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Soul Music

Dido's Lament

Soul Music

BBC

Music, Music Commentary

4.7831 Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2010

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Dido's Lament is a popular name for a famous aria, 'When I am laid in earth', from the opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell, with the libretto by Nahum Tate. Mezzo soprano Sarah Connolly talks about why she finds the piece, sung by the likes of Janet Baker and Emma Kirkby, so extraordinary, and the skill it takes to perform it. Composer and cellist Philip Shepperd's musical life was transformed when he was part of the rock singer Jeff Buckley's performance of the piece at the 1995 Meltdown Festival.

Contributors: Alison Moyet Sarah Connolly Jeremy summerly Graham Jones Sheryl Sarnet Nicholas Witchell Philip Sheppard

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.

Transcript

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0:00.0

The Traitors is back, and so is that mysterious cloaked figure with the familiar fringe.

0:06.6

Yeah, it's me.

0:07.8

And when you've watched Claudia in the castle, join me, Ed Gamble, for the official visualised companion podcast.

0:13.6

And remember, I'll be listening.

0:15.8

Okay?

0:16.6

No, seriously, I love it.

0:18.4

What a faithful.

0:19.7

We'll unpack betrayals and spill scandalous secrets

0:22.2

with celeb guests, traitors' legends,

0:25.0

and murdered and banished players.

0:27.0

The Traitors Uncloat.

0:28.3

Watch on EyePlayer, listen for more on BBC Sounds.

0:32.2

You're listening to a download of soul music from BBC Radio 4.

0:40.3

I'm going to be... download of soul music from BBC Radio 4 My Wendend in darkness changed me

0:53.3

on my goodness On one level, it's extremely simple.

1:01.1

The singer only has 40 bars of material.

1:04.1

That's the whole song.

1:05.3

But actually, only 23 of those are original.

1:08.8

In other words, 17 of them are repeated.

1:10.9

So it's remarkably short.

1:13.6

But the fact is, with a fairly ordinary libretto,

1:16.2

personal rights and masterpiece.

...

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