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Bah! Humbug!

Dominic West (The Affair) and Ruth Bradley (Guilt) with the challenging aspects of Christmas: useless presents, tedious board games, relentless relatives and awful office parties.

Dominic West (The Affair/The Wire) and Ruth Bradley (Guilt/Humans) let out their inner Grinch's to explore the challenging aspects of Christmas: useless presents, tedious board games, relentless relatives, and excruciating office parties to name just a few. We'll hear from Bridget Jones, Dr Seuss, Reginald, Philip Larkin, George Bernard Shaw, and the most infamous Christmas grump of all, Ebenezer Scrooge: but will the Christmas Spirit win out in the end? Featuring music by Sufjan Stevens, Kate Rusby, James Horner, Richard Addinsell, and a host of festive favourites.

The Devils Dictionary - Ambrose Bierce
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr Seuss
Letter to Judy Eggerton - Philip Larkin
A Christmas Poem - Wendy Cope
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Music in London - George Bernard Shaw
Bridget Jones Diary - Helen Fielding
Reginald on Christmas Presents - Saki
Christmas in Bournemouth - Jonathan Raban
Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind from As You Like It - Shakespeare
The 1981 Night Before Christmas - Frank Jacobs
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr Seuss
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Producer: Ruth Thomson

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 22 Dec 2019 17:30

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:02

    Irving Berlin

    White Christmas

    Performer: Bing Crosby.
  • 00:07

    Paul Williams

    Scrooge (Muppet Christmas Carol)

    Ensemble: Original Cast.
  • 00:09

    James Horner

    The Heist (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
  • 00:12

    Hugh Martin

    Have yourself a merry little Christmas

    Singer: Bryn Terfel. Orchestra: Welsh National Opera Orchestra. Conductor: Tecwyn Evans.
  • 00:16

    Felix Mendelssohn

    Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

    Music Arranger: Sir David Willcocks. Choir: Bach Choir. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Rutter.
  • 00:20

    Billy Hayes

    Blue Christmas

    Performer: Elvis Presley.
  • 00:22

    Sergey Prokofiev

    Troika (Lieutenant Kije)

    Orchestra: St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Yuri Temirkanov.
  • 00:26

    Traditional Czech

    Prisla jsem k vam na koledu

    Performer: Eva Peckova. Orchestra: Musica Bohemica.
  • 00:28

    Patrick Doyle

    It's only a diary (Bridget Jones Diary)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Patrick Doyle.
  • 00:32

    Eric Carmen

    All by myself

    Performer: Jamie O’Neal.
  • 00:36

    Arcangelo Corelli

    Concerto grosso in G minor, Op.6 no.8 (Christmas Night)

    Orchestra: Kammerorchester Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Conductor: Hartmut Haenchen.
  • 00:42

    Ernst Anschütz

    O Tannenbaum

    Ensemble: Vince Guaraldi Trio.
  • 00:48

    Sufjan Stevens

    That was the worst Christmas ever

    Performer: Sufjan Stevens.
  • 00:52

    Nigel Hess

    Christmas Overture

    Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Stephen Bell.
  • 01:02

    Kate Rusby

    Yorkshire Merry Christmas

    Performer: Kate Rusby.
  • 01:06

    Franz Xaver Gruber

    Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

    Performer: Maria Stader. Ensemble: Instrumentalvereinigung.
  • 01:10

    James Horner

    Change of Heart (How the Grinch stole Christmas)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: James Horner.
  • 01:14

    Richard Addinsell

    Scrooge

    Orchestra: 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.

Broadcast

  • Sun 22 Dec 2019 17:30

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