Art of Now: A Life In Song

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Documentaries exploring the latest worldwide cultural issues, celebrations and rebellions.

Documentaries exploring the latest worldwide cultural issues, trends, celebrations and rebellions.

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Art of Now: A Life in Song

A Life in Song

BBC Radio 4 - Art of Now, A Life in Song

Singer-songwriter Sean Cooney explores the art of writing songs about real people.

The singer-songwriter Sean Cooney of the folk group The Young'uns explores the process of writing songs about real people, and the responsibilities involved.

Singer-songwriter Sean Cooney has written and performed many songs about real people with his award-winning folk band The Young'uns.  Tackling such diverse and difficult subjects as religious homophobia, terrorism, the refugee crisis and The Troubles in Northern Ireland, where do the responsibilities of a songwriter lie?  And what right do they have to broach such issues?  In this programme, Sean discusses his own techniques and for the first time ever, approaches the subject of one of his songs before it is written, to see how that affects the writing process.  

With contributions from folk singer Karine Polwart, TEDx speaker Richard Moore and Thalys train attack survivor Mark Moogalian, we hear fascinating insights into the stories behind the songs.

Blinded by a bullet fired by a British soldier as a child, Richard Moore went on not only to forgive, but to meet up with the soldier in later life.  Inspired by his story of compassion and forgiveness, Sean contacts Richard to discuss writing a song about his life.  Sean takes us through his process for writing the song, his research, his worries over his feelings of "imposter syndrome" and finally we'll hear song itself - and Richard's reaction to listening it for the first time.

Producer: Elizabeth Foster
Technical Production: John Benton

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