Radio Times

Review by:

Jane Anderson

An absolute treasure of a programme, gentle of pace and full of warmth, which is perfect for the subject matter — the man who composed the enchanting musical settings for The Hums of Pooh.

His name was Harold Fraser-Simson and he knew AA Milne both from their club (the Garrick in London) and because they lived almost opposite one another. Fraser-Simson had achieved huge success with his 1917 operetta The Maid of the Mountains, but the innocent charm and appealing tunes on The Hums is now his best-loved legacy.

About this programme

Pianist John Kember sheds light on the work of Harold Fraser-Simson, the West End composer who set AA Milne's popular children's verses to music. He reveals how the Winnie the Pooh creator came to enlist Fraser-Simson to write the music for 67 songs, all with verses compiled from the author's stories, including When We Were Very Young and the Hums of Pooh. The musician also performs some of his favourite Milne pieces alongside baritone Richard Burkhard.

Cast and crew

Cast

Presenter

John Kember

Contributor

Richard Burkhard

Crew

Producer

Kate Howells

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