Bah! Humbug!
Dominic West and Ruth Bradley with readings exploring the challenging aspects of Christmas: useless presents, tedious board games, relentless relatives, and awful office parties.
Dominic West (The Crown) and Ruth Bradley (Slow Horses) let out their inner Grinch's to explore the challenging aspects of Christmas: useless presents, tedious board games, relentless relatives, and excruciating office parties to name just a few. We'll hear from Bridget Jones, Dr Seuss, Reginald, Philip Larkin, George Bernard Shaw, and the most infamous Christmas grump of all, Ebenezer Scrooge: but will the Christmas Spirit win out in the end? Featuring music by Sufjan Stevens, Kate Rusby, James Horner, Richard Addinsell, and a host of festive favourites.
Readings:
The Devils Dictionary - Ambrose Bierce
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr Seuss
Letter to Judy Egerton - Philip Larkin
A Christmas Poem - Wendy Cope
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Music in London - George Bernard Shaw
Bridget Jones Diary - Helen Fielding
Reginald on Christmas Presents - Saki
Christmas in Bournemouth - Jonathan Raban
Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind from As You Like It - Shakespeare
The 1981 Night Before Christmas - Frank Jacobs
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr Seuss
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
Producer: Ruth Thomson
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Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
00:03
Irving Berlin
White Christmas
Performer: Bing Crosby. -
00:08
Paul Williams
Scrooge (Muppet Christmas Carol)
Ensemble: Original Cast. -
00:10
James Horner
The Heist (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. -
00:13
Hugh Martin
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Singer: Bryn Terfel. Orchestra: Welsh National Opera Orchestra. Conductor: Tecwyn Evans. -
00:17
Felix Mendelssohn
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Music Arranger: Sir David Willcocks. Choir: Bach Choir. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Rutter. -
00:21
Billy Hayes
Blue Christmas
Performer: Elvis Presley. -
00:23
Sergey Prokofiev
Troika (Lieutenant Kije)
Orchestra: St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Yuri Temirkanov. -
00:27
Traditional Czech
Prisla jsem k vam na koledu
Performer: Eva Peckova. Orchestra: Musica Bohemica. -
00:29
Patrick Doyle
It's only a diary (Bridget Jones Diary)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Patrick Doyle. -
00:33
Eric Carmen
All by myself
Performer: Jamie O’Neal. -
00:37
Arcangelo Corelli
Concerto grosso in G minor, Op.6 no.8 (Christmas Night)
Orchestra: Kammerorchester Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Conductor: Hartmut Haenchen. -
00:43
Ernst Anschütz
O Tannenbaum
Ensemble: Vince Guaraldi Trio. -
00:49
Sufjan Stevens
That was the worst Christmas ever
Performer: Sufjan Stevens. -
00:53
Nigel Hess
Christmas Overture
Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Stephen Bell. -
01:03
Kate Rusby
Yorkshire Merry Christmas
Performer: Kate Rusby. -
01:07
Franz Xaver Gruber
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
Performer: Maria Stader. Ensemble: Instrumentalvereinigung. -
01:11
James Horner
Change of Heart (How the Grinch stole Christmas)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: James Horner.
Broadcasts
- Sun 22 Dec 2019 17:30³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 3
- Yesterday 17:00³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 3