The Sound Odyssey 

Original version

BBC Radio 6 Music

Classic concerts & sessions from the BBC's vast music store. It's your musical heritage.

BBC 6 Music brings together the cutting edge music of today, the iconic and groundbreaking music of the past 40 years and unlimited access

6 Music

BBC 6

The Sound Odyssey

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Gemma Cairney takes British artists for musical collaborations in different countries.

BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 LW

The Sound Odyssey: Roxanne Tataei on the Isle of Lewis

Roxanne Tatei on the Isle Of Lewis

Roxanne Tataei on the Isle of Lewis

BBC Radio 4 - The Sound Odyssey, Roxanne Tataei on the Isle of Lewis

Singer Roxanne Tataei explores Gaelic psalm singing in Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis.

Roxanne Tataei travels to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides for a Gaelic psalm singing collaboration.

Singer and composer Roxanne Tataei travels to Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis to collaborate with Calum Martin for a  Gaelic psalm singing collaboration.

Based on the Isle of Lewis off the coast of Scotland, Calum has a special interest in Gaelic Psalm Singing, a unique acapella improvisatory singing style still practiced by congregations during their Sunday worship services, although the average age in the church is well over 50, and the Gaelic-speaking congregation is dwindling.  

According to musicologists, Gaelic Psalms shouldn’t really work harmonically, but they do. They come from the Presbyterian tradition, meaning they are very much word based.  It's a beautiful and bleak sound, often compared to the landscape of the Hebrides and the rolling seas surrounding it. 

Born and raised in Norbury, South London, Roxanne heritage is half-Jamaican and half-Iranian and she grew up learning psalms in church with her grandparents before being classically trained and establishing her career as a singer.

She will be learning this ancient song form as well as exploring if there are any similarities with Black American Church music and if the two sounds are able to combine to create a piece of music.

Presented by Gemma Cairney
Produced by Jax Coombes
A BBC 6 Music Production for BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Sound Odyssey

Roxanne Tataei on the Isle of Lewis

Genres

Brand

6 Music

About BBC Radio 6 Music