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Dickens's World

Sam West with the personal letters of Charles Dickens, who died in 1870, to friends, family and other literary greats, including Mrs Gaskell and Wilkie Collins set to music.

Charles Dickens: tireless novelist, journalist, amateur theatricalist, traveller, socialiser, and liver of life. To mark the 150th anniversary in 2020 of the death of this literary titan, actor Sam West reads from the letters Dickens sent to correspondents including other greats of the time like Mrs Gaskell and Wilkie Collins; close friends such as actor William Macready and artist Daniel Maclise; and his wife and children at home as he travelled extensively giving public readings to his thousands of adoring fans.

Including observations of his first trip to America at the height of slavery in 1842, reflections on the incumbent British government and the prevailing class system, his traumatic account of the 1865 Staplehurst Rail Crash, guidance for his youngest son on departing for Australia, and the story of hunting a ghost with a shot gun, which turned out to be a sheep.

With music by Haydn, Beethoven, Kathryn Tickell, The Divine Comedy, and Michael Nyman.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

On the Free Thinking programme website you can find an episode with Matthew Sweet discussing the writing of Dickens with novelist Linda Grant, New Generation Thinker Laurence Scott and Lucy Whitehead from Cardiff University:

/programmes/m000jt6c

Readings:
A Tale of Two Cities
Furnival's Inn, Wednesday Evening, 1835. To Miss Hogarth (future Mrs Charles Dickens)
Greta Bridge, February 1st, 1838. To Mrs Charles Dickens
Baltimore, March 22nd, 1842. To Mr W C Macready
Villa Di Bagnarello, Albaro, July 22nd, 1844. To Mr Daniel Maclise
Devonshire Terrace, January 31st, 1850. To Mrs Gaskell
Tavistock House, January 3rd, 1855. To Monsieur de Cerjat
Folkestone, Oct. 4th, 1855. To Mr W C Macready
Gad's Hill Place, Rochester, Kent, Oct. 15th, 1859. To Monsieur Regnier
Tavistock House, May 3rd, 1860. To Monsieur de Cerjat
Office of "All the Year Round," Oct. 24th, 1860. To Mr Wilkie Collins
Gad's Hill Place, Tuesday Night, Oct. 14th, 1862. To Mr Wilkie Collins
57 Gloucester Place, Hyde Park, Feb. 23rd, 1864. To Mr Marcus Stone
Gad's Hill Place, Higham by Rochester, Kent, June 13th, 1865. To Mr Thomas Mitton
1868, to Mr. Edward Dickens (his youngest son) on his departure for Australia
Anon - Announcement of the Death of Mr Charles Dickens, Manchester Guardian, Friday 10th June 1870

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Christmas Day 2020 18:15
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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Music Played

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

  • 00:00

    John Adams

    Short Ride in a Fast Machine

    Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Marin Alsop.

  • Charles Dickens

    A Tale of Two Cities, read by: Sam West

  • Charles Dickens

    Furnival's Inn, Wednesday Evening, 1835. To Miss Hogarth (future Mrs Charles Dickens), read by: Sam West

  • 00:02

    Joseph Haydn

    Symphony no. 104 in D major H.1.104 Β‘LondonΒ’ (4th Mvt)

    Orchestra: London Classical Players. Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington.
  • 00:08

    Kathryn Tickell

    The Road to the North

    Performer: Kathryn Tickell.

  • Charles Dickens

    Greta Bridge, February 1st, 1838. To Mrs Charles Dickens, read by: Sam West

  • 00:10

    Trad.

    ShortninΒ’ Bread

    Performer: Smiley Hobbs. Performer: Pete Kuykendall. Performer: Mike Seeger.

  • Charles Dickens

    Baltimore, March 22nd, 1842. To Mr W C Macready, read by: Sam West

  • 00:13

    John Philip Sousa

    The Liberty Bell

    Orchestra: Eastman Wind Ensemble. Conductor: Frederick Fennell.
  • 00:15

    Ottorino Respighi

    Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No 3 Β‘ItalianaΒ’

    Orchestra: I Solisti Veneti. Conductor: Claudio Scimone (conductor).

  • Charles Dickens

    Villa Di Bagnarello, Albaro, July 22nd, 1844. To Mr Daniel Maclise, read by: Sam West

  • Charles Dickens

    Devonshire Terrace, January 31st, 1850. To Mrs Gaskell, read by: Sam West

  • 00:19

    Carl Davis

    Cranford Theme

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Carl Davis.

  • Charles Dickens

    Tavistock House, January 3rd, 1855. To Monsieur de Cerjat, read by: Sam West

  • 00:23

    Max Steiner

    The Charge of the Light Brigade Β‘MarchΒ’

    Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Gerhardt.

  • Charles Dickens

    Folkestone, Oct. 4th, 1855. To Mr W C Macready, read by: Sam West

  • 00:27

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Variations on Rule Britannia

    Performer: Olli Mustonen.

  • Charles Dickens

    Gad's Hill Place, Rochester, Kent, Oct. 15th, 1859. To Monsieur Regnier, read by: Sam West

  • 00:33

    François-Joseph Gossec

    Le triomphe de la republique Β– Β‘TambourinΒ’

    Music Arranger: Charles Gerhardt. Performer: James Galway. Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Gerhardt.

  • Charles Dickens

    Tavistock House, May 3rd, 1860. To Monsieur de Cerjat, read by: Sam West

  • 00:36

    George Frideric Handel

    The Harmonious Blacksmith

    Performer: Mie Miki.

  • Charles Dickens

    Office of "All the Year Round," Oct. 24th, 1860. To Mr Wilkie Collins, read by: Sam West

  • 00:43

    Michael Nyman

    Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds

    Orchestra: Michael Nyman Band. Conductor: Michael Nyman.

  • Charles Dickens

    Gad's Hill Place, Tuesday Night, Oct. 14th, 1862. To Mr Wilkie Collins, read by: Sam West

  • 00:47

    Randy Newman

    You Got A Friend in Me

    Performer: Randy Newman.

  • Charles Dickens

    57 Gloucester Place, Hyde Park, Feb. 23rd, 1864. To Mr Marcus Stone, read by: Sam West

  • 00:50

    The Divine Comedy

    Our Mutual Friend

    Performer: The Divine Comedy.
  • 00:56

    Arthur Honegger

    Pacific 231

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Serge Baudo.

  • Charles Dickens

    Gad's Hill Place, Higham by Rochester, Kent, June 13th, 1865. To Mr Thomas Mitton, read by: Sam West

  • 01:00

    Tan Dun

    8 Memories in Watercolour: No. 7, Floating Clouds

    Performer: Warren Lee.

  • Charles Dickens

    1868, to Mr. Edward Dickens (his youngest son) on his departure for Australia, read by: Sam West

  • 01:05

    Joseph Haydn

    The Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross H.20.1b: Β‘LargoΒ’

    Performer: Casals Quartet.

  • Anon

    Announcement of the Death of Mr Charles Dickens, Manchester Guardian, Friday 10th June 1870, read by: Sam West

Broadcasts

  • Sun 14 Jun 2020 17:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
  • Christmas Day 2020 18:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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