SHAKESPEARE

Alternative title

Sweet Lovers Love the Spring The Fairy Kingdom The Fat Knight (Falstaff) Merry and Tragical Full of Sound and Fury Songs of All Sizes They Burned for Love Madam, We’Ll Dance The Food of Love Sweet Airs

Synopsis

Radio series of weekly programmes devised and presented by Bernard Keeffe covering a wide range of music inspired by or derived from Shakespeare. Encompasses original songs, incidental music, songs and operas based on Shakespearean themes, and works inspired by various Shakespearean characters. Each programme has as its title a quotation taken from the plays. Artists include the Elizabethan singers who sing choral settings of speeches and song while Heather Harper and John Shirley-Quirk sing the love songs.

Series

Shakespeare and Music

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Radio

Transmission details

29 Mar 1964 at 05:15 (Channel: BBC World Service)

Duration

30 (ind. episodes)

Availability

Unknown

Credits

Contributor

Bernard Keeffe

Cast

Heather Harper
John Shirley-Quirk

Additional Details

Production type

Documentary/Educational/News

Plays

Hamlet; Merry Wives of Windsor, The; Midsummer Night’s Dream, A; Othello; Romeo and Juliet

Subjects

Music

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); songs

Notes

History

Transmitted as part of the ‘Shakespeare Quatercentenary’ celebrations of the General Overseas Service. The series was broadcast in weekly instalments from 29/3/1964-28/6/1964.
Individual episode titles are listed as follows:
Sweet lovers love the spring (29/3/1964)
The Fairy Kingdom (5/4/1964)
The Fat Knight (Falstaff) (9/4/1964)
Merry and Tragical (12/4/1964)
Full of Sound and Fury (26/4/1964)
Songs of All Sizes (3/5/1964)
They Burned for Love (10/5/1964)
Madam, We’ll Dance (17/5/1964)
The Food of Love (24/5/1964)
Sweet Airs (31/5/1964)

Production Company

Name

BBC World Service