Radio 2 repeats this much cherished jazz suite; 22.00-23.00 hrs, Tues, 4 March, as a tribute to Stan Tracey (1926-2013) with another opportunity to hear the 2005 concert that marked the 40th anniversary of his jazz suite, Under Milk Wood, inspired by Dylan Thomas's 1953 play. Performing Thomas's words and Tracey's music are actor Philip Madoc, Victor Spinetti and Ruth Madoc with drummer Clark Tracey, bassist Andrew Clayndert and saxophonist Bobby Wellins who played on the original 1965 recording. Clare Teal presents. A wee dram as I exclaim, "Praise the Lord, we are a musical nation".
The Dylan Thomas centenary will be celebrated in a few months time and I gather that Douglas Cleverdon's 1954 BBC production has been remastered although I have a fine 2003 R4 off-air recording in which Richard Burton's definitive First Voice was well grafted alongside a new cast: Sian Phillips (Second Voice), Glyn Houston (Capt Cat)- and John Humphrys (Voice of a guidebook) and a splendid cast of stalwart Welsh actors.
Somewhere in the vaults there is a TV production with Tony Hopkins as First Voice - I say'Tony' as we were classroom colleagues at the RADA -and he also directed the production and, as far as I know, it remains unseen. An airing would be welcome.
A repeat of a 10 minute item on Nightwaves, 1 Dec 2008, Dylan Thomas on The Art of Conversation; a newly discovered unbroadcast work by Thomas is also overdue.
"A piece of wartime propaganda, found by Thomas's biographer, Andrew Lycett in Austin, Texas. Written during a time when Thomas was employed by the BBC to write radio talks and features, it is a witty talk on the decline of conversation with "contributions" from the likes of Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, and Dr Johnson, which frequently reminds the listener that "careless talk costs lives". It resonates in its acerbic digs at empty chat and meaningless communication..."
I often give it a spin as I chuckle at its sheer chutzpah.
The Dylan Thomas centenary will be celebrated in a few months time and I gather that Douglas Cleverdon's 1954 BBC production has been remastered although I have a fine 2003 R4 off-air recording in which Richard Burton's definitive First Voice was well grafted alongside a new cast: Sian Phillips (Second Voice), Glyn Houston (Capt Cat)- and John Humphrys (Voice of a guidebook) and a splendid cast of stalwart Welsh actors.
Somewhere in the vaults there is a TV production with Tony Hopkins as First Voice - I say'Tony' as we were classroom colleagues at the RADA -and he also directed the production and, as far as I know, it remains unseen. An airing would be welcome.
A repeat of a 10 minute item on Nightwaves, 1 Dec 2008, Dylan Thomas on The Art of Conversation; a newly discovered unbroadcast work by Thomas is also overdue.
"A piece of wartime propaganda, found by Thomas's biographer, Andrew Lycett in Austin, Texas. Written during a time when Thomas was employed by the BBC to write radio talks and features, it is a witty talk on the decline of conversation with "contributions" from the likes of Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, and Dr Johnson, which frequently reminds the listener that "careless talk costs lives". It resonates in its acerbic digs at empty chat and meaningless communication..."
I often give it a spin as I chuckle at its sheer chutzpah.
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