The Essay: Forever Songs

Original version

BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

Radio 3

The Essay Podcast

The Essay

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

The Essay: Forever Songs: Banks of Sicily

Banks of Sicily

Forever Songs

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, Forever Songs, Banks of Sicily

Karine Polwart considers music's ritual power to connect, soothe, honour and remember.

Folk musician Karine Polwart recounts a unique collaboration during the lockdown of 2020, in this essay, recalling how she regained a sense of purpose in a strange time.

In the depths of lockdown during 2020 multi-award-winning musician Karine Polwart offered to play a private gig for neighbour and local legend Al Beck just weeks before he would die from cancer.

The resulting correspondence became an unexpectedly rewarding collaboration as they shared their love of music through Al's choice of songs. In this essay Karine reflects on the strange purposelessness she felt at the time, with no one to play for or with what use was she? The offer of to play in Al's back garden became as much a gift to her as him.

Written and Presented by Karine Polwart
Producer by Peter McManus
Mixed by Sean Mullervy

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.

Karine Polwart considers the ritual power of music to connect, soothe, honour and remember

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Essay

Forever Songs

Banks of Sicily

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3