The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key.

In this edition, Clive Myrie considers Bach’s role as a constant in his life, inspiring him as a boy, and becoming his travelling companion to some of the most challenging places in the world.

Technical Producer... Mike Etherden
Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim

Written and presented by Clive Myrie
Produced by Abigail le Fleming

A BBC Audio Production for Radio 3

About the essayist...
Clive Myrie is an award-winning journalist, writer and film-maker; and one of the BBC’s most experienced foreign correspondents, having served as the BBC’s Asia, Africa, Washington and Europe Correspondent. He makes features and programmes for ‘Panorama’, ‘Newsnight’ and BBC Radio 4 and is a regular presenter of the One, Six and Ten O’Clock News bulletins on BBC One, and of news shows on the BBC News Channel. He also presents 'Mastermind'. In 2018, he was part of the BBC News team that received a Royal Television Society Award for Best Foreign Coverage for its reporting in Yemen.

Clive Myrie was born in Bolton, Lancashire, and studied law at the University of Sussex. Show less