Past Forward: A Century of Sound

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Greg Jenner dives deep into the BBC archive to explore what it says about who we are now.

Greg Jenner takes a deep dive into the BBC archive to explore what it can tell us about who we are now.

Marking the Centenary, Past Forward uses a random date generator to alight somewhere in the BBC's vast archive over the past 100 years. Historian Greg Jenner hears an archive clip for the first time at the top of the programme, and uses it as a starting point in a journey towards the present day. The archive captures a century of British life in a unique way -  a history of ordinary people's lives, as well as news of the great events.  Greg uncovers connections through people, places and ideas that link the archive fragment to Britain in 2022, pulling in help from experts and those who remember the time - and sometimes the speakers themselves, decades later - along the way. What he discovers are stories, big and small, that reveal how the people we were have shaped the people we have become.

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Past Forward: A Century of Sound: Louie Hooper sings Lord Rendall

Louie Hooper sings Lord Rendall

BBC Radio 4 - Past Forward: A Century of Sound, Louie Hooper sings Lord Rendall

Greg Jenner hears a folk ballad recorded in Somerset in 1942.

Greg Jenner hears a 1942 recording of Lord Rendall by Somerset folk singer Louie Hooper, and with his guests, he explores the idea of musical ownership today.

Greg Jenner hears a recording of the song Lord Rendall (sometimes known as Lord Randall) by Somerset folk singer Louie Hooper. 

The recording was made in 1942 by the pioneering radio producer Douglas Cleverdon.

With his guests, the playwright Nell Leyshon and Tom Gray from the band Gomez, Greg explores the idea of musical ownership and how musicians are remunerated today.

Marking the centenary of the BBC, Past Forward uses a random date generator to alight somewhere in the BBC's vast archive over the past 100 years.  Greg Jenner hears an archive clip for the first time at the top of the programme, and uses it as a starting point in a journey towards the present day. The archive captures a century of British life in a unique way - a history of ordinary people’s lives, as well as news of the great events. Greg uncovers connections through people, places and ideas that link the archive fragment to Britain in 2022, pulling in help from experts and those who remember the time, and looking at how far we've come since then.  

Producer: Martin Williams

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

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Past Forward: A Century of Sound

Louie Hooper sings Lord Rendall

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