Sunday Feature: The Sonic Century: A New Art

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The Sonic Century: A New Art

BBC Radio 3 - Sunday Feature, The Sonic Century: A New Art

A kaleidoscopic montage exploring the life and work of radio pioneer Lance Sieveking.

A kaleidoscopic montage exploring the life and experimental storytelling of radio pioneer Lance Sieveking.

Radio pioneer Lance Sieveking headed the BBC’s Programme Research Department in 1928 and saw radio as art and himself as an artist and producer. His book The Stuff of Radio, he described as “observations about a new art, comparing its technique with that of other arts. The Mystery of Painting with Sound.” Absorbing modernist theories and practices of the time, and influenced by the emerging field of psychoanalysis, he created innovative and experimental radio which fully exploited the creative potential of the new technology available to him. 

In this feature we hear newly recorded extracts of Sieveking’s “first full-sized” 70-minute-long live radio “experiment”, The Kaleidoscope, a Rhythm, Representing the Life of Man from Cradle to Grave. Time travelling back to the BBC studios where Sieveking ‘conducted’ his experiment, the producer and composer Nina Perry creates a kaleidoscopic montage, made with modern-day audio technology, to reveal the daring complexity of what was at the time, an exceptional feat of live broadcasting involving seven different studios with actors, a choir, a quintet, a jazz band, sound effects and a full orchestra. 

The actor Colin Morgan plays the role of Lance Sieveking, London Bubble Young Theatre Makers perform a reading of Kaleidoscope and discuss their impressions of the script exploring how Sieveking and his experimental storytelling in sound resonates for us now. Radio artist Magz Hall, historian of the BBC David Hendy and Lance's son Paul Sieveking share their in-depth research and fascination for Lance Sieveking - revealing him to be a multimedia artist ahead of his time and a captivating, unconventional and hugely significant figure in the history of broadcasting. 

Lance Sieveking ..... Colin Morgan

London Bubble Young Theatre Makers reading Kaleidoscope:

The man ..... Deshaye Gayle
The voice of good ..... Tia N Wingate
The voice of bad ..... Oliver Samuel
All other characters read by Elyce Dowell, Florence Williams, Joba Bajuwoye, Kc Gardiner, Natalie Berry, Patrick Ashe, Polly Wilson, Sasha Bond.

Producer: Nina Perry
Mix Engineer: Peregrine Andrews.

An Open Audio Production for BBC Radio 3

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

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