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Barbara Flynn and Caleb Obediah read from authors including Joanne Harris and Langston Hughes with music by Richard Strauss and Sun Ra on the theme of the number 12.

Twelve tone music, bar blues, signs of the zodiac, numbers on a clock, eggs in a dozen, members of a jury, Norse gods and goddesses, in a 13th-century French poem: Barbara Flynn and Caleb Obediah read from authors including Joanne Harris, Langston Hughes and William Shakespeare with music by Richard Strauss, Shostakovich and Sun Ra as we explore different takes on the number twelve in this, the twelfth month.

We encounter Merlin, creator of the Round Table for King Arthur and his 12 knights; Find Loki at the sharp end of two dozen swords in Asgard and attempt to steal a dozen eggs for a Russian Colonel. We hear a couple trying to work out what to do with 13 children and Schoenberg's thoughts on the difficulties of composing 12 tone music.
In Chinese mythology the Monkey King had 12 names. Just as he is freed from being imprisoned under a mountain we find ourselves with Solomon Northup as he recounts his entrapment into slavery.

In the Beaufort Scale, Force 12 is a hurricane and we hear two Artists from either side of the Atlantic describe their experiences of them.
A moment of levity comes next as we hear Langston Hughes' evocative poem Dream Boogie Variation accompanied by Bert Weedon on the 12 string guitar before we return to the post-storm scene of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Olivia seeks news of her brother following a shipwreck.

Finally, the evening draws to a close 'Round Midnight with Sun Ra.

Readings:
Michael Drayton: Poly-Olbion
Joanne Harris: The Gospel of Loki
David Benioff: City of Thieves
H.H. Munro: The Baker’s Dozen
Arnold Schoenberg: Style and Idea
Arthur Waley: The Adventures of Monkey
Solomon Northup: Twelve Years a Slave
Francis Beaufort: Beaufort Wind Force Scale
Grace Nichols: Hurricane Hits England (read by the author)
Langston Hughes: Dream Boogie Variation
William Shakespeare: Twelfth Night
Alistair Walker: Rhymes of the Zodiac - Virgo

Produced by Barnaby Gordon.
The photo for this edition of Words and Music is of some of the remaining Twelve Apostles rocks in Australia, just off the Great Ocean Road.

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 11 Dec 2022 17:30
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

    Arthur Sullivan

    The JudgeΒ’s Song (Trial by Jury)

    Singer: Donald Maxwell. Choir: Chamber Choir of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Chandos CHAN-10321.
    • Tr21.

  • Michael Drayton

    Poly-Olbion, read by Barbara Flynn

  • 00:02

    Ernest Chausson

    Viviane - symphonic poem on a legend of the Round Table Op.5

    Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic. Conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier.
    • Chandos CHAN9650.
    • Tr4.

  • Joanne Harris

    The Gospel of Loki, read by Caleb Obediah

  • 00:07

    Dmitry Shostakovich

    Symphony No.12 in D minor The Year 1917 - 3rd mvt (extract)

    Orchestra: Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Performer: Mark Wigglesworth.
    • BIS BISSACD1563.
    • Tr6.

  • David Benioff

    City of Thieves, read by Barbara Flynn

  • 00:13

    Trad.

    The Legend of the Twelve Robbers

    Performer: The Optina Pustyn Male Choir of St. Petersburg.
    • ARC Music EUCD1953.
    • Tr11.
  • 00:17

    Trad.

    Twelve Gates to the City

    Music Arranger: Eurydice Valenis Osterman. Choir: London Adventist Chorale. Conductor: Ken Burton.
    • Paradisum PDSCD1.
    • Tr1.

  • H.H. Munro

    The BakerΒ’s Dozen, read by Caleb Obediah and Barbara Flynn

  • 00:23

    Arnold Schoenberg

    Variations for Orchestra, Op.31: Introduktion und Thema (extract)

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Warner Classics 2067852.
    • Tr14.

  • Arnold Schoenberg

    Style and Idea, read by Caleb Obediah

  • 00:25

    Maurice Ravel

    Pavane pour une infante defunte

    Performer: The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.
    • EMI 6 08501 2.
    • Tr5.
  • 00:32

    Frankie Goes to Hollywood

    Rage Hard (The Young Person's Guide to the 12" Mix) (

    Performer: Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
    • Salvo DDSALVOS091.
    • Tr4.
  • 00:34

    William Orbit

    The Monkey King

    Performer: William Orbit.
    • Virgin CDV 2707.
    • Tr10.

  • Arthur Waley

    The Adventures of Monkey, read by Barbara Flynn

  • 00:36

    Joseph Haydn

    Symphony no. 104 in D major "London" (4th mvt; Finale)

    Performer: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Colin Davis.
    • Philips 4426112.
    • CD1 Tr12.
  • 00:43

    Sofia Gubaidulina

    'Stimmen... Verstummen' Symphony in twelve movements (XII)

    Orchestra: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky.
    • Chandos CHAN9183.
    • CD1 Tr12.

  • Solomon Northup

    Twelve Years a Slave, read by Caleb Obediah

  • 00:45

    J.B. Lenoir

    Alabama Blues

    Performer: J.B. Lenoir.
    • L+R Records LR 42.001.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:49

    Richard Strauss

    An Alpine Symphony (Storm)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.
    • Deutsche Grammophon 4390172.
    • CD1 Tr22.

  • Francis Beaufort

    Beaufort Wind Force Scale, read by Barbara Flynn

  • 00:54

    Laurie Anderson

    Another Long Evening

    Performer: Kronos Quartet.
    • Nonesuch 7559-79338-9.
    • Tr24.

  • Grace Nichols

    Hurricane Hits England, read by Grace Nichols

  • 00:56

    Laurie Anderson

    Our Street is a Black River

    Ensemble: Kronos Quartet. Performer: Laurie Anderson.
    • Nonesuch 7559-79338-9.
    • Tr4.
  • 00:57

    Bert Weedon

    Twelve String Shuffle

    Performer: Bert Weedon.
    • HMV Easy 7243 5 27423 2 5.
    • Tr28.

  • Langston Hughes

    Dream Boogie Variations, read by Caleb Obediah

  • 00:59

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    The Art of Fugue: Contrapunctus 12 a 4

    Performer: Grigory Sokolov.
    • NaΓ―ve OP 30346.
    • CD1 Tr12.

  • William Shakespeare

    Twelfth Night, read by Barbara Flynn and Caleb Obediah

  • 01:04

    Dmitry Shostakovich

    Prelude and fugue for piano no. 12 (Op.87`12) in G# minor, Fugue (Allegro)

    Performer: Tatiana Nikolayeva.
    • Hyperion CDA66441/3.
    • CD1 Tr4.

  • Alistair Walker

    Rhymes of the Zodiac - Virgo

  • 01:09

    Thelonious Monk

    'Round Midnight

    Composer: Bernie Hanighen. Composer: Cootie Williams. Performer: The Sun Ra Arkestra.
    • Evidence ECD 22219-2.
    • Tr5.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 28 Feb 2021 17:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
  • Sun 11 Dec 2022 17:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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