Ted Hughes: Poems and Short Stories - The Spoken Word
The Spoken Word ? Ted Hughes: Poems and Short Stories, the first of a pair of 2CD sets drawn from the BBC radio broadcasts of Ted Hughes, features live and studio recordings of the poet introducing and reading his own work. The recordings include his earliest surviving poetry broadcast, dated 12 August 1960, in which he reads ?The Captain?s Speech? from The House of Aries and ?Thistles? from Wodwo. The collection also includes extensive selections from Remains of Elmet and Moortown Diary, plus two complete short stories, The Harvesting and Snow.
Notable extracts include a broadcast dated 6 July 1970, in which Hughes is interviewed on the background and meaning of The Life and Songs of Crow, which he called his masterpiece, ?if I am capable of such a thing as a masterpiece?. In another excerpt from a ?Poet of the Month? programme, broadcast on 5 April 1992, Hughes discusses his appointment as Poet Laureate.
Listen to sample tracks using Windows Media Player:
Ted Hughes reads his poem 'Hawk Roosting', recorded live at the Diamond Jubilee Recital of the Poetry Society, held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 10 February 1969
Ted Hughes reads his poem 'Full Moon and Little Frieda', recorded live at the Diamond Jubilee Recital of the Poetry Society, held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 10 February 1969
Track Listing
Disc One:
1. The Harvesting ? a short story
2. The Captain?s Speech (from The House of Aries)
3. Thistles (from Wodwo)
4. The Road to Easington
5. Out (from Wodwo)
6. The Thought-Fox (from The Hawk in the Rain)
7. The Retired Colonel (from Lupercal)
8. Pike (from Lupercal)
9. Hawk Roosting (from Lupercal)
10. Full Moon and Little Frieda (from Wodwo)
11. Pibroch (from Wodwo)
12. Prometheus on his crag had such an advantageous prospect (No. 18 from Prometheus on his Crag)
13. Prometheus on his crag spotted the vulture (No. 4 from Prometheus on his Crag)
14. Prometheus on his crag began to admire the vulture
15. [Introduction]
16. The Best Worker in Europe [extract]
17. From ?Poet of the Month? (Ted Hughes discusses his appointment as Poet Laureate and his understanding of his role)
18. Snow ? a short story
Disc Two
1. A Kill (from A Few Crows)
2. A Childish Prank (from A Few Crows)
3. Notes for a Little Play (from A Few Crows)
4. [Introduction]
5. Football at Slack
6. Wild Rock
7. For Billy Holt
8. When Men Got to the Summit
9. The Long Tunnel Ceiling
10. Mount Zion
11. Shackleton Hill
12. Cock-Crows
13 Heptonstall Old Church
14. [Introduction]
15. Teaching a dumb calf
16. Tractor
17. Orf
18. February 17th
19. Happy calf
20. [Introduction]
21. Earth-numb (from Earth-numb)
22. A Motorbike (from Earth-numb)
23. The Lovepet (from Earth-numb)
24. Funeral (No. 22 from Orts)
25. The Song (from Adam and the Sacred Nine)
26. And the Falcon came (from Adam and the Sacred Nine)
27. The Swift comes the swift (from Adam and the Sacred Nine)
28. The Dove Came (from Adam and the Sacred Nine)
29. Life Is Trying to Be Life (from Earth-numb)
Reviews:
[The] power of his wrestling words is given a mighty new dimension by the poet's own, spoken voice ... be overawed by the
vigour and strength of his language, by his mighty, questioning, sinewy genius.
Sue Gaisford, The Independent
[This] will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Sue Arnold, The Guardian
