Summary
Written in 1963, 'Sailing By' by Ronald Binge was chosen by the BBC as the musical interlude to be played every night before the Shipping Forecast. These are the stories of some of the people for whom this piece has a powerful emotional connection.
After Cyrilene Tollafield's parents left Barbados for the UK, Cyrilene heard 'Sailing By' whilst cuddling up to her Grandmother and her cousins during hurricane warnings. Writer Henrietta McKervey spent a night in Fastnet lighthouse and listened to 'Sailing By' as she drifted off to sleep. Having spent years of his life out at sea, Captain Harry McClenahan marvels at how the piece mirrors the rises and falls of the sea. Chris Binge would interrupt his Dad whilst he was composing at the piano in his music room, the air thick with cigarette smoke, and says whenever people find out who his father was it's 'Sailing By' that they know. Helen Harrison conducted the piece at a concert in Blackpool and at the piano she unpacks the musicality and orchestration of the piece. The best part of Jane Heiserman's day is the hour in the evening when she and her adult son, who has autism and lives at home, study together. 'Sailing By' became a firm-favourite of theirs when they were looking for music as part of a module on the Intertropical Convergence Zone. She says it brings a sense of calm to their day and serves as confirmation that everything is going to be alright.
With recordings of 'Sailing By' by The Perry/Gardner Orchestra, Helen Harrison, Dave Spooner (Ronald Binge's Grandson) and Baked A La Ska.
Producers: Maggie Ayre and Toby Field Technical Producer: Ilse Lademann Editor: Emma Harding
Soul Music is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | If a Banksy appeared on your house, you'd be sitting on a fortune, right? |
| 0:07.0 | At first you think you're gifted, but you're actually not. |
| 0:10.5 | This is a tale of two murals, Margate's Valentine's Day Mascara and the lowest off seagull. |
| 0:17.3 | And the true cost of free art for the people who have to live with it. |
| 0:21.5 | 40,000 pounds cost per annum. |
| 0:23.8 | We didn't know what to do. |
| 0:25.5 | Nobody's turned up to say, we'll help you protect it. |
| 0:29.0 | The Banksy story. |
| 0:30.3 | When Banksy comes to town, listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:36.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:40.0 | The first time I heard sailing by, I was a lookout on the ship. |
| 0:44.7 | I was working at the deck department. |
| 0:45.9 | And the lookout, we used to stand on the bridge wings, |
| 0:49.9 | which were very open and very cold, and you're out in the elements. |
| 0:56.7 | I remember it's played at night, |
| 1:01.9 | of course, so it's always linked to darkness. I remember coming into the bridge for a cup of coffee with the watchkeeper. And this music came on. |
| 1:16.6 | It was light orchestral music, but I didn't know who the composer was. |
| 1:23.6 | But immediately, I found it synonymous with the elements around me. |
| 1:28.3 | My name is Harold McLenahan. I'm from Drogheda town just outside of Dublin. |
| 1:32.3 | And I retired two months ago after 50 years at sea. |
| 1:38.3 | And I've been on ships from tankers, bulk carriers, large ships, container ships, and small ships. |
| 1:50.8 | And because I started at a very young age, I could conceive that half of my life was spent on water. |
... |
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