The Impossible Dream
Soul Music
BBC
4.7 • 831 Ratings
🗓️ 15 March 2011
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
‘The Impossible Dream' is a song that talks of the resilience of the human spirit.
It tells the story of a quest and it's had a surprising journey of its own.
It was originally composed for the 1965 musical The Man of La Mancha which was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes story of Don Quixote. The music was written by Mitch Leigh and the lyrics by Joe Darion.
Now in his 80s, Leigh explains how his first writing partner was WH Auden and talks about why this particular piece struck a chord with African American friends at that time.
Generations on, international Soprano Lesley Garrett recalls how this song inspired her childhood dreams in Doncaster.
Yachtsman of the Year Geoff Holt talks about how this song carried him across the Atlantic on one of the most important voyages of his life.
Plus, former advertising executive Rob Chew explains how this piece is helping him face life’s biggest challenge.
Contributors:
Geoff Holt Rob Chew Mitch Leigh Stuart Pedlar Lesley Garrett
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.
Producer: Nicola Humphries
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
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. |
| 0:39.9 | This song, this iconic song, is a song I have sung all my life. |
| 0:44.8 | I can't remember not knowing it, really. |
| 0:46.5 | It was one of the earliest songs I ever learnt. |
| 0:49.3 | And it's mattered to me enormously all my life. |
| 0:53.7 | I often just recite this song. |
| 0:56.0 | I say it to myself, most days, actually. |
| 0:59.3 | The way I understand the song is, |
| 1:02.9 | and everyone's going to have their own views on it, |
| 1:05.3 | and I think that's part of the beauty of music, |
... |
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