Main content

Mushrooms

What Emily Dickinson calls "the elf of plants" provides the topic for today's playlist of readings alongside music by Bernard Hermann, Sun Ra, Ravel, Tchaikovsky and Gesualdo.

A foraging trip is the scene of a failed marriage proposal in Anna Karenina, wild mushrooms form the key ingredient in a Meera Sodha meal, they inform the psychedelic experiments of Timothy Leary. Alice in Wonderland encountered the caterpillar, composer John Cage became interested in them, musing on the idea of playing Beethoven making a mushroom more edible. These are some of the readings in today's programme exploring fungi, with music from a range of composers including Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, which Disney used for a scene with dancing mushrooms in Fantasia; Anna von Hausswolff's Theatre of Nature; a pygmy song for gathering mushrooms from the Bayaka people and Dvorak's evocation of a Bohemian forest. Our readers are Youssef Kerkour and Verity Henry.

Producer: Ewa Norman

READINGS:

The mushroom is the Elf of Plants Emily Dickinson
Mushrooms Roger Phillips
Surfacing Margaret Attwood
Mycelium Kathie Fiveash
Anna Karenina Tolstoy
Fresh India mushroom and pea kheema Meera Sodha
Journey to the Centre of the Earth Jules Verne
The Tempest William Shakespeare
Fun guy: is that Toad from Mario's head or is he wearing a hat? Keza MacDonald
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
L S D Timothy Leary
Entangled Life Merlin Sheldrake
When is a mushroom not a mushroom? Rodney Bennett
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District Nikolai Leskov
The Sensitive Plant Percy Bysshe Shelley
Music Lovers' Field Companion John Cage
Mushrooms Sylvia Plath

You can find a Free Thinking discussion called Fungi: An Alien Encounter hearing from Merlin Sheldrake, in which Matthew Sweet cooks up some mushrooms for his guests available to download as an Arts and Ideas podcast

29 days left to listen

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Yesterday 18:00
成人快手 Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Keats

Next

Twilight

See all episodes from Words and Music

Music Played

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

  • 00:00

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Nutcracker: Tea (Chinese dance)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich.
    • Signum Classics SIGCD441.
    • CD2 Tr6.
  • 00:00

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Nutcracker - ballet Op.71

    Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich. Performer: Berliner Philharmoniker.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 4779191.

  • Emily Dickinson

    The mushroom is the Elf of Plants 聳 Upstart, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Emily Dickinson: The mushroom is the Elf of Plants

  • 00:02

    Terry Noland

    There was a fungus among us

    Performer: Terry Noland & The Anita Kerr Singers.
    • Coral 62274.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:02

    Terry Noland

    There Was A Fungus Among Us

    Performer: Terry Noland And The Anita Kerr Singers.
    • Not Now Music.
    • not listed.

  • Roger Phillips

    Mushrooms, read by Youssef Kerkour

  • Speech: Roger Phillips: Mushrooms

  • 00:04

    Anna von Hausswolff

    Theatre of Nature

    Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.
    • SOUTHERN LORD: LORD280.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:05

    Anna von Hausswolff

    Theatre of Nature

    Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.
    • SOUTHERN LORD.
    • LORD280.

  • Margaret Attwood

    Surfacing, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Margaret Attwood: Surfacing

  • 00:10

    Bayaka Pygmies

    Song for gathering mushrooms

    Performer: Bayaka Pygmies.
    • Wild Sanctuary.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:12

    Bayaka Pygmies

    Song for Gathering Mushrooms

    • WILD SANCTUARY.
    • NFI.

  • Kathie Fiveash

    Mycelium, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Kathie Fiveash: Mycelium

  • 00:15

    Maurice Ravel

    Lever du jour (Daphnis et Chloe)

    Performer: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Performer: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.
  • 00:16

    Maurice Ravel

    Daphnis et Chloe - suite no. 2

    Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin. Performer: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • EMI CLASSICS.
    • 50999 966342 2 6.

  • Tolstoy

    Anna Karenina, read by Youssef Kerkour

  • Speech: Tolstoy: Anna Karenina

  • 00:21

    Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Silent woods B.173

    Performer: Alisa Weilerstein. Performer: Anna Polonsky.
    • DECCA 4785705.
    • Tr8.
  • 00:24

    Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Silent woods B.173 for cello and piano, arr. from no.5 of 'From the Bohemian forest' [orig. pf duet]

    Performer: Alisa Weilerstein. Performer: Anna Polonsky.
    • Decca.
    • 4785705.
  • 00:28

    Tjinder Singh

    England is a garden

    Ensemble: Cornershop.
  • 00:29

    Tjinder Singh

    England is a garden

    Performer: Cornershop.
    • Ample Play.
    • AMP129CD.

  • Meera Sodha

    Fresh India mushroom and pea kheema, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Meera Sodha: Fresh India 鈥� mushroom and pea kheema

  • Speech: William Shakespeare: The Tempest - Ye elves of hills

  • 00:30

    Bernard Herrmann

    The Mushroom Forest (Journey to the Center of the Earth)

    Orchestra: 20th Century鈥怓ox Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Herrmann.
  • 00:32

    Unknown

    The Mushroom Forest

    • VARESE SARABANDE.
    • VSD-5849.

  • Jules Verne

    Journey to the centre of the earth, read by Youssef Kerkour

  • Speech: Jules Verne: Journey to the centre of the earth

  • 00:33

    Michael Nyman

    Prospero's Magic (Prospero's Books)

    Ensemble: Michael Nyman Band.
  • 00:35

    Michael Nyman

    Prospero's books - music for the film

    Performer: Michael Nyman Band.
    • DECCA.
    • 4252242.

  • William Shakespeare

    The Tempest Ye elves of hills, read by Yousseff Kerkour

  • 00:37

    Koji Kondo

    Mario Theme

    Performer: OST - Original Soundtrack.
    • Nintendo RVL-SVMP-UKV.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:41

    Koji Kondo

    Super Mario Bros: Ground Theme

    Performer: Unknown.
    • NINTENDO.
    • RVL-SVMP-UKV.

  • Keza MacDonald

    Fun guy: is that Toad from Mario聮s head or is he wearing a hat?, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Keza MacDonald: Fun guy: is that Toad from Mario鈥檚 head or is he wearing a hat?

  • 00:40

    Walter Slaughter

    Alice in Wonderland

    Lyricist: Henry Savile Clarke. Conductor: Clifford Greenwood.
  • 00:44

    Henry Savile Clarke

    Alice in Wonderland: Introduction And Scene With The Caterpillar

    Conductor: Clifford Greenwood. Performer: Ann Stephens. Performer: Lewis Carroll. Performer: RICHARD GOOLDEN.
    • His Master's Voice.
    • C.3243.

  • Lewis Carroll

    Alice in Wonderland, read by Ann Stephens and Richard Goolden

  • Speech: Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland

  • 00:40

    Jefferson Airplane

    White Rabbit

    Performer: Jefferson Airplane.
    • RCA VICTOR SF 7889.
    • Tr10.
  • 00:45

    SLICK

    White Rabbit

    Performer: Jefferson Airplane.
    • RCA.
    • PD-83766.
  • 00:42

    Pink Floyd

    Alan's psychedelic breakfast

    Performer: Pink Floyd.
    • EMI CDEMD 1072.
    • Tr5.
  • 00:47

    Pink Floyd

    Alans Psychedelic Breakfast

    • EMI Records.
    • EMI-Records.

  • Timothy Leary

    L S D, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Timothy Leary: L S D

  • Merlin Sheldrake

    Entangled Life, read by Youssef Kerkour

  • Speech: Merlin Sheldrake: Entangled Life

  • 00:46

    Sun Ra

    Enlightenment

    Performer: The Sun Ra Arkestra.
    • Gambit: Gambit-69309.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:52

    Hobart Dotson

    Enlightenment

    Composer: Sun Ra. Performer: Hobart Dotson. Performer: John Gilmore. Performer: Marshall Allen. Performer: Pat Patrick. Performer: Sun Ra.
    • Gambit.
    • Gambit-69309.

  • Rodney Bennett

    When is a mushroom not a mushroom?, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Rodney Bennett: When is a mushroom not a mushroom?

  • 00:52

    Dmitry Shostakovich

    Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district: Act 2 Entr'acte

    Orchestra: Bastille Opera Orchestra. Choir: Ch艙urs de l鈥橭p茅ra Bastille. Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung.
    • DG 4779118.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:59

    Dmitry Shostakovich

    Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district - opera in 4 acts Op.29

    Conductor: 鞝曤獏頇�. Performer: Bastille Opera Orchestra.
    • DG.
    • 4779118.

  • Nikolai Leskov

    Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, read by Youssef Kerkour

  • Speech: Nikolai Leskov: Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District

  • 00:56

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    ... and at the hour of death

    Performer: V铆kingur 脫lafsson. Music Arranger: Christian Badzura.
  • 01:02

    Christian Badzura

    ...and at the hour of death

    Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: V铆kingur 脫lafsson.
    • Deustche Grammophon.
    • 483 7766.

  • Percy Bysshe Shelley

    The Sensitive Plant, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Sensitive Plant

  • 01:00

    Carlo Gesualdo

    Peccantem me quotidie

    Ensemble: Marian Consort.
  • 01:06

    Carlo Gesualdo

    Peccantem me quotidie for 5 voices [1603a]

    Performer: Marian Consort.
    • Delphian.
    • DCD34176.

  • John Cage

    Music lovers聮 field companion, read by Youssef Kerkour

  • Speech: John Cage: Music lovers鈥� field companion

  • 01:05

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet in C major, Op.59 no.3 (4th mvt: Allegro molto)

    Ensemble: Belcea Quartet.
  • 01:12

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Quartet in C major Op.59 No.3 (Rasumovsky) for strings

    Performer: Belcea Quartet.
    • Zig Zag Territories.
    • ZZT344.

  • Sylvia Plath

    Mushrooms, read by Verity Henry

  • Speech: Sylvia Plath: Mushrooms

  • 01:12

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Tea (Chinese Dance) (The Nutcracker)

    Performer: Alexandra Dariescu. Music Arranger: Mikhail Pletnev.
  • 01:19

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Nutcracker - ballet Op.71

    Performer: Alexandra Dariescu.
    • SIGNUM CLASSICS.
    • SIGCD441.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 17 Oct 2021 17:30
    成人快手 Radio 3
  • Yesterday 18:00
    成人快手 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.