Author: thehistoryofbyzantium

Programme 17 – Adlestrop, The Golden Room and The Road Not Taken

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In our 17th programme Lance reads the famous poem ‘Adlestrop’ by Edward Thomas (one of the last two poems describing England before the 1st World War) and then two related poems by others of the Dymock Poets: ‘The Golden Room’ by WW Gibson and ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.

Adlestrophes by RKR Thornton is available from The Rectory Press at 2 Rectory Terrace, Gosforth NE3 1XY (rkrthornton@btinternet.com). Price £5 plus postage.

There is a permanent exhibition of the 6 Dymock Poets (Edward Thomas, Robert Frost, WW Gibson, Rupert Brooke, Lascelles Abercrombie, John Drinkwater) in St Mary’s Church, Dymock in Gloucestershire GL18 2AQ.

Thanks to the Trustees of the Wilfrid Gibson estate for permission to read ‘The Golden Room’.

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Programme 16 – Romantic Poets (Part 2): Keats, Shelley, Byron – and Clare

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In our 16th programme Lance reads one poem by each of the second generation of English Romantic poets: Keats’s ‘To Autumn’; Shelley’s ‘The Cloud’; Byron’s ‘She Walks in Beauty’; and Clare’s ‘Decay’.

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John Clare

Programme 15 – Romantic Poets (Part 1) inc Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’ & Coleridge’s ‘Kubla Khan’

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  • William Wordsworth
  • Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In our 15th programme Lance reads four poems by the first generation of English Romantic poets: Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’ and an extract from ‘The Prelude’; and Coleridge’s ‘Kubla Khan’ and ‘My Baptismal Birth-day’.

The short poem ‘Daffodils’ is from Bad Bad Cats, (c) Roger McGough 1997.

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Programme 13 – Ballads (inc Keats’ ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’)

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La Belle Dame sans Merci by Frank Dicksee
La Belle Dame sans Merci by Frank Dicksee

In our 13th programme Lance reads four Ballads, and there is one traditional song. The song is ‘The Ballad of Barbara Allen’. The traditional Ballads are ‘Sir Patrick Spens’ and ‘Get up and Bar the Door’. The literary Ballads are John Keats’ ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ and Charles Causley’s ‘Ballad of the Bread Man’.

Acknowledgements

‘Ballad of the Bread Man’ by Charles Causley is recorded by kind permission of the copyright holders’ agents, David Higham Associates.

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The Ballad of Barbara Allen

In Scarlet Town where I was born

There was a fair maid dwelling,

Made every youth cry ‘Well-a-day’;

Her name was Barbara Allen.

 

All in the merry month of May

When green buds they were swelling,

Young Jemmy Grove on his deathbed lay

For love of Barbara Allen.

 

He sent his man unto her then

To the town where she was dwelling.

‘You must come to my master dear,

If your name be Barbara Allen.’

 

So slowly, slowly she came up,

And slowly she came nigh him.

And all she said when there she came:

‘Young man, I think you’re dying.’

 

He turned his face unto her straight,

With deadly sorrow sighing:

‘O lovely maid, come pity me;

I’m on my deathbed lying.’

 

‘If on your deathbed you do lie,

What needs the tale you’re telling?

I cannot keep you from your death.

Farewell,’ said Barbara Allen.

 

When he was dead and laid in grave,

Her heart was struck with sorrow.

‘O mother, mother, make my bed,

For I shall die tomorrow.’

 

‘Farewell,’ she said, ‘ye virgins all,

And shun that fault I fell in.

Henceforth take warning by the fall

Of cruel Barbara Allen.’

Programme 12 – Funny Poems (including The Return of Albert)

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The Return of Albert by Marriott Edgar
The Return of Albert by Marriott Edgar

In our 12th programme Lance reads six poems that make him laugh. The poems are Marriott Edgar’s ‘The Return of Albert’, PG Wodehouse’s ‘Printer’s Error’, AP Herbert’s ‘Bacon and Eggs’, CJ Dennis’s ‘K’shoo’, Edwin Morgan’s ‘The Loch Ness Monster’s Song’ and an anonymous set of ‘Zen Error Messages’.

Lance’s recording of ‘The Return of Albert’ is on his CD ‘Music Hall Memories’ that you can buy here

Acknowledgements

‘Printer’s Error’ is copyright (c) The Estate of P.G. Wodehouse. Recorded by permission of the Estate, c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd, 20 Powis Mews, London W11 1JN

‘The Return of Albert’ by Marriott Edgar, ‘Bacon and Eggs’ by AP Herbert and ‘The Loch Ness Monster’s Song’ by Edwin Morgan are Copyright Control.

‘The Loch Ness Monster’s Song’ by Edwin Morgan is recorded by permission of Carcanet Press Ltd.

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Programme 11 – Christmas Poems

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Christina Rossetti
Christina Rossetti
Norman Nicholson
Norman Nicholson

In our eleventh programme Lance reads six favourite poems about Christmas and the festive season. The poems are Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Eddi’s Service’, Michael Hewlett’s ‘When God Almighty Came To Be One Of Us’, John Betjeman’s ‘Christmas’, Veronica Zundel’s ‘Incarnation’, Christina Rossetti’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ and Norman Nicholson’s ‘Carol for the Last Christmas Eve.’ 

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Aitken Alexander Associates who represent the Estate of John Betjeman. 

‘Incarnation’ is recorded by kind permission of the writer, Veronica Zundel. She writes non-fiction for the Christian market and has recently graduated, with distinction, from the Poetry School/Newcastle University MA in Writing Poetry, with poems published in various anthologies.

Thanks to the Trustees of the Estate of Norman Nicholson for permission to record his ‘Carol for the Last Christmas Eve’ from his COLLECTED POEMS, published by Faber & Faber.

Michael Hewlett’s ‘When God Almighty came to be one of us’ is Copyright Control. It was published in New Life by Stainer & Bell, 1969.

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Programme 9 – Poetry for Children (including The Owl and the Pussy Cat)

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In our ninth programme we enjoy some poems written for children. Lance picks out five of his favourites: ‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat’ by Edward Lear, ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll, ‘The King’s Breakfast’ by A A Milne, ‘The Listeners’ by Walter de la Mare and ‘After Ever Happily’ by Ian Serraillier.

Acknowledgements:

Find more of Heidi Swedberg’s ukulele playing on Youtube or at her website.

‘The King’s Breakfast’ by A A Milne. (c) Text by A.A. Milne

‘The Listeners’ by Walter de la Mare. With thanks to the Literary Trustees of Walter de la Mare and The Society of Authors as their Representative.

‘After Ever Happily’ by Ian Serraillier. (c) Estate of Ian Serraillier

Buy Lance’s poetry CDs at his website

The picture of the Owl and the Pussycat is by Bob Bond. See more of his work here

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