Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Everyday Heroism

Paterson Joseph and Ruth Bradley with poetry and prose from Roger Robinson to Thomas Hardy and music by Arvo Part, Philp Glass, Carole King, Beethoven, Bowie and Charles Ives.

As the NHS marks 75 years of service on July 5th, our programme today celebrates everyday heroes with readings by Paterson Joseph and Ruth Bradley. Recent poems by Raymond Antrobus and Jackie Kay consider the experiences of frontline medical staff dealing with COVID-19. Teachers feature in an extract from George Dennison鈥檚 account of The First Street School in New York, and in Roald Dahl's Matilda. The quiet heroism of rural communities takes us to Sunset Song鈥檚 Chris Guthrie toiling daily on the land of North East Scotland, and the shepherd Gabriel Oak battling a fire in Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd. And the global impact of a single bold act of everyday heroism is evoked by Rita Dove鈥檚 poem about civil rights icon Rosa Parks, who challenged where she had to sit on a bus. The music includes works by Arvo Part, Vince Guaraldi, Carole King, Beethoven, and Charles Ives.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Raymond Antrobus - On Touch
Jackie Kay - 蜜芽传媒
George Dennison - The Lives of Children
Roald Dahl - Matilda
Sarah Moss - Night Waking
Thomas Hardy - Far from the Madding Crowd
Lewis Grassic Gibbon - Sunset Song
Rita Dove - Rosa
Patrick Marber - Closer
Emma Donoghue - The Pull of the Stars
Walt Whitman - The Wound Dresser
Roger Robinson - On Nurses

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 2 Jul 2023 17:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Animal Kingdom

Next

Getting Together

See all episodes from Words and Music

Music Played

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

  • Raymond Antrobus

    On Touch, read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:02

    Dave Maric

    Trilogy - Tamboo

    Performer: Colin Currie.
    • ONYX4024.
    • 11.

  • Jackie Kay

    蜜芽传媒, read by Ruth Bradley

  • 00:03

    Arvo P盲rt

    Spiegel im Spiegel

    Performer: Daniel Hope. Performer: Simon Mulligan.
    • Nimbus NI5631.
    • 5.

  • George Dennison

    The Lives of Children, read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:14

    Vince Guaraldi

    Charlie Brown

    Performer: Vince Guaraldi Trio.
    • Concord Records.
    • 1.

  • Roald Dahl

    Matilda, read by Ruth Bradley

  • 00:18

    Carole King

    I'm Into Something Good

    Composer: Gerry Goffin. Performer: The Langley Schools Music Project.
    • Innocence and Despair.
    • 7.

  • Sarah Moss

    Night Waking, read by Ruth Bradley

  • 00:21

    Ren茅 Aubry

    The Mouse (from The Gruffalo)

    Performer: Ren茅 Aubry.
    • Orange Eyes.
    • 6.
  • 00:23

    Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau

    Nais - pastorale-heroique in a prologue and 3 acts, Prologue; Overture

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Conductor: Frans Br眉ggen.
    • Glossa GCD921106.
    • 1.

  • Thomas Hardy

    Far from the Madding Crowd, read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:31

    Richard Strauss

    Ein Heldenleben op 40: Der Held (The Hero) (extract)

    Orchestra: NHK Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi.
    • RCA 88985391762.
    • 2.

  • Lewis Grassic Gibbon

    Sunset Song, read by Ruth Bradley

  • 00:37

    Philip Glass

    Heroes Symphony - 1st movement

    Composer: David Bowie. Composer: Brian Eno. Orchestra: American Composers Orchestra. Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies.
    • Point Music 454-388-2.
    • 1.

  • Rita Dove

    Rosa, read by Paterson Joseph

  • 00:43

    The Roots

    Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around

    • E1 Entertainment Dist.
    • 1.

  • George Watts

    Plaques from the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice in Postman's Park, London, read by Paterson Joseph & Ruth Bradley

  • Patrick Marber

    Closer, read by Paterson Joseph & Ruth Bradley

  • 00:48

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    12 Variations on 'See the conqu'ring hero comes'

    Performer: Daniel M眉ller鈥怱chott. Performer: Angela Hewitt.
    • Hyperion CDA67755.
    • 1.

  • Emma Donoghue

    The Pull of the Stars, read by Ruth Bradley

  • 01:01

    David Bowie/Brian Eno

    Heroes

    Performer: David Bowie.
    • RCA Records.
    • 1.

  • Walt Whitman

    The Wound Dresser, read by Paterson Joseph

  • 01:05

    Charles Ives

    The Unanswered Question

    Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas.
    • CBS MK42381.
    • 5.

  • Roger Robinson

    On Nurses, read by Paterson Joseph

Broadcasts

  • Sun 30 Aug 2020 17:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3
  • Sun 2 Jul 2023 17:30
    蜜芽传媒 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.