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Words and MusicEpisodes

  1. Giants

    A journey of discovery, weaving music with poetry and prose read by leading actors.

  2. The Victorian World

    Janie Dee and Roger Allam read from a selection of Victorian prose and poetry set to music

  3. Agatha Christie and music

    50 years ago the 'Queen of Crime' fiction died. When young, she planned a career in music.

  4. American Ideas of Independence

    Ideas of freedom expressed by Willa Cather, Solomon Northup, Walt Whitman, Louise Erdrich.

  5. Twelve Days of Christmas

    We celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas with music, readings, gold rings and pear trees.

  6. Jane Austen's world

    Featuring music listened to and played by Jane Austen, from adaptations and in her novels.

  7. Joy and Sorrow

    Olivia Chaney, Xhosa Cole, Patrick Baladi and Charlotte Martin in front of an audience.

  8. Small Towns

    Jemma Redgrave and Sushil Chudasama read from EF Benson, Kiran Desai, Paul Murray

  9. Little Furry Creatures: Mice, Rats and Squirrels

    From Douglas Adams to Beatrix Potter, ballet to the back yard: mice, rats and squirrels.

  10. Travel: on land, over water, in the air

    Songs for sailors, the Kronos quartet Cycling Through Muddy Streets, Johnny Cash's travels

  11. Sleep and Dreams

    Readings and music about our night-time thoughts and slumbers marking the clock change.

  12. Fire

    Specially curated music and readings inspired by fire, flames and infernos.

  13. Nobel Prizes

    Highlighting the work of Nobel Prize for Literature Laureates.

  14. Rising high

    From church spires and skyscrapers to soaring sopranos-today's episode hits the high notes

  15. Genius, Polymaths and Prodigies

    The exceptional talents of Mozart, Einstein, Da Vinci, Gertrude Stein and Ada Lovelace.

  16. The Coastal Path

    A trip following the Charles III coast path around England in poems, prose and music.

  17. Creating Music

    Musicians' diaries, passages from novels and poems showcase the making of music

  18. Miniatures

    Exploring the small from dolls houses to netsuke figures, piano miniatures to haiku.

  19. Virginia Woolf

    Celebrating Virginia Woolf as we mark the centenary of the publication 'Mrs Dalloway'.

  20. Bradford

    Vinette Robinson and Enzo Cilenti with readings and music evoking the 2025 City of Culture

  21. Coffee and Tea

    Ariyon Bakare and Philippa Dunne with readings alongside music about coffee and tea.

  22. A Swiss journey

    Peter Wight and Ellie Piercy bring us readings evoking Swish hotels, lakes and mountains

  23. Art Deco

    Jessica Raine and Giles Terera with readings alongside music from the roaring twenties.

  24. The Wild

    Toby Jones and Indra Ové with readings alongside music taking us into the wilderness.

  25. Hares and Rabbits

    Welcome in spring with music and readings inspired by rabbits, hares, kits and cottontails

  26. 1920s Ireland

    A celebration of 1920s Ireland in music and readings by Olwen Fouéré and Ardal O'Hanlon

  27. Selfless Love

    From Tinkerbell saving Peter Pan, to soldiers on the battlefields, and Jesus on the cross

  28. Hotels, Hostelries and Town Halls

    From Hotel du Lac to the Chelsea Hotel, Mermaid Tavern to the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

  29. A Day at the Races

    Start your engines with Beethoven, Bizet and Ben-Hur down at the races.

  30. Playing Cards

    Kings, Queens, Jokers, Aces: with music and readers Sophie Thompson and James Cartwright

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