Track Listing

1. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 (King James Version) Attributed to King Solomon (read by Geoffrey Palmer) / Music: Vivaldi - Concerto \x{2018}In Due Cori\x{2019} - 2nd movement (excerpt)
2. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare (read by Joanna Lumley) / Music: Beethoven - Piano Sonata No.8 (excerpt)
3. Home Thoughts From Abroad by Robert Browning (read by Geoffrey Palmer) / Music: Dvorak - Symphony No.9 (excerpt)
4. Friendship by Elizabeth Jennings (read by Alison Steadman) / Music: Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5 - 2nd Movement (excerpt)
5. A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns (read by Brian Cox) / Music: Austin Ince & Frankie Hepburn - Colonel Robertson (excerpt)
6. I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud by William Wordsworth (read by Honor Blackman) / Music: Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No.1 - 2nd Movement (excerpt)
7. On The Balcony by D.H. Lawrence (read by Anthony Head) / Music: Grieg - Last Spring (excerpt)
8. Business Girls by John Betjeman (read by Joanna Lumley) / Music: Business Girls by John Betjeman / Music: Satie - Gymnopedie No.2 (excerpt)
9. To Autumn by John Keats (read by Ben Whishaw) / Music: Borodin - Symphony No.2 - 3rd Movement (excerpt)
10. Sonnets From The Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (read by Lindsay Duncan) / Music: Mozart - Symphony No.50 - 3rd Movement (excerpt)
11. Mozart - Symphony No.50 - 3rd Movement (excerpt) (read by Martin Shaw) / Music: Verdi - La Forza Del Destino (excerpt)
12. Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep by Mary Frye (read by Miriam Margolyes) / Music: Tchaikovosky - Variations on a Rocco Theme Op.33 (excerpt)
13. Diary Of A Church Mouse by John Betjeman (read by Martin Shaw) / Music: Bach - Sleepers Awake (excerpt)
14. Come Walk With Me by Emily Brontë (read by Samantha Morton) / Music: Dvorak - Waltz No.1 from Opus 54 (excerpt)
15. The Lady Of Shalott by Lord Alfred Tenyson (read by Brian Cox) / Music: Stephen Darrell Smith & Dan Smith - The Great Glen
16. One Flesh by Elizabeth Jennings (read by Honor Blackman) / Music: One Flesh by Elizabeth Jennings
17. He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven by W.B. Yeats (read by Lennie James) / Music: Mahler - Symphony No.3 - 6th Movement (excerpt)
18. Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare (read by Lennie James) / Music: Mahler - Symphony No.3 - 6th Movement (excerpt)
19. Stop All The Clocks by W.H. Auden (read by Lindsay Duncan) / Music: Mahler - Symphony No.1 - 3rd Movement (excerpt)
20. Adlestrop by Edward Thomas (read by Geoffrey Palmer) / Music: Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending (excerpt)
21. When We Two Parted by Lord Byron (read by Brian Cox) / Music: Tchaikovosky - Symphony No.5 - 2nd Movement (excerpt)
22. Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen (read by Ben Whishaw) / Music: Beethoven - Symphony No.7 - 2nd Movement (excerpt)
23. Silver by Walter de la Mare (read by Miriam Margolyes) / Music: Chopin - Nocturne in C sharp minor (excerpt)
24. She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron (read by Martin Shaw) / Music: Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No.2 - 4th Movement (excerpt)
25. Rock Me To Sleep by Elizabeth Akers Allen (read by Alison Steadman) / Music: Schubert - Rosamunde (excerpt)
26. Remember by Christina Rossetti (read by Anthony Head) / Music: Sor - Allegretto (excerpt)
27. Last Post by Carol Ann Duffy (read by Samantha Morton) / Music: Satie - Gymnopedie No.3 (excerpt)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17 in Music
• Released on: 2009-11-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 49 minutes

CD Description
Words For You is a stunning collection of 27 of the greatest poems of all time, read by 12 of the best voices in British acting and set to the greatest classical music ever composed. Combining William Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 18’ read by Joanna Lumley with Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8, Robert Browning’s ‘Home Thoughts, From Abroad’ using the voice of Geoffrey Palmer with Dvorak Symphony No. 9 and the heartbreaking WH Auden’s ‘Stop All The Clocks’ read by Lindsay Duncan with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 [III], Words For You brings together the best of the best of the best. Alison Steadman, one of the Words For You artists said, “I loved being involved in Words For You, it’s a great idea and I’m sure will help promote poetry.”

The artists involved have waived their royalty so that a proportion of proceeds from sales can go to I CAN, a UK charity that helps children who have difficulties speaking and understanding. Virginia Beardshaw, Chief Executive of I CAN, said; “Words come easily to many of us. Actors, especially, thrive on their mastery of the spoken word. Sadly, for a large number of children, the ability to use words is a real challenge. It is a struggle for them to learn and make friends. I CAN helps these children so they don’t get left out and left behind.”

The 27 poems featured on Words For You have been recorded by Joanna Lumley, Lindsay Duncan, Geoffrey Palmer, Honor Blackman, Brian Cox, Alison Steadman, Martin Shaw, Miriam Margolyes, Lennie James, Samantha Morton, Anthony Head and Ben Whishaw.

Customer Reviews

a taster on breakfast
Heard three poems from the CD on Breakfast TV. The music in the background enhanced my enjoyment and brought tears to my eyes. Shall certainly order the CD and can't wait to listen to it all the way through!

poems by music
This product not available yet but just seen Alison Steadman on BBC BREAKFAST who reads poems on it. We heard 3 in all and it was just fabulous. A very new way to hear poetry with beautiful music playing in the background.Alison mentioned it was now available on Amazon. Very excited about receiving and listening to it.

BBC this morning
what a great idea. I love Joanna Lumley's voice and can't wait to hear this release when it comes out. i saw the bbc thing and thought that it sounds really special. it's got Geoffery Palmer too. it's nice to hear his voice again.