Words and Music - The Old Refrain

This edition of Words and Music is all about refrain. Whether it appears in a poem such as Easter, 1916 by Yeats or in the idée fixe of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique; whether its anguished as in Villanelle by William Empson or wonderfully ingenious as in Dana Gioia's double triolet - The Country Wife. Why are we fascinated by the idea of repetition? Rhythm is meaningless without it. It gives shape and subtlety to music and poetry and by its modulated insistence often unlocks the door to our most complex feelings and thoughts. We use past experience as a tool to understand what's happening to us in the present and what might happen to us in the future. The actors Samuel West and Nancy Carroll read the poems and count on a supporting musical cast that includes Brahms, Tavener and Ravel.