Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

The Ledbury Poets

Inspired by Ledbury Poetry Festival, texts from Gloucestershire: John Masefield, Lascelles Abercrombie, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Rupert Brooke, Jade Cuttle, Anthony Anaxagorou.

Actors Adrian Scarborough and Skye Hallam read prose and verse from Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds inspired by the Ledbury Poetry Festival, which runs in early July, set alongside a range of music. We hear work by poets who were born there or lived and worked in the region, like John Masefield, Lascelles Abercrombie, John Drinkwater, Rupert Brooke, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Langland, and WH Auden. We also feature contemporary poets, who've taken part in the Ledbury festival, reading their own poems, like Jade Cuttle, Anthony Anaxagorou and Victoria Adukwei Bulley.
As for the music, we hear settings of some of these poems by the likes of John Ireland and Ivor Gurney, as well as pieces from composers associated broadly with the region, like Edward Elgar.
Producer: Juan Carlos Jaramillo

TEXTS
Cotswold Love, by John Drinkwater (read by the poet)
Edward Thomas (excerpt), by Eleanor Farjeon
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth
Bright Clouds, by Edward Thomas
An ecology of words: four seasons - after Roland Barthes, by Jade Cuttle (read by the poet)
Prose excerpt on living in Gloucestershire, by Lascelles Abercrombie
The Voices of a Dream, by Lascelles Abercrombie
Reflections on arriving at Ledbury, by Katrina Porteous
Prologue (excerpt) from Piers Plowman, by William Langland (trans. by Peter Sutton)
Ode to the Medieval Poets, by WH Auden
Saying, by Anthony Anaxagorou (read by the poet)
Floating Island, by Dorothy Wordsworth
Sea Fever, by John Masefield (read by the poet)
On Malvern Hill, by John Masefield
Excerpt from letter, by Edward Thomas
The Dead, by Rupert Brooke
Under Storm's Wing (excerpt), by Helen Thomas
The Preparative, by Thomas Traherne
How Do I Love Thee?, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The Trumpet, by Edward Thomas
This poem, by Victoria Adukwei Bulley (read by the poet)
A Musical Instrument, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
In Pursuit of Spring (excerpt), by Edward Thomas

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 28 May 2023 17:30
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Keep Calm and Carry On

Next

Courtroom Drama

See all episodes from Words and Music

Music Played

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

  • Georgia Mann

    Introduction to the programme, read by Georgia Mann

  • 00:01

    Ralph Vaughan Williams

    6 Studies in English Folksong (Version for Cello & Piano): No. 5, Andante tranquilo 'The Lady and the Dragon'

    Performer: Gerald Peregrine. Performer: Antony Ingham.
    • Naxos 8.574035.
    • 5.

  • John Drinkwater

    Cotswold Love, read by the author

  • 00:04

    John Fleagle

    Blow Northerne Wynd

    Ensemble: Joglaresa. Conductor: Belinda Sykes.
    • Joglaresa JOG004.
    • 7.

  • Eleanor Farjeon

    Excerpt from Edward Thomas, read by Skye Hallam

  • 00:07

    Malcolm Arnold

    4 English dances, No. 2 Vivace: set 1

    Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Bryden Thomson.
    • Chandos CHAN8867.
    • 1.

  • William Wordsworth

    I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, read by Adrian Scarborough

  • 00:09

    Susie Self

    Songs of Immortality 1. Worcester Beacon

    Singer: Alex Otterburn. Performer: Joseph Davies. Performer: Susanna Stranders.
    • SMT-CD-06.
    • 1.

  • Edward Thomas

    Bright Clouds, read by Skye Hallam

  • 00:12

    Bellowhead

    One May Morning Early

    Performer: Bellowhead.
    • Westpark Music 87132.
    • 9.

  • Jade Cuttle

    An ecology of words: four seasons - after Roland Barthes, new poem read by the author

  • 00:14

    Max Richter

    Autumn, from The Four Seasons

    Composer: Antonio Vivaldi. Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra. Performer: Elena Urioste.
    • DG (UPC 00028948627691).
    • 1.

  • Lascelles Abercrombie

    Excerpt from a writing, read by Adrian Scarborough

  • 00:16

    Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Symphony No. 4, 3rd movt. Scherzo. Allegro molto

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • LSO LSO0867.
    • 3.

  • Lascelles Abercrombie

    The Voices in the Dream, read by Skye Hallam

  • 00:20

    John Ireland

    The Hills

    Choir: The Carice Singers. Conductor: George Parris.
    • Naxos 8.573584.
    • 11.

  • Katrina Porteous

    Reflections on arriving at Ledbury, read by Adrian Scarborough

  • 00:23

    Anon.

    Sumer is icumen in

    Performer: Hilary James & Simon Mayor.
    • Acoustics Records.
    • 1.

  • William Langland (trans. by Peter Sutton)

    Prologue (excerpt) from Piers Plowman, ready by Skye Hallam

  • WH Auden

    Ode to the Medieval Poets, ready by Adrian Scarborough

  • 00:28

    Keith Jarrett (clavichord)

    13

    • ECM 1344/45.
    • 3.

  • Anthony Anaxagorou

    Saying, from book 'After the Formalities', read by the author

  • 00:32

    Ketil BjΓΈrnstad

    The Sea IX

    Performer: Ketil BjΓΈrnstad. Performer: Ketil BjΓΈrnstad. Performer: Terje Rypdal. Performer: David Darling. Performer: Jon Christensen. Performer: Jon Christensen.
    • ECM 1545.
    • 9.

  • Dorothy Wordsworth

    Floating Island, ready by Skye Hallam

  • 00:36

    Edward Elgar

    Elegy for String Orchestra, Op. 58

    Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Elgar.
    • Somm Records SOMMCD0167.
    • 1.

  • John Masefield

    Sea Fever, ready by the author

  • 00:41

    John Coventry

    Sea Fever

    • Stonehaven.
    • 1.

  • John Masefield

    Sea Fever, ready by the author

  • 00:42

    John Ireland

    Sea Fever

    Singer: Jonathan Lemalu. Performer: Roger Vignoles.
    • EMI 575203-2.
    • 16.

  • John Masefield

    Sea Fever, ready by the author

  • 00:43

    John Ireland

    Sea Fever (arr. for choir and soloist)

    Performer: Ely Cathedral Choir.
    • Clovelly 829410237062.
    • 6.

  • John Masefield

    On Malvern Hill, ready by Adrian Scarborough

  • 00:45

    Frederick Septimus Kelly

    Elegy for String Orchestra: "In Memoriam Rupert Brooke"

    Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones.
    • Dutton CDLX7172.
    • 4.

  • Edward Thomas

    Excerpt from a letter, read by Skye Hallam

  • Rupert Brooke

    The Dead, read by Adrian Scarborough

  • 00:50

    Philip Glass

    The Poet Acts, from 'The Hours' (arr. for solo piano by Michael Riesman & Nico Muhly)

    Performer: Nicolas Horvath.
    • Grand Piano GP692.
    • 1.

  • Helen Thomas

    Excerpt from book Under StormΒ’s Wing, ready by Skye Hallam

  • 00:54

    John Ireland

    2 Songs on Poems by Rupert Brooke: No. 1, The Soldier

    Singer: Roderick Williams. Orchestra: Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Tom Higgins.
    • Somm Records SOMMCD 243.
    • 8.
  • 00:56

    Benjamin Britten

    Dies Irae (War Requiem)

    Choir: The Bach Choir. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Benjamin Britten.
    • DECCA 4143832.
    • 3.

  • Thomas Traherne

    The Preparative, read by Adrian Scarborough

  • 00:59

    William Byrd

    Gloria, Mass for 4 voices

    Choir: Tallis Scholars. Conductor: Peter Phillips.
    • Gimell CDGIM208.
    • 7.

  • Elizabeth Barrett Browning

    How Do I Love Thee?, read by Skye Hallam

  • 01:01

    Henry Purcell

    Trumpet tune, from The Indian Queen

    Performer: The Wallace Collection, William Boughton (conductor).
    • Nimbus NI5155.
    • 17.

  • Edward Thomas

    The Trumpet, ready by Adrian Scarborough

  • 01:03

    Ivor Gurney

    The Trumpet

    Choir: City of London Choir. Ensemble: London Mozart Players. Conductor: Hilary Davan Wetton.
    • Naxos 8.573426.
    • 6.

  • Victoria Adukwei Bulley

    This poem, from book 'Quiet', ready by the author

  • 01:05

    Chris Redgate

    3 Folk Songs: No. 3. The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies, O!

    Performer: Celia Redgate. Performer: Michael Dussek.
    • Divine Art DDA25061.
    • 3.

  • Elizabeth Barrett Browning

    A Musical Instrument, ready by Skye Hallam

  • 01:09

    Edward Elgar

    Variation 8, W.N., Variations on an original theme ('Enigma'), Op 36

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Barbirolli.
    • EMI 7243 575100 2 8.
    • 10.

  • Edward Thomas

    Excerpt from book In Pursuit of Spring, ready by Adrian Scarborough

  • 01:11

    Ivor Gurney

    Severn Meadows

    Performer: Roderick Williams (baritone), Susie Allan (piano).
    • Somm SOMMCD 057.
    • 6.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 3 Jul 2022 17:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
  • Sun 28 May 2023 17:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

The hidden history of plant-based diets

The hidden history of plant-based diets

Forget social media influencers - the meat-free movement started with the Victorians.

Books website

Get closer to books with in-depth articles, quizzes and our picks from radio & TV.