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Actor and Shakespeare scholar Michael Maloney hosts Sunday Night is Music Night, celebrating the choral, classical, jazz and musical theatre music inspired by Shakespeare's plays.

Actor and Shakespeare scholar Michael Maloney ('Truly Madly Deeply'; 'Hamlet'; 'Henry V') hosts a special Sunday Night is Music Night as part of the BBC's Shakespeare festival, celebrating the diverse range of music inspired by Shakespeare's plays.

Featuring choral music from the National Youth Chamber Choir of Great Britain and their conductor Ben Parry; the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and their conductor Mark Armstrong; the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Richard Balcombe; and musical theatre stars Hannah Waddingham and Graham Bickley.

Among the music, new settings of Shakespeare's sonnets 'Weary With Toil' and 'Full Fathom Five'; Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's suite for big band, 'Such Sweet Thunder'; William Walton's film score for Olivier's 'Henry V'; Patrick Doyle's music for Kenneth Branagh's film of 'Much Ado About Nothing'; and songs from the classic musicals, 'The Boys From Syracuse', 'Kiss Me Kate' and 'West Side Story'.

Michael reads speeches from 'The Tempest', 'Taming of the Shrew' and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and brings us a new combination of Duke Ellington's piece 'Half the Fun' (inspired by 'Antony and Cleopatra') and Shakespeare's famous speech given to his character Enorbarbus in the play, describing Cleopatra aboard her sailing barge.

First broadcast in 2016.

1 hour, 57 minutes

Last on

Fri 11 Nov 201620:00
BBC Radio 2

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Music Played

  • BBC Concert Orchestra

    Friday Night Is Music Night Opening Sig Tune

    Conductor: Richard Balcombe.

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe

    OVERTURE: THE GLOBE PLAYHOUSE (HENRY V)

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe

    KISS ME KATE: OVERTURE

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe, Graham Bickley & Hannah Waddingham

    Kiss me, Kate - musical

  • National Youth Choirs Of Great Britain Chamber Choir & National Youth Jazz Orchestra

    Weary With Toil (Shakespeare's Sonnet 27)

  • Mark Armstrong & National Youth Jazz Orchestra

    SUCH SWEET THUNDER

  • Mark Armstrong & National Youth Jazz Orchestra

    Half the fun

  • National Youth Choirs Of Great Britain Chamber Choir

    It Was A Lover and his Lass

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe, Graham Bickley & Hannah Waddingham

    This Can't Be Falling In Love

  • Full Fathom Five

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe

    ROMEO AND JULIET

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe

    MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING - OVERTURE

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe

    OVERTURE: WEST SIDE STORY

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe & Hannah Waddingham

    I FEEL PRETTY

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe & Graham Bickley

    SOMETHING'S COMING

  • National Youth Choirs Of Great Britain Chamber Choir

    Caliban's Song

  • Mark Armstrong & National Youth Jazz Orchestra

    A Circle Of Fourths

  • Mark Armstrong & National Youth Jazz Orchestra

    SONNET TO HANK CINQ

  • National Youth Choirs Of Great Britain Chamber Choir

    Shall I Compare Thee

  • SCHERZO MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe & Hannah Waddingham

    ALWAYS TRUE TO YOU IN MY FASHION

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe & Graham Bickley

    FROM THIS MOMENT ON

  • BBC Concert Orchestra CB Richard Balcombe

    CROWN IMPERIAL

Credit

PerformerBBC Concert Orchestra

Broadcasts

  • Fri 22 Apr 201620:00
    BBC Radio 2
  • Fri 11 Nov 201620:00
    BBC Radio 2

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