
Soul Music
BBC Radio 4
Categories: Music
Listen to the last episode:
Written in 1963, 'Sailing By' by Ronald Binge was chosen by the BBC as the musical interlude to be played every night before the Shipping Forecast. These are the stories of some of the people for whom this piece has a powerful emotional connection.
After Cyrilene Tollafield's parents left Barbados for the UK, Cyrilene heard 'Sailing By' whilst cuddling up to her grandmother and her cousins during hurricane warnings. Writer Henrietta McKervey spent a night in Fastnet lighthouse and listened to 'Sailing By' as she drifted off to sleep. Having spent years of his life out at sea, Captain Harry McClenahan marvels at how the piece mirrors the rises and falls of the sea. Chris Binge would interrupt his dad whilst he was composing at the piano in his music room, the air thick with cigarette smoke, and says whenever people find out who his father was it's 'Sailing By' that they know. Helen Harrison conducted the piece at a concert in Blackpool and at the piano she unpacks the musicality and orchestration of the piece. The best part of Jane Heiserman's day is the hour in the evening when she and her adult son, who has autism and lives at home, study together. 'Sailing By' became a firm favourite of theirs when they were looking for music as part of a module on the Intertropical Convergence Zone. She says it brings a sense of calm to their day and serves as confirmation that everything is going to be alright.
With recordings of 'Sailing By' by The Perry/Gardner Orchestra, Helen Harrison, Dave Spooner (Ronald Binge's Grandson) and Baked A La Ska.
Producers: Maggie Ayre and Toby Field Technical Producer: Ilse Lademann Editor: Emma Harding
Soul Music is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4.
Previous episodes
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177 - Sailing By Wed, 01 Jan 2025
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176 - Bésame Mucho Sat, 26 Apr 2025
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175 - May You Never Sat, 19 Apr 2025
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174 - Ae Fond Kiss by Robert Burns Sat, 12 Apr 2025
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173 - I Feel Love Sat, 05 Apr 2025
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172 - Benedictus Sat, 09 Nov 2024
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169 - Lovely Day by Bill Withers Sat, 26 Oct 2024
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168 - Tender Sat, 19 Oct 2024
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167 - Diamonds and Rust Sat, 12 Oct 2024
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166 - Tiny Dancer Sat, 04 May 2024
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165 - Northern Sky Sat, 27 Apr 2024
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164 - I Can See Clearly Now Sat, 20 Apr 2024
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163 - Someone to Watch Over Me Sat, 13 Apr 2024
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162 - Sweet Thing Sat, 06 Apr 2024
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160 - Songs My Mother Taught Me Sat, 11 Nov 2023
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159 - Fire and Rain Sat, 04 Nov 2023
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158 - Pata Pata Sat, 28 Oct 2023
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157 - Defying Gravity from Wicked Sat, 21 Oct 2023
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156 - I Will Always Love You Sat, 14 Oct 2023
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155 - Fast Car Wed, 05 Jul 2023
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154 - I Say a Little Prayer for You Sat, 24 Jun 2023
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153 - Ghost Town Sat, 17 Jun 2023
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152 - I Only Have Eyes For You Sat, 10 Jun 2023
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150 - I Believe in Father Christmas Sat, 24 Dec 2022
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149 - Nessun Dorma Sat, 17 Dec 2022
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148 - Killing Me Softly with His Song Sat, 10 Dec 2022
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147 - Into My Arms by Nick Cave Sat, 03 Dec 2022
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146 - Chervona Kalyna Sat, 26 Nov 2022
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145 - Bruch's Violin Concerto Sat, 18 Jun 2022
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144 - Ne Me Quitte Pas Sat, 11 Jun 2022
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143 - Purple Rain Mon, 30 May 2022
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142 - Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton Sat, 28 May 2022
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141 - A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten Sat, 18 Dec 2021
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140 - U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Sat, 11 Dec 2021
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139 - Song To The Siren Sat, 04 Dec 2021
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138 - Unfinished Sympathy Sat, 27 Nov 2021
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137 - Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific Sat, 20 Nov 2021
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136 - Ain't No Mountain High Enough Sat, 13 Nov 2021
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135 - Take Me Home, Country Roads Wed, 04 Aug 2021
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134 - The Parting Glass Wed, 28 Jul 2021
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133 - We've Only Just Begun Wed, 21 Jul 2021
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132 - Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat Wed, 14 Jul 2021
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131 - Sunshine on Leith Fri, 12 Feb 2021
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130 - David Bowie - Life on Mars? Sat, 09 Jan 2021
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129 - Once In A Lifetime Tue, 29 Dec 2020
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128 - I Wonder as I Wander Tue, 22 Dec 2020
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127 - Lean On Me by Bill Withers Tue, 08 Dec 2020
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126 - I Will Survive Mon, 10 Aug 2020
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125 - Harvest Moon Wed, 05 Aug 2020
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124 - Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte by Maurice Ravel Wed, 22 Jul 2020