Just Williams
A cast list of characters called William; authors from Boyd, William Carlos Williams, CK, Will Harris; to composers and performers like Byrd, William Grant Still, Mary Lou Williams
Actors William Gaminara and Rose Williams bring us an array of characters called Bill or William; and writing from William Boyd鈥檚 spy novel Restless, to American poet Billy Collins鈥 poem The Best Cigarette, Wordsworth and Blake to Will Harris and Richmal Crompton鈥檚 鈥淛ust William鈥.
Musically, we move from the folk song about Barbara Allen and Sweet William to Nat King Cole鈥檚 version of Sweet William, through Roderick Williams鈥檚 re-arrangement of William Byrd鈥檚 Ave Verum Corpus to William Grant Still鈥檚 Prayer from his Symphony no 3. and Grace Williams鈥檚 Calm Sea in Summer, Harry Gregson-Williams鈥檚 music for Chicken Run to American jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams's Walkin鈥 and Swingin鈥.
Producer: Simon Funnell
Editor: Robyn Read
Readings:
Shakespeare Richard III
Billy Collins The Best Cigarette
Richmal Crompton Just William
CK Williams Peggy
William Boyd Restless
William Wordsworth By the Sea
William Carlos Williams Love Song
Barbara Allen
William Fiennes The Music Room
Will Harris Brother
William Blake The Garden of Love
William Shakespeare Twelfth Night
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Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
00:00William Walton
Richard III, A Shakespeare Suite:Prelude
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: William Walton.- Walton: Scenes from Henry V film music.
- Warner Classics 072345650074.
- Tr1.
-
William Shakespeare
Extract from Richard III, read by William Gaminara
Billy Collins
The Best Cigarette, read by Rose Williams
00:05Mary Lou Williams
Walking and Swinging
Performer: Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy.- Selected Favourites Vol. 8.
- Charly Records 842914026956.
- Tr8.
Richmal Crompton
Extract from Just William, read by William Gaminara
00:09Harry Gregson鈥怶illiams
Chicken Run: Returning Home
Performer: Studio Orchestra.- Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
- Sony Masterworks G0100005189893C.
- Tr22.
Richmal Crompton
Extract from Just William, read by William Gaminara
CK Williams
Peggy, read by Rose Williams
00:13Trad.
A Horse Named Bill (Live)
Performer: Bob Gibson.- Live in Cornwall 1957.
- Folk Era Records FE1484CD.
- CD2 Tr6.
William Boyd
Extract from the novel Restless, read by William Gaminara
00:16William Lloyd Webber
The Gardens at Eastwell (A Late Summer Impression)
Performer: Nash Ensemble.- William Lloyd Webber: Piano Music, Chamber Music & Songs.
- Hyperion CDA67008.
- Tr8.
William Boyd
Extract from the novel Restless, read by William Gaminara
00:18William Grant Still
Symphony No. 3 " The Sunday Symphony":II. Prayer (Very slow)
Orchestra: Fort Smith Symphony. Conductor: John Jeter.- Still: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 鈥 Wood Notes.
- Naxos 8.559676.
- Tr10.
00:00Lionel Bart
As Long as He Needs Me
Singer: Sally Dexter. Orchestra: The London Palladium Orchestra. Conductor: Martin Koch.- Oliver! (1994 London Palladium Cast recording).
- First Night Records CAST CD 47.
- Tr19.
William Wordsworth
By the Sea, read by Rose Williams
00:29Grace Williams
Sea Sketches for String Orchestra: V. Calm Sea in the Summer
Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Andrews.- Grace Williams: Orchestral Works.
- Resonus Classics RES 10349.
- Tr14.
00:34Andy Pask
Overkill (Theme to 'The Bill')
Composer: Charlie Morgan. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.- ITV Themes.
- Pickwick.
- Tr11.
William Carlos Williams
Love Song, read by William Gaminara
00:36Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Duet or Flute and Oboe No. 6 in F Minor, F.58:I. Un poco allegro
Performer: Sung-hyun Cho. Performer: Kyeong Ham.- BACH.
- Decca 4859293.
- Tr21.
Traditional
Barbara Allen, traditional English folksong, read by Rose Williams
00:37Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Duet for Flute and Oboe No. 6 in F Minor, F. 58 (1st mvt)
- BACH.
- Universal Music Ltd..
William Fiennes
Extract from The Music Room: A Memoir, read by Rose Williams
00:40Trad.
Barbara Allen
Performer: Joan Baez.- Joan Baez, Vol. II.
- Black Sheep Music.
00:43William Wolstenholme
The Question, Op. 13: No. 1
Music Arranger: Lionel Tertis. Performer: Timothy Ridout. Performer: James Baillieu.- A Lionel Tertis Celebration.
- Harmonia Mundi HMM90537677.
- CD2 Tr13.
00:46Gioachino Rossini
William Tell opera in 4 Acts: Overture
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.- Rossini: William Tell: Pappano.
- EMI Classics 0288 262.
- Tr7.
Will Harris
Brother Poem, read by William Gaminara
00:49Nat King Cole
Sweet William (and his Lily of the Valley)
- The Extraordinary (Deluxe Edition).
- Capitol Catalog Mkt 00602537788 071.
- CD2 Tr3.
William Blake
The Garden of Love, read by Rose Williams
00:53William Byrd
Ave Verum Corpus Reimagined
Music Arranger: Roderick Williams. Choir: ORA.- Upheld by Stillness: Renaissance Gems and their Reflections Vol1: Byrd.
- Harmonia Mundi OJCCD 0682.
- Tr14.
00:58Bill Evans
Peace Piece
Performer: Bill Evans. Performer: Bill Evans. Performer: Bill Evans. Performer: Sam Jones. Performer: Philly Joe Jones.- Everybody Digs Bill Evans.
- Riverside.
- Tr7.
William Shakespeare
Extract from Twelfth Night 鈥 Act 1 Scene 1, read by William Gaminara
01:02Ralph Vaughan Williams
Serenade to Music
Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Manze.- Vaughan William: Orchestral Works.
- Onyx ONYX4212.
- Tr1.
William Shakespeare
Extract from Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 1, read by William Gaminara
Broadcast
- Sun 26 Apr 2026 19:45麻豆社 Radio 3
