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Roddy Doyle talks about his latest novel, Love. In the course of one summer’s evening in Dublin, two old drinking buddies revisit the pubs and the love affairs of their youth, and talk openly about their marriages and other relationships, downing several pints of stout along the way. Gairloch Museum in the Highlands of Scotland is one of the winners of the 2020 Art Fund Museum of the Year prize. Its curator Karen Buchanan explains how they renovated a local nuclear bunker to house the museum and how the local community helped raise the £2.4m needed for the project as well as curating the exhibitions on Gaelic culture inside. As theatres attempt to work around the current restrictions, many are putting on outdoor performances and at the Leeds Playhouse last week, imitating the dog put on Dr Blood’s Old Travelling show, which is now touring. Nick Ahad went to see his first show since March and reports back. He’ll also discuss a nationwide project, Signal Fires, which sees theatres across Britain uniting in storytelling around the fire. The Kronos Quartet have just released their latest album, Long Time Passing. It is a celebration of the music and life of Pete Seeger, singer, banjo player and activist. Violinist David Harrington explains why one of the most renowned classical quartets is playing If I had a Hammer and Where Have All the Flowers Gone? This is a collaboration with several other artists and we hear from one, the Ethiopian-American singer, Meklit. Presenter Tom Sutcliffe Producer Jerome Weatherald
Kronos Quartet Workshop with Wu Man: Expanding the String Quartet Repertoire
Violinist David Harrington talks about letting down composers gently.
Kronos Quartet Workshop with Wu Man: Expanding the String Quartet Repertoire
Violinist David Harrington describes the early days of managing the Kronos Quartet.
Violinist David Harrington celebrates George Crumb's groundbreaking 1970 work for electric string quartet, Black Angels - the work which inspired him to form the Kronos Quartet. Gillian Moore puts the piece in context, as a work full of dark foreboding and extreme sounds, in direct reaction to the Vietnam War.
We talk to members of two ensembles who've helped change the sound of classical music. Violinist David Harrington is the founder of the Kronos Quartet, which has revolutionized the string quartet repertoire. Matt Albert is violinist and violist with Eighth Blackbird, a talented and inventive sextet who've further extended the range of classical expression. Both Kronos and eighth blackbird are performing at this year's Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. David and Matt joined us to share their passion for music, reflect on their work and talk about their Cabrillo Festival performances.