Radio Times

Review by:

Jane Anderson

James Joyce wanted to be a tenor. He’d performed at fêtes and shows, but when he was asked to sight-read a piece in a competition his confidence was entirely crushed. David Owen Norris talks to three enthusiasts about how the writer’s love of music is reflected in his novels.

We learn he loved a bit of seaside sauciness just as much as he adored Elizabethan lyrics, but the star of the show is Bid Adieu, the beautiful song Joyce wrote to say farewell to his wife’s virginity.

About this programme

David Owen Norris and guests explore the writer's favourite songs from his home, the Martello Tower, in a suburb of Dublin, including bawdy music-hall ballad Those Seaside Girls, sentimental classic Love's Old Sweet Song, and Bid Adieu, a farewell written by Joyce to his wife Nora. Featuring contributions by author Declan Kiberd, actor Barry McGovern, and scholar Katherine O'Callaghan, who has spent several years researching Joyce's music.

Cast and crew

Cast

Presenter

David Owen Norris

Contributor

Declan Kiberd

Contributor

Barry McGovern

Contributor

Katherine O'Callaghan

Crew

Producer

Elizabeth Burke

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