 
                
                        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
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
- 
    ![]() 00:00 00:00Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyThe Nutcracker: Tea (Chinese dance) Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich.- Signum Classics SIGCD441.
- CD2 Tr6.
 
- 
    ![]() 00:00 00:00Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyThe Nutcracker - ballet Op.71 Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich. Performer: Berliner Philharmoniker.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 4779191.
 
- 
    Emily DickinsonThe mushroom is the Elf of Plants  Upstart, read by Verity Henry Speech: Emily Dickinson: The mushroom is the Elf of Plants![]() 00:02 00:02Terry NolandThere was a fungus among us Performer: Terry Noland & The Anita Kerr Singers.- Coral 62274.
- Tr1.
 ![]() 00:02 00:02Terry NolandThere Was A Fungus Among Us Performer: Terry Noland And The Anita Kerr Singers.- Not Now Music.
- not listed.
 Roger PhillipsMushrooms, read by Youssef Kerkour Speech: Roger Phillips: Mushrooms![]() 00:04 00:04Anna von HausswolffTheatre of Nature Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.- SOUTHERN LORD: LORD280.
- Tr1.
 ![]() 00:05 00:05Anna von HausswolffTheatre of Nature Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.- SOUTHERN LORD.
- LORD280.
 Margaret AttwoodSurfacing, read by Verity Henry Speech: Margaret Attwood: Surfacing![]() 00:10 00:10Bayaka PygmiesSong for gathering mushrooms Performer: Bayaka Pygmies.- Wild Sanctuary.
- Tr1.
 ![]() 00:12 00:12Bayaka PygmiesSong for Gathering Mushrooms - WILD SANCTUARY.
- NFI.
 Kathie FiveashMycelium, read by Verity Henry Speech: Kathie Fiveash: Mycelium![]() 00:15 00:15Maurice RavelLever du jour (Daphnis et Chloe) Performer: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Performer: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.![]() 00:16 00:16Maurice RavelDaphnis et Chloe - suite no. 2 Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin. Performer: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.- EMI CLASSICS.
- 50999 966342 2 6.
 TolstoyAnna Karenina, read by Youssef Kerkour Speech: Tolstoy: Anna Karenina![]() 00:21 00:21Antonín DvořákSilent woods B.173 Performer: Alisa Weilerstein. Performer: Anna Polonsky.- DECCA 4785705.
- Tr8.
 ![]() 00:24 00:24Antonín DvořákSilent 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 00:28Tjinder SinghEngland is a garden Ensemble: Cornershop.![]() 00:29 00:29Tjinder SinghEngland is a garden Performer: Cornershop.- Ample Play.
- AMP129CD.
 Meera SodhaFresh India mushroom and pea kheema, read by Verity Henry Speech: Meera Sodha: Fresh India – mushroom and pea kheemaSpeech: William Shakespeare: The Tempest - Ye elves of hills![]() 00:30 00:30Bernard HerrmannThe Mushroom Forest (Journey to the Center of the Earth) Orchestra: 20th Century‐Fox Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Herrmann.![]() 00:32 00:32UnknownThe Mushroom Forest - VARESE SARABANDE.
- VSD-5849.
 Jules VerneJourney to the centre of the earth, read by Youssef Kerkour Speech: Jules Verne: Journey to the centre of the earth![]() 00:33 00:33Michael NymanProspero's Magic (Prospero's Books) Ensemble: Michael Nyman Band.![]() 00:35 00:35Michael NymanProspero's books - music for the film Performer: Michael Nyman Band.- DECCA.
- 4252242.
 William ShakespeareThe Tempest Ye elves of hills, read by Yousseff Kerkour ![]() 00:37 00:37Koji KondoMario Theme Performer: OST - Original Soundtrack.- Nintendo RVL-SVMP-UKV.
- Tr1.
 ![]() 00:41 00:41Koji KondoSuper Mario Bros: Ground Theme Performer: Unknown.- NINTENDO.
- RVL-SVMP-UKV.
 Keza MacDonaldFun guy: is that Toad from Marios head or is he wearing a hat?, read by Verity Henry Speech: Keza MacDonald: Fun guy: is that Toad from Mario’s head or is he wearing a hat?![]() 00:40 00:40Walter SlaughterAlice in Wonderland Lyricist: Henry Savile Clarke. Conductor: Clifford Greenwood.![]() 00:44 00:44Henry Savile ClarkeAlice 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 CarrollAlice in Wonderland, read by Ann Stephens and Richard Goolden Speech: Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland![]() 00:40 00:40Jefferson AirplaneWhite Rabbit Performer: Jefferson Airplane.- RCA VICTOR SF 7889.
- Tr10.
 ![]() 00:45 00:45SLICKWhite Rabbit Performer: Jefferson Airplane.- RCA.
- PD-83766.
 ![]() 00:42 00:42Pink FloydAlan's psychedelic breakfast Performer: Pink Floyd.- EMI CDEMD 1072.
- Tr5.
 ![]() 00:47 00:47Pink FloydAlans Psychedelic Breakfast - EMI Records.
- EMI-Records.
 Timothy LearyL S D, read by Verity Henry Speech: Timothy Leary: L S DMerlin SheldrakeEntangled Life, read by Youssef Kerkour Speech: Merlin Sheldrake: Entangled Life![]() 00:46 00:46Sun RaEnlightenment Performer: The Sun Ra Arkestra.- Gambit: Gambit-69309.
- Tr1.
 ![]() 00:52 00:52Hobart DotsonEnlightenment Composer: Sun Ra. Performer: Hobart Dotson. Performer: John Gilmore. Performer: Marshall Allen. Performer: Pat Patrick. Performer: Sun Ra.- Gambit.
- Gambit-69309.
 Rodney BennettWhen is a mushroom not a mushroom?, read by Verity Henry Speech: Rodney Bennett: When is a mushroom not a mushroom?![]() 00:52 00:52Dmitry ShostakovichLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district: Act 2 Entr'acte Orchestra: Bastille Opera Orchestra. Choir: Chœurs de l’Opéra Bastille. Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung.- DG 4779118.
- Tr1.
 ![]() 00:59 00:59Dmitry ShostakovichLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district - opera in 4 acts Op.29 Conductor: 정명화. Performer: Bastille Opera Orchestra.- DG.
- 4779118.
 Nikolai LeskovLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, read by Youssef Kerkour Speech: Nikolai Leskov: Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District![]() 00:56 00:56Johann Sebastian Bach... and at the hour of death Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson. Music Arranger: Christian Badzura.![]() 01:02 01:02Christian Badzura...and at the hour of death Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson.- Deustche Grammophon.
- 483 7766.
 Percy Bysshe ShelleyThe Sensitive Plant, read by Verity Henry Speech: Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Sensitive Plant![]() 01:00 01:00Carlo GesualdoPeccantem me quotidie Ensemble: Marian Consort.![]() 01:06 01:06Carlo GesualdoPeccantem me quotidie for 5 voices [1603a] Performer: Marian Consort.- Delphian.
- DCD34176.
 John CageMusic lovers field companion, read by Youssef Kerkour Speech: John Cage: Music lovers’ field companion![]() 01:05 01:05Ludwig van BeethovenString Quartet in C major, Op.59 no.3 (4th mvt: Allegro molto) Ensemble: Belcea Quartet.![]() 01:12 01:12Ludwig van BeethovenQuartet in C major Op.59 No.3 (Rasumovsky) for strings Performer: Belcea Quartet.- Zig Zag Territories.
- ZZT344.
 Sylvia PlathMushrooms, read by Verity Henry Speech: Sylvia Plath: Mushrooms![]() 01:12 01:12Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyTea (Chinese Dance) (The Nutcracker) Performer: Alexandra Dariescu. Music Arranger: Mikhail Pletnev.![]() 01:19 01:19Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyThe Nutcracker - ballet Op.71 Performer: Alexandra Dariescu.- SIGNUM CLASSICS.
- SIGCD441.
 Broadcasts- Sun 17 Oct 2021 17:30ѿý Radio 3
- Sun 24 Nov 2024 18:00ѿý Radio 3
 
 
            