episode explores the journey of Plaisir d'amour, starting out as a love song for Marie Antoinette to sing, through various revivals to its reworking as a 1961 hit for Elvis Presley. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time. Featuring musicologists Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, Julia Doe, jazz pianist and educator Gareth Williams and singer Ian Shaw. Written and Presented by Andrew McGibbon Assistant Producer: Saul Sarne Producer: Nick Romero A Curtains For Radio production for BBC Radio 4 The story of Plaisir d'amour as it travelled across time. The story of a piece of music travelling through time, reinterpreted across the years. The story of Plaisir d'amour, a song written for Marie Antionette in 1784 that has travelled nearly 240 years to the present day. [LISTEN NOW]
	The House Of The Rising Sun	20230207	20260509 (R4)	In Time to the Music is the story of a piece of music, song, an air or melody travelling through time as a folk tune, a theatre melody, a hymn, a composition, a symphony - reinterpreted across years, centuries or millennia through revival, musical revolution, social fashions or archaeological discovery. We examine why certain tunes have managed to reach out over time, across genres, class, race and continents, how some are reimagined by oppressors even though they were written by its oppressed, how melodies from earlier periods are borrowed by subsequent composers, and how these illusive musical engravings change genre - from hymn to reggae, from court song to rock and roll - all with the passage of time. The third episode explores the journey of The House of the Rising Sun - was it based on a 17th-century broadside ballad that travelled from northern England to the Appalachian Mountains in the US? Some version of it or a similar ballad passed down through generations until it was captured in a recording by celebrated musicologist Alan Lomax in the 1930s. It was a key song in the folk revival of the 1960s before becoming a hit for The Animals in 1964. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time. Featuring musicologists Professor Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, singer Ian Shaw and pianist and educator Gareth Williams. Hurrian Hymn No. 6 singer: Sevan Habib Written and Presented by Andrew McGibbon Assistant Producer: Saul Sarne Producer: Nick Romero A Curtains For Radio production for BBC Radio 4 The story of The House of the Rising Sun as it travelled across time. The story of a piece of music travelling through time, reinterpreted across the years. The story of The House of the Rising Sun, based on a 17th-century broadside ballad travelling nearly 350 years to the present day. [LISTEN NOW]
01	My Funny Valentine	20230124	20260418 (R4)	The first episode explores the journey of My Funny Valentine from Broadway musical in 1937 to Chet Baker's theme tune in 1954 and its most recent variations with R&B artist Justina Valentine, Norwegian singing prodigy Angelina Jordan, and Brooklyn based, Neo-Soul singer Hadassah. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time. Featuring musicologists Professor Laura Tunbridge and Professor Richard Dumbrill, writer Will Friedwald, jazz pianist and educator Gareth Williams and jazz singer Ian Shaw. The story of My Funny Valentine as it travelled across time. The story of My Funny Valentine across nearly a hundred years, starting as a 1937 show tune, becoming Chet Baker's theme in 1954, to present-day versions. [LISTEN NOW]
02	Plaisir D'amour	20230131	20260425 (R4)	The second episode explores the journey of Plaisir d'amour, starting out as a love song for Marie Antoinette to sing, through various revivals to its reworking as a 1961 hit for Elvis Presley. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time. Featuring musicologists Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, Julia Doe, jazz pianist and educator Gareth Williams and singer Ian Shaw. The story of Plaisir d'amour as it travelled across time. The story of Plaisir d'amour, a song written for Marie Antionette in 1784 that has travelled nearly 240 years to the present day. [LISTEN NOW]
03	The House Of The Rising Sun	20230207		The third episode explores the journey of The House of the Rising Sun - was it based on a 17th-century broadside ballad that travelled from northern England to the Appalachian Mountains in the US? Some version of it or a similar ballad passed down through generations until it was captured in a recording by celebrated musicologist Alan Lomax in the 1930s. It was a key song in the folk revival of the 1960s before becoming a hit for The Animals in 1964. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time. Featuring musicologists Professor Laura Tunbridge, Professor Richard Dumbrill, singer Ian Shaw and pianist and educator Gareth Williams. Hurrian Hymn No. 6 singer: Sevan Habib The story of The House of the Rising Sun as it travelled across time.