Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Women and Music

From Delia Derbyshire's tape loops and Hildegard of Bingen's divine inspiration to readings from work by Anna Akhmatova, Jackie Kay, Shakespeare and Jane Austen.

From from Grace Jones to Ethel Smyth's March of the Women, Ivor Cutler's cry for liberation "Women of the world, take over!" to readings of Jane Austen and Dame Nelly Melba. Today's programme explores the deep relationship women have with music: not just as passive, unattainable muse but as composers, performers and instigators. The tender poetry of Anna Akhmatova and Jackie Kay sit alongside EM Forster's spirited Lucy, Shakespeare's longing, Delia Derbyshire's tape loops, William Blake's lullaby, the cold horror of a lost Stradivarius, and Hildegard of Bingen's divine inspiration. With music including Beethoven, Brahms, Nina Simone and punk pioneers The Slits.

Shobna Gulati and Sue Johnston are the readers.

Producer: Ewa Norman

There's plenty more music by women for International Women's Day being broadcast on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 3 and available on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sounds.

Readings:
Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre
EM Forster: A Room with a View
Warsan Shire: Bless Grace Jones (from Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head)
Sophocles: Music (from Antigone)
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 128: How Oft, When Thou, My Music, Music Play'st
Laurie Stras: What if the composer known as 'Anonymous' was really a woman?
Belden C. Lane: The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul
Esther Freud: Hideous Kinky
Dame Nellie Melba: Memories and Melodies
Gwyneth Lewis: Voice (from Sparrow Tree)
Sarah Jackson: Vocal Chords (from Pelt)
Min Kym: Gone
Nina Simone, interviewed by Brantley Bardin in Details magazine January 1997
Nandini Das: Courting India: England Mughal India and the Origins of Empire
William Blake: Cradle Song
Cosey Fanni Tutti: Re-Sisters
Jackie Kay: Piano 4pm (from Empty Nest: Poems for Families)
Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice
Vita Sackville-West: To Ethel: 8th May 1944 (from Quartet: How Four women changed the musical world)
Anna Akhmatova: Music

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 2 Mar 2025 18:00
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

The Aeneid

Next

Wild Isles

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

    Ivor Cutler

    Women of the World

    Performer: Linda Hirst. Performer: Ivor Cutler.
    • ROUGH TRADE RECORDS RT-145.
    • 1.

  • Charlotte Brontë

    Jane Eyre, read by Sue Johnston

  • 00:03

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Sonata no. 32 in C minor Op.111

    Performer: Maurizio Pollini.
    • Deutsche Grammophon 499740-2.
    • 7.

  • EM Forster

    Room with a View, read by Sue Johnston

  • Warsan Shire

    Bless Grace Jones, read by Shobna Gulati

  • 00:10

    Grace Jones

    I’ve seen that face before

    Performer: Grace Jones.
    • ISLAND 00731452450128.
    • 8.

  • Sophocles

    Antigone: Music, read by Sue Johnston

  • 00:15

    Trad.

    Invocation of Calliope and Apollo

    Music Arranger: Martin West. Performer: Stef Conner.
    • DELPHINIAN DCD 34188.
    • 1.

  • William Shakespeare

    Sonnet 128: How Oft, When Thou, My Music, Music Play'st, read by Sue Johnston

  • 00:18

    Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto in E major RV.271 (L'Amoroso)

    Performer: Andrew Manze. Ensemble: The English Concert.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 907332.
    • 4.

  • Laurie Stras

    What if the composer known as ‘Anonymous’ was really a woman?, read by Shobna Gulati

  • 00:23

    Hildegard von Bingen

    O vis aeternis

    Choir: Norwegian Soloists' Choir. Performer: Gjermund Larsen. Performer: Bjørn Kjellemyr. Conductor: Grete Pedersen.
    • BIS BIS-2029.
    • 7.

  • Belden C. Lane

    The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul, read by Sue Johnston

  • Esther Freud

    Hideous Kinky, read by Shobna Gulati

  • 00:28

    Asmâa Hamzaoui

    Sandia

    Performer: Asmâa Hamzaoui. Performer: Bnat Timbouktou.
    • Ajabu! AJABU029.
    • 9.

  • Dame Nellie Melba

    Memories and Melodies, read by Sue Johnston

  • 00:31

    Traditional

    Comin’ thro’ the Rye

    Performer: Nellie Melba.
    • NAXOS 8.110336.
    • 1.
  • 00:32

    Midori Takada

    °Õ°ù´Ç³¾±è±ð-³¢â€™o±ð¾±±ô

    Performer: Midori Takada.
    • WRWTFWW Records WRWTFWW019CD.
    • 3.

  • Gwyneth Lewis

    Voice, read by Shobna Gulati

  • Sarah Jackson

    Vocal Chords, read by Sue Johnston

  • Gone

    Min Kym, read by Shobna Gulati

  • I play Black classical music

    Nina Simone, read by Shobna Gulati

  • 00:41

    Nina Simone

    Love Me or Leave Me

    • AudioSonic Music 1288745937055_AUDS25.
    • 3.
  • 00:45

    Trad.

    Mahakali Dhyaan Mantra

    Performer: Veena Sahasrabuddhe.
    • WORLD RHYTHM 889176143120.
    • 4.

  • Nandini Das

    Courting India: England Mughal India and the Origins of Empire, read by Sue Johnston

  • Cradle Song

    William Blake, read by Shobna Gulati

  • 00:49

    Johannes Brahms

    Wiegenlied (Op.49 No. 4)

    Performer: Truls Mørk. Performer: Juhani Lagerspetz.
    • VIRGIN VC5450522.
    • 9.

  • Cosey Fanni Tutti

    Re-Sisters, read by Sue Johnston

  • 00:52

    White Noise

    Here Come the Fleas

    Performer: White Noise.
    • ISLAND ILPS-9099.
    • 3.
  • 00:54

    Arvo Pärt

    Spiegel im Spiegel

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

  • Jackie Kay

    Piano, 4pm, read by Sue Johnston

  • Pride and Prejudice

    Jane Austen, read by Shobna Gulati

  • 01:05

    The Slits

    Typical Girls

    Performer: The Slits.
    • Island records ILPS 9573.
    • 9.

  • To Ethel: 8th May 1944

    Vita Sackville-West, read by Shobna Gulati

  • 01:10

    Ethel Smyth

    March of the Women

    Choir: Kantos Chamber Choir. Conductor: Alice Farnham.
    • DECCA 00028948174393.
    • 1.

  • Anna Akhmatova

    Music, read by Sue Johnston

Broadcasts

  • Sun 5 Mar 2023 17:30
    ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 3
  • Sun 2 Mar 2025 18:00
    ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ 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.