Black British cinema
Matthew Sweet presents a selection of music giving a brief history of black British cinema, from Paul Robeson in the 1930s to recent films such as Belle and 12 Years A Slave".
Matthew Sweet with a selection of music outlining a brief history of Black British cinema, from the work of Paul Robeson in the 1930s to recent films such as "Belle" and "Twelve Years A Slave".
The American actor and singer Paul Robeson made a terrific impact on the UK when he arrived here in the 1930s, performing Jerome Kern's "Showboat" at Drury Lane and appearing in British films of the period such as "King Solomon's Mines"; "Song of Freedom" and "Sanders of the River".
The programme goes on to feature music from films such as "Pool of London" from the '50s, and jazz-infused social realist films such as "A Taste Of Honey" and "Sapphire"; to films such as "Babylon" and "Pressure" (the first feature-length drama to be directed in Britain by a black film maker), and culminates in some of the more recent restorative history films such as "Belle" and "Twelve Years A Slave".
Broadcast as part of Radio 3's exploration of issues of diversity and inclusion, connecting audiences with pioneering music and culture.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
Music Played
-
Daniel Decatur Emmett
It's a Grand Life (1953) - I Wish I Was In Dixie
Performer: Winifred Atwell. -
Mischa Spoliansky
King Solomon's Mines (1937)
Singer: Mark Coles. Orchestra: 成人快手 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba. -
Jerome Kern
Showboat (1937) - Ol' Man River
Singer: Paul Robeson. -
Courtney Pine
Borderline
-
Trad.
The Proud Valley (1940) - Ebenezer
Singer: Paul Robeson. -
Arthur Bliss
Men of Two Worlds (1946) - Barazza
Performer: Silvia 膶谩pov谩. Orchestra: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Choir: Slovak Philharmonic Choir. Conductor: Adriano. -
John Addison
Pool of London (1951) - Titles
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Ernest Irving. -
Philip Green
Sapphire (1959) - Theme
Performer: John Dankworth. Orchestra: Pinewood Studio Orchestra. -
John Dankworth
A Taste of Honey (1961) - Let's Slip Away
Singer: Cleo Laine. Orchestra: Johnny Hawksworth Orchestra. -
Boy Wonder and the Sisters
Pressure (1976) - Title song
Ensemble: Boy Wonder and the Sisters. -
Trevor Mathison
Trevor Mathison - Handsworth Songs
-
Robert Del Naja
Bullet Boy (2004) - Soundtrack
Ensemble: Massive Attack. -
Hans Zimmer
Solomon
-
Rachel Portman
Belle (2013)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Rachel Portman. -
Alex Heffes
Queen Of Katwe - Budo!
Conductor: Alex Heffes. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
Broadcast
- Sat 22 Oct 2016 15:00成人快手 Radio 3
Moon River: The story of the 1962 Oscars Best Song winner
Podcast
-
Sound of Cinema
Matthew Sweet's weekly look at music for the screen