Main content

American Ideas of Independence

Rhashan Stone and Caitlin Fitzgerald read from prose and poetry conveying a sense of freedom in America, alongside music by Copland, Florence Price, Miles Davis, Jessie Montgomery.

From the poet Rita Dove's image of Rosa Parks taking her seat on a bus as an act of defiance, through the trial in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird to Lillian Hellman's Letter to the House Committee on Un-American Activities, May 19, 1952 - this week's Words and Music takes ideas about freedom in America as its starting point.

We'll hear from the pamphlet published by Thomas Paine in 1776, Common Sense, which argued strongly for separation from Britain; a letter from Birmingham Jail written by Martin Luther King, August Wilson's play Fences and James Baldwin's Sonny Blues. There is music about and in praise of the American spirit of independence by composers from Aaron Copland to Antonín Dvořák, Florence Price, Miles Davies and Jessie Montgomery.

Our readers are Rhashan Stone, seen on TV in Keeping Faith and Black Mirrror and Caitlin Fitzgerald from Succession.

This programme is part of Radio 3's focus on America as the country prepares to mark 250 years of independence.

Readings:
The Wild Honeysuckle by Philip Freneau
O Pioneers by Willa Cather
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
 Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman Perkins
Song of the Smoke King by WEB du Bois
Jazz by Toni Morrison
 Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin
 Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King
Rosa by Rita Dove
 I Too by Langston Hughes
 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
Letter to the House UnAmerican Activities Committee by Lillian Helman
Fences by August Wilson
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Beat! Beat! Drums! By Walt Whitman

Producer in Salford: Olive Clancy

29 days left to listen

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Today18:00
BBC Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Twelve Days of Christmas

Next

Agatha Christie and music

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

    Antonín Dvořák

    Quartet for Strings No 12 in F Major (American) 4: Finale

    Performer: Takács Quartet.
    • Decca.
    • Tr9.
  • 00:01

    Antonín Dvořák

    Quartet for Strings No 12 in F Major (American) 4: Finale

    Ensemble: Tackacs Quartet.
    • Dvorak: String Quartets: Takacs Quartet.
    • Decca.
    • 9.

  • Philip Freneau

    The Wild Honeysuckle read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:02

    George Gershwin

    Concerto in F Major for piano and orchestra iii Allegro

    Performer: Andre Prevein.
    • Warmer Classics.
    • Tr5.
  • 00:02

    George Gershwin

    Concerto in F Major for piano and orchestra iii Allegro

    Performer: André Previn.
    • Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; An American in Paris.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 5.

  • Willa Cather

    O Pioneers, read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 00:04

    Aaron Copland

    Suite from Appalachian Spring

    Performer: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
    • TELARC.
    • Tr3.
  • 00:04

    Aaron Copland

    Suite from Appalachian Spring

    Performer: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
    • Rainbow Body.
    • Telarc.
    • 3.

  • Thomas Paine

    On Common Sense read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:06

    Douglas Moore

    Willow Song (Ballad of Baby Doe) for voice and orchestra

    Performer: Dawn Upshaw.
    • NONESUCH.
    • Tr5.
  • 00:07

    Douglas Moore

    Willow Song (Ballad of Baby Doe) for voice and orchestra

    Performer: Dawn Upshaw.
    • Dawn Upshaw: The World So Wide.
    • Nonesuch.
    • 5.

  • Washington Irving

    Rip Van Winkle read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:10

    Florence Price

    Ethiopia’s Shadow in America III: His Adaptation

    Performer: New York Youth Symphony.
    • AVIE RECORDS.
    • Tr7.
  • 00:11

    Florence Price

    Ethiopia's Shadow in America III: His Adaptation

    Orchestra: New York Youth Symphony Orchestra.
    • New York Youth Symphony: Florence Price.
    • Avie Records.
    • 3.

  • Harriet Beecher Stowe

    Uncle Tom’s Cabin read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 00:12

    William Grant Still

    Symphony No 1 Afro-American 1: Longing

    Performer: Fort Smith Symphony.
    • NAXOS.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:13

    William Grant Still

    Symphony No 1 Afro-American 1: Longing

    Performer: Fort Smith Symphony.
    • Fort Smith Symphony.
    • Naxos.
    • 1.

  • Solomon Northup

    12 Years a Slave read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:17

    Reena Esmail

    A Winter Breviary - We look for you

    Lyricist: Rebecca Gayle Howell. Lyricist: Rebecca Gayle Howell. Choir: The Sixteen. Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Coro.
    • Tr12.
  • 00:00

    Aaron Copland

    Rodeo, Saturday Night Waltz

    Performer: San Francisco Symphony.
    • RCA.
    • Tr5.
  • 00:18

    Reena Esmail

    A Winter Breviary - We look for you

    Lyricist: Rebecca Gayle Howell. Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • The Wise Men and the Star - A Christmas Collection.
    • Coro.
    • 12.

  • Laura Ingalls Wilder

    Farmer Boy read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 00:21

    Aaron Copland

    Rodeo, Saturday Night Waltz

    Performer: San Francisco Symphony.
    • Copland: Appalachian Spring; Billy the Kid; Rodeo: Classic Library Series.
    • RCA.
    • 5.

  • Sebastian Barry

    Days Without End read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:23

    Michael Torke

    Concerto for Violin 1: Lively

    Performer: Tessa Lark. Performer: Albany Symphony Orchestra. Performer: Albany Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: David Alan Miller. Conductor: David Alan Miller.
    • ALBANY.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:24

    Michael Torke

    Concerto for Violin 1: Lively

    Performer: Tessa Lark. Performer: Albany Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: David Alan Miller.
    • Sky.
    • Albany.
    • 1.

  • Edith Wharton

    The Age of Innocence read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 00:27

    Amy Beach

    Romance for Violin and Piano

    Performer: Usha Kapoor. Performer: Edward Leung.
    • RESONUS.
    • Tr5.
  • 00:28

    Amy Beach

    Romance for Violin and Piano

    Performer: Usha Kapoor. Performer: Edward Leung.
    • Beach & Corigliano: Violin Sonatas.
    • RESONUS.
    • 5.

  • Charlotte Gilman Perkins

    The Yellow Wallpaper read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 00:32

    Jennifer Higdon

    Blue Cathedral

    Performer: Bowling Green Philharmonia.
    • ALBANY.
    • Tr2.
  • 00:33

    Jennifer Higdon

    Blue Cathedral

    Orchestra: Bowling Green Philharmonia.
    • New Music from Bowling Green, Vol. III.
    • Albany.
    • 2.

  • WEB du Bois

    Song of the Smoke King read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:36

    Leonard Bernstein

    Big Stuff

    Performer: Billie Holiday.
    • Fantastic Voyage.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:36

    Leonard Bernstein

    Big Stuff

    Performer: Billie Holiday.
    • Billie At Her Best.
    • Fantastic Voyage.
    • 1.

  • Toni Morrison

    Jazz read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 00:39

    Miles Davis

    Green Haze

    Performer: Miles Davis Quartet.
    • ACROBAT.
    • Tr3.
  • 00:40

    Miles Davis

    Green Haze

    Ensemble: Miles Davis Quartet.
    • Changes: The 1955 Sessions.
    • Acrobat.
    • 3.

  • William Baldwin

    Sonny’s Blues read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:42

    Jessie Montgomery

    Starburst

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Swan. Conductor: Philip Sheppard.
    • Signum.
    • Tr11.

  • Harper Lee

    To Kill A Mockingbird

  • 00:46

    Harold Arlen

    Stormy Weather

    Performer: Lena Horne.
    • Legacy Recordings.
    • Tr18.
  • 00:47

    Harold Arlen

    Stormy Weather

    Performer: Lena Horne.
    • Playlist: A Musical Journey Through Black Music.
    • Legacy Recordings.
    • 18.

  • Martin Luther King

    Letter from Birmingham Jail read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:48

    Ferde Grofé

    Grand Canyon Suite V Cloudburst

    Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Eugene Ormandy.
    • SONY.
    • Tr5.
  • 00:49

    Ferde Grofé

    Grand Canyon Suite V Cloudburst

    Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Eugene Ormandy.
    • Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite.
    • Sony.
    • 5.

  • Rita Dove

    Rosa read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • Langston Hughes

    I Too read by Rashan Stone

  • 00:55

    Leonard Bernstein

    America

    Performer: Stan Kenton.
    • Soundtrack classics.
    • Tr4.

  • Sandra Cisneros

    The House on Mango Street read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 00:56

    Stephen Sondheim

    America

    Composer: Leonard Bernstein. Performer: Stan Kenton.
    • West Side Story.
    • Soundtrack classics.
    • 4.

  • Oscar Hijuelos

    The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love read by Rhashan Stone

  • 00:58

    Arturo Márquez

    Concierto de Otono

    Performer: Pacho Flores. Orchestra: Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería. Conductor: Carlos Miguel Prieto.
    • UNIVERSAL MUSIC SPAIN.
    • Tr1.

  • Lillian Helen

    Letter to the House UnAmerican Activities Committee 1952 read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • August Wilson

    Fences read by Rhashan Fitzgerald

  • 01:02

    Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

    Snake Oil VI Aberration

    Performer: Carolyn Braus. Performer: Molly Orlando. Performer: Devree Lewis.
    • SOUNDSET.
    • Tr17.
  • 01:03

    Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

    Snake Oil VI Aberration

    Performer: Carolyn Braus. Performer: Molly Orlando. Performer: Devree Lewis.
    • Tale Still Told.
    • Soundset.
    • 17.

  • Louise Erdrich

    The Sentence read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • 01:06

    Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Hiawathan Sketches Op 16 II A Song

    Performer: David Juritz. Performer: Michael Dussek.
    • DUTON EPOCH.
    • Tr9.
  • 01:06

    Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Hiawathan Sketches Op 16 II A Song

    Performer: David Juritz. Performer: Michael Dussek.
    • Coleridge-Taylor: Sonata in D Minor - African Dances - Hiawathan Sketches - Peti.
    • Duton Epoch.
    • 9.

  • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Americanah read by Caitlin Fitzgerald

  • Walt Whitman

    Beat! Beat! Drums! read by Rhashan Stone

  • 01:10

    Charles Ives

    Synphony No 4 iii Fugue

    Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Seiji Ozawa.
    • Deutsche Grammaphone.
    • Tr9.
  • 01:11

    Charles Ives

    Symphony No 4 iii Fugue

    Performer: Boston Symphony Orchestra. Performer: Seyi Ozawa.
    • Ives: Symphony No.4; Central Park in the Dark; Three Places in New England.
    • DG.
    • 9.

Broadcast

  • Today18:00
    BBC 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

Books website

Get closer to books with in-depth articles, quizzes and our picks from radio & TV.