The complete landmark BBC Radio 4 series

The Making of Music

In this major BBC Radio 4 series, James Naughtie uncovers the roots of our music and reveals the soundtrack to our own history.

James Naughtie is one of the BBC's best-known journalists and broadcasters. As well as his work in news journalism, including presenting The World at One and Today, he has introduced music programmes on BBC radio and television for many years. He also presents Radio 4's monthly Bookclub and a variety of live events, including election specials at home and from the United States. His journalistic career began in Aberdeen, in his native North-east Scotland, and he was chief political correspondent of The Scotsman and The Guardian before joining the BBC in 1988. He was Laurence M. Stern Fellow on The Washington Post as well as Sony Radio Personality of the Year. Among his books are The Making of Music and two acclaimed accounts of the Blair years, The Rivals and The Accidental American.

In this major BBC Radio 4 series, James Naughtie uncovers the roots of our music and reveals the soundtrack to our own history. 
 
The history of classical music is inextricably linked with the places it was written, its purpose and its patrons, as well as with politics, war and social change. From the earliest music of the monasteries, to the court and church music of the Renaissance and Reformation and beyond, composers have always changed with the times. 
 
In these programmes, James Naughtie reveals how the chance happenings of history built a classical tradition that tells a glittering and inspiring story. His journey takes him from early beginnings to the present day, where he examines the current state of classical music. 
 
This epic and important series features extracts from the music itself, as well as the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Alison Carney, Laurence Fox and Simon Russell Beale alongside James Naughtie’s own.

King James Bible, The Readings And Documentaries From BBC Radio

A celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, including documentaries and readings as heard on BBC Radio 4.

2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, a seminal text that remains the most widely published and influential book in the English language. Once described as 'the noblest monument of English prose', it has been recognised for centuries as both a religious and a literary classic.  This compilation features James Naughtie's acclaimed three-part documentary series 'The Story of the King James Bible' - a fascinating exploration of how a new translation of the Bible came to be produced and the impact it has had since. In addition, there are 28 readings from the work itself, encompassing some of the most powerful and awe-inspiring passages narrated by well-known actors such as Samuel West, Emilia Fox, Hugh Bonneville, Niamh Cusack and Bill Paterson and introduced by eminent figures from the worlds of history, literature and religion such as Simon Schama, David Lodge, Will Self and Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.   Enlightening and inspiring, this is a thrilling tribute to one of the greatest works ever produced in English.

James Naughtie

A BBC history of the Queen’s reign, told through its most notable characters

James Naughtie examines the lives and impact of the men and women who have given the second Elizabethan Age its character 
 
As the longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II has presided over an era of tremendous social, political and cultural change. In 2012, to mark her Diamond Jubilee, Radio 4 looked back on the long span of her reign, and asked the public to choose high-profile public figures who have helped to define this New Elizabethan Age. Almost a thousand nominations poured in, and the final selection was decided by a panel of leading writers and historians, including Dominic Sandbrook, Bamber Gascoigne and Max Hastings. 
 
In this celebratory collection, distinguished broadcaster James Naughtie profiles 37 of these iconic individuals. They come from all walks of life - from artists and scientists like David Hockney and Francis Crick, to business legends such as Alan Sainsbury and Anita Roddick, politicians including Roy Jenkins, Tony Blair and Alex Salmond, and even a member of the Royal Family: Diana, Princess of Wales. Some are world-famous, others less well-known, and there are several surprising choices - and a few controversial ones. But all have made their mark on our nation, for good or ill. 
 
Here are fascinating portraits of mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, whose conquest of Everest was announced on the day of the Queen's coronation; Elizabeth David, the food writer who brought European cuisine to British tables; leading thinker on British culture, race and identity Stuart Hall; renowned English composer Benjamin Britten; the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee - and many more, whose achievements and influence will stand the test of time. Together, they shine a light on postwar Britain, illuminating how our society has evolved over the seven decades since Queen Elizabeth II's accession. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by James Naughtie 
Produced by James Cook, Sukey Firth, Clare Walker, Sarah Taylor, Alison Hughes, Poppy Goodheart and Kate Howells 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
 
Edmund Hilary 11 June 2012 
Elizabeth David 12 June 2012 
Graham Greene 13 June 2012 
Michael Young 14 June 2012 
Vladimir Raitz 15 June 2012 
Francis Crick 18 June 2012 
Alan Sainsbury 20 June 2012 
Benjamin Britten 25 June 2012 
Dorothy Hodgkin 26 June 2012 
Alfred Denning 4 July 2012 
Paul Foot 5 July 2012 
Francis Bacon 6 July 2012 
Peter Hall 12 July 2012 
Terence Conran 13 July 2012 
Enoch Powell 16 July 2012 
Cicely Saunders 17 July 2012 
Basil D'Oliveira 19 July 2012 
Germaine Greer 23 July 2012 
Robert Edwards 24 July 2012 
Jack Jones 26 July 2012 
Talaiasi Labalaba 31 July 2012 
Jocelyn Bell Burnell 2 August 2012 
Roy Jenkins 3 August 2012 
Vivienne Westwood 6 August 2012 
Jayaben Desai 7 August 2012 
Stuart Hall 9 August 2012 
David Hockney 14 August 2012 
Ralph Robins 16 August 2012 
Anita Roddick 21 August 2012 
Norman Foster 22 August 2012 
Charles Saatchi 23 August 2012 
Goldie 24 August 2012 
John Hume/David Trimble 27 August 2012 
Tim Berners-Lee 29 August 2012 
Diana, Princess of Wales 30 August 2012 
Alex Salmond 31 August 2012 
Tony Blair 3 September 2012 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

James Naughtie

Books by James Naughtie

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