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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

28 days left to listen

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Yesterday 17:00

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.

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  • Sun 22 Dec 2019 17:30
  • Yesterday 17:00

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