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Tailor-Made

Poetry, prose and music, examining our attitudes to what we wear. Including John Tavener, Puccini and Miles Davis, as well as works from lyric poet Robert Herrick.

What do our clothes say about us and what do we say about them? Are they, as Coco Chanel once said, a reflection of the heart or something merely contingent on the weather? This week's Words and Music, with poems and prose read by Maxine Peake and Ralf Little, is a mischievous examination of our attitudes to what we wear. Its an adventure in the bespoke - from Achilles' armour to Colline's overcoat with, as you might expect, the odd plunge into the mysteries of underwear and the seductions of the veil. There'll be compositioins by John Tavener as well as Puccini, Miles Davis and The Coasters, and the lyric poet Robert Herrick will find himself hanging snugly next to the Beat generation's Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Sun 12 Dec 2010 22:25

Music Played

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

  • Cole Porter

    Anything Goes – Overture

    Performer: London Sinfonietta cond. John McGlinn

    • Cole Porter: Overtures and Ballet Music.
    • EMI CDC7543002.
    • 16.
  • Edward Lear

    The New Vestments read by Maxine Peake and Ralf Little (From Book: Out of Fashion)

  • Cole Porter

    Anything Goes

    Performer: Ella Fitzgerald

    • Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book.
    • VERVE 5372572.
  • Pablo Neruda

    Ode to a Pair of Socks read by Ralf Little (From Book: The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, Translator: Mark Strand)

  • Giacomo Puccini

    La Boheme – Si, Mi chiamano Mimi

    Performer: Mirella Freni as Mimi with Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma cond. Thomas Schippers

    • La Boheme.
    • EMI CMS7696572.
  • Sarah Maguire

    The Invisible Mender read by Maxine Peake (From Book: The Invisible Mender)

  • John Dowland

    Fine Knacks for Ladies

    Performers: John Potter, Stephen Stubbs, John Surman, Maya Homburger and Barry Guy.

    • In Darkness Let Me Dwell.
    • ECM 4652342.
    • 9.
  • Henry Shukman

    Thread read by Ralf Little (From Book: The Lost City)

  • Erich Wolfgang Korngold

    The Brave Little Tailor

    Performer: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Philharmonic cond. Matthias Bamert

    • Marchenbilder.
    • CHANDOS CHAN10434X.
    • 7.
  • Lawrence Ferlinghetti

    Underwear read by Ralf Little (From Book: Starting from San Francisco)

  • Juan García Esquivel

    Miniskirt

    Performer: Kronos Quartet

    • Nuevo.
    • NONESUCH 7559796492.
    • 3.
  • Moniza Alvi

    The Sari read by Maxine Peake (From Book: Carrying My Wife)

  • Charlie Parker's Reboppers

    Black Satin

    Performer: Miles Davis

    • On the Corner.
    • Columbia 474371 2.
    • 5.
  • Tess Gallagher

    Black Silk read by Maxine Peake (From Book: New and Selected Poems)

  • James Rhodes

    Estampes – La soiree dans Grenade

    Performer: Walter Gieseking

    • Debussy Piano Works.
    • VIDEOARTISTS INTERNATIONAL VAIA11172.
  • Christopher Logue

    Pax read by Ralf Little (From Book: War Music)

  • George Frideric Handel

    Ombra mai fu

    Performer: Andreas Scholl, Akademie fur Alte Musik, Berlin

    • Ombra Mai fu.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI HMC901685.
    • 7.
  • Raymond Chandler

    from opening chapter of Farewell My Lovely read by Ralf Little

  • Harris

    Shopping for Clothes

    Performers: The Coasters

    • Yakety Yak: The Coasters Collection.
    • WARNERPLATINUM 8122-73225-2.
    • 16.
  • Nikolai Gogol

    The Overcoat read by Maxine Peake (From Book: Diary of a Madman and other stories, Translator: Ronald Wilks)

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Vecchia zimarra from La Boheme

    Performer: Ferrucio Mazzoli with Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma cond. Thomas Schippers

    • La Boheme.
    • EMI CMS7696572.
  • Carol Rumens

    The Scarf Exchange read by Maxine Peake (From Book: Thinking of Skins)

  • Shusha

    The Silken Handkerchief

    • Persian Love Songs.
    • LYRICHORD LYRCD 7235.
    • 6.
  • Robert Herrick

    Delight in Disorder read by Ralf Little (From Book: Out of Fashion)

  • Bob Dylan

    Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

    Performer: Bob Dylan

    • Blonde on Blonde.
    • COLUMBIA CGK841.
    • 7.
  • Jean Sprackland

    Dreaming of Rubber Gloves read by Maxine Peake (From Book: Out of Fashion)

  • M Wilkin and D .Dill

    The Long Black Veil

    Performer: Johnny Cash

    • Johnny Cash – The Legend.
    • COLUMBIA 5174612.
  • Nadeem Aslam

    The Wasted Vigil read by Ralf Little (From Book: The Wasted Vigil)

  • John Tavener

    The Protecting Veil

    Performer: Steven Isserlis and the London Symphony Orchestra cond. Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

    • The Protecting Veil.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 8 Feb 2009 22:15
  • Sun 12 Dec 2010 22:25

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