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Animal Kingdom

From GK Chesterton's Donkey to the Fantastic Mr Fox, Watership Down to William Blake's Lamb, Orwell's Animal Farm to Alain Mabanckou's porcupine. Animal poems, prose and music.

Saint Saens, Tom Waits, Janacek and Laurence Crane provide some of the music as the actors Emily Bruni and Nicholas Farrell read from literature featuring animal characters by writers including George Orwell, Anna Sewell, Brian Jacques, Margaret Atwood and Roald Dahl.

You can find a recent Free Thinking discussion about donkeys available on 蜜芽传媒 Sounds and as the Arts & Ideas podcast and other discussions available include programmes about cows and farming, Watership Down and rabbits, Dogs, and a conversation asking Should we Keep Pets?

Producer in Salford: Paul Frankl

Pieces read:

Animal Farm (extract) by George Orwell, read by Nicholas Farrell

Black Beauty (extract) by Anna Sewell, read by Emily Bruni

The Fantastic Mr Fox (extract) by Roald Dahl, read by Nicholas Farrell

Pig Song by Margaret Atwood, read by Emily Bruni

Watership Down by Richard Adams, read by Nicholas Farrell

The Lamb by William Blake, read by Emily Bruni

The Labrador Pact by Matt Haig, read by Nicholas Farrell

Redwall by Brian Jacques, read by Nicholas Farrell

An Old Cat's Dying Soliloquy by Anna Seward, read by Nicholas Farrell

Fire Bringer by David Clement Davis, read by Emily Bruni

The Donkey by GK Chesterton, read by Nicholas Farrell

The Memoirs of a Porcupine by Alain Mabanckou, read by Nicholas Farrell

Dolphin Way by Mark Caney, read by Emily Bruni

Animal Farm (extract) by George Orwell, read by Nicholas Farrell

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 12 Feb 2023 17:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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The Black Sun

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Music Played

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

  • George Orwell

    Animal Farm (extract), read by Nicholas Farrell

  • 00:01

    Ian Whitcomb

    The Farmyard Cabaret

    Performer: Ian Whitcomb.
    • Muskrat RATCD-002.
    • 1.

  • Anna Sewell

    Black Beauty (extract), read by Emily Bruni

  • 00:04

    脡tienne M茅hul

    La Chasse du Jeune Henri

    Orchestra: Orchestre National de Bretagne. Conductor: Stefan Sanderling.
    • Hyperion CDDCA1140.
    • 1.
  • 00:05

    Alfred Newman

    20th Century Fox Fanfare

    Performer: Alfred Newman.
    • Varese sarabande 302 067 059 2.
    • 1.
  • 00:05

    Alexandre Desplat

    Mr Fox in the Fields

    Performer: Alexandre Desplat.
    • ABKCO 0602527221342.
    • 3.

  • Roald Dahl

    The Fantastic Mr Fox (extract), read by Nicholas Farrell

  • 00:05

    Alexandre Desplat

    Boggis, Bunce and Bean

    Performer: Alexandre Desplat.
    • ABKCO 0602527221342.
    • 6.
  • 00:09

    Leos Jan谩膷ek

    Cunning Little Vixen Suite no.2 (extract)

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • DECCA 417 129-2.
    • 1.

  • Margaret Atwood

    Pig Song by Margaret Atwood, read by Emily Bruni

  • 00:15

    David Bowie

    I Would Be Your Slave

    Performer: David Bowie.
    • Columbia CK 86630.
    • 7.

  • Richard Adams

    Watership Down (extract), read by Nicholas Farrell

  • 00:21

    John Tavener

    Song for Athene

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.
    • Decca 4766198.
    • 2.

  • William Blake

    The Lamb, read by Emily Bruni

  • 00:23

    Bach

    Agnus Dei, Mass in b minor

    Performer: Alfred Deller.
    • Vanguard 089087 72.
    • 9.

  • Matt Haig

    The Labrador Pact, read by Nicholas Farrell

  • 00:30

    Charlie Parker

    Just Friends

    Performer: Charlie Parker.
    • Verve 837 141-2.
    • 1.

  • Brian Jacques

    Redwall, read by Nicholas Farrell

  • 00:35

    Scott Bradley

    Touche Pussy Cat

    Performer: Scott Bradley.
    • Film Score Monthly FSM Vol. 9 No. 17.
    • 1.

  • Anna Seward

    An Old Cat's Dying Soliloquy, read by Nicholas Farrell

  • 00:38

    Claude Debussy

    Marche Ecossaise

    Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra. Conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier.
    • CHAN 9129.
    • 4.
  • 00:44

    James Horner

    Main Title Braveheart

    Performer: London Symphony Orchestra.
    • Decca London 448 295-2.
    • 1.

  • David Clement Davis

    Fire Bringer, read by Emily Bruni

  • 00:44

    Felix Mendelssohn

    Overture, A Midsummer Night聮s Dream

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • DG 423104-2.
    • 2.

  • GK Chesterton

    The Donkey, read by Nicholas Farrell

  • Alain Mabanckou

    The Memoirs of a Porcupine, read by Nicholas Farrell

  • 01:01

    Abdullah Ibrahim

    The Dream

    Performer: Abdullah Ibrahim.
    • Enja Records 2070-2.
    • 5.

  • Mark Caney

    Dolphin Way, read by Emily Bruni

  • 01:09

    Hans Zimmer

    Surfing Dolphins

    Performer: Hans Zimmer.
    • Silva Screen SILCD1560.
    • 3.

  • George Orwell

    Animal Farm (extract), read by Nicholas Farrell

Broadcasts

  • Sun 16 Aug 2020 17:00
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3
  • Sun 12 Feb 2023 17:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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