Continuing the series of monthly documentaries surveying the range and diversity of 20th-century music. Ever since Sir Frances Drake heard the "strange, yet delightful" sound of the gamelan on the island of Java in 1580, eastern music has fascinated western musicians. In the past 100 years, composers from Debussy to Xenakis have been captivated and influenced by the rhythms, instruments, culture and religions of the Orient. George Benjamin , Robin Holloway , Donald Mitchell , Edward Said , Steve Reich , Neil Sorrell ,
Gyorgy Ligeti and others trace the eastern influence up to the present day. Narrated by Samuel West. Producer Michael Emery