Summary
Bring Him Home is a beautiful and moving prayer-in-song that has developed meaning and identity outside of the hit musical, from Les Miserables.
What has been its impact?
Celebrated tenor, Alfie Boe has sung it many times in the West End and on Broadway. He discusses what the song means to him.
Herbert Kretzmer talks about the agonising process of writing the lyrics.
The Greater Manchester Police Male Voice Choir recorded a version especially for the programme; one of their members describes singing it at the funeral of PC Dave Phillips in 2015.
The original Cosette, from Les Miserables, Rebecca Caine now sings this song - written for a male voice - regularly as part of international recitals.
And for Becky Douglas it will forever be a reminder of her daughter whose death inspired the foundation of a leprosy charity.
Jeremy Summerly, Director of Music at St Peter's College, Oxford plays through the piece and describes why it moves us emotionally.
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.
Producer: Karen Gregor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2016.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, I'm Alfie Boe and I'm playing Jean Valjean in Le Miserables, |
| 0:09.0 | played in the West End and on Broadway and the 25th anniversary celebration. |
| 0:14.0 | God on high, hear my pride. |
| 0:25.6 | In my need, you have always been there. |
| 0:40.3 | It is a bit of a challenge to sing, |
| 0:42.3 | Bring Him Home, I've got to say, |
| 0:44.3 | because it's a very emotional song, |
| 0:46.3 | so you have to really get yourself in the right frame of mind to do it |
| 0:50.3 | and really connect with where you are in the story, |
| 0:53.3 | where you are as a |
| 0:55.0 | character. You have to understand every single word more than the actual tune. I think if you |
| 1:01.0 | believe what you're saying, the tune comes along with it. |
| 1:09.0 | You work from where you are emotionally. |
| 1:11.6 | If you're feeling vocally, physically tired, |
| 1:16.6 | then you work with that to portray the song, and the song works with you. |
| 1:21.6 | So that brings out a different colour. |
| 1:24.6 | If you're feeling energized, if you're feeling rested and fighting fit |
| 1:30.1 | and you feel strong, then you use those moments in the song to portray it and it works. |
| 1:36.8 | How soon they fly on and on and I am old and will be gone |
| 1:49.0 | Bringing home means everything to me. |
| 1:52.0 | It's a song that has changed my life. |
| 1:55.0 | It's opened the doors to many concert opportunities, |
... |
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