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Snowdon

Sound Walk Four Peaks Sound Walk
Episode 4 of 4

Horatio Clare climbs Snowdon, Yr Wyddfa, in the last of his Sound Walks up the four great peaks of the United Kingdom.

The final of Horatio Clare’s Christmas Sound Walks up the four great peaks of the United Kingdom takes him to Snowdon – the Snow Hill, or Yr Wyddfa – the tumulus. It’s Britain’s busiest mountain, rich in myth and legend. Whilst a train takes tourists to the café on the summit, it’s the Rhydd-Ddu Path Horatio choses to hike.

With plunging drops only feet away Horatio reaches the ridge of Llechog and then Bwlch Main creating the deep and spectacular bowl of Cwm Clogwin. With astonishing views reaching from Anglesey to St David's Head ahead of the summit, it brings to a close a journey up the four totemic mountains of the UK, giving a glimpse into why we chose to challenge ourselves and make these pilgrimages to the highest places.

Part of Horatio Clare's Sound Walk journey to the four highest peaks of the four UK nations. Climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales, he sets out on an epic journey up the monolithic titans to take the temperature of this particular moment in time and our relationship with the outdoors.

Approaching the dozing giants, not in an athletic spirit of conquest but in a spirit investigation and curiosity, he arrives at the foot of each of them with no preconceptions, but with an open mind in the hope of climbing to the attic of each country and looking through the skylight to see how they talk to each other and how they talk to us.

Hearing the birds, smelling the fresh air, being shrouded by mist and cloud whilst also soaking up the light, shades and colours, with long periods of carefully recorded atmosphere, interwoven with music and lucid descriptions, this is radio that’s designed to take time to hear.

Music threaded through the programmes include works from a wide variety of genres by composers and performers including Amiina, Olafur Arnalds, JS Bach, Beoga, Gavin Bryars, Anna Clyne, Laurence Crane, Danish String Quartet, Dalla, Alex Groves, Leos Janacek, John Luther Adams, EJ Moeran, Úna Monaghan, Anne Müller, Nordic Fiddler’s Bloc, Vikingur Olafsson, Morfydd Owen, Puuluup, Penguin Café, Aidan O’Rourke, Richard Strauss, Ralph Vaughan Williams, A Winged Victory for the Sullen and many more.

Books and sources used for research include:

Ben Nevis: Britain's Highest Mountain - Ken Crockett and Simon Richardson

Twenty Years on Ben Nevis - William T Kilgour

The English Lakes: A History - Ian Thompson

Below Scafell - Dudley Hoys

The Pinnacle Club for Women Climbers pinnacleclub.co.uk/journals

On Cambrian and Cumbrian Hills - Henry S Salt

Slieve Donard's Domain - Nicholas Russell

Snowdon: The Story of a Welsh Mountain - Jim Perrin

Portrait of Snowdonia - Cledwyn Hughes

Mountains and Desire - Margaret Grebowicz

59 minutes

Last on

Tue 28 Dec 2021 16:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Trad.

    Llongau Caernarfon

    Performer: Catrin Finch.
    • KISSAN.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Bach mit Zumutungen

    Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson. Performer: Thomas Rabitsch. Music Arranger: Hans‐Joachim Roedelius. Music Arranger: Thomas Rabitsch.
    • Bach Reworks - Part 1.
    • DG.
    • 4.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Piano Concerto No 2 in F major, Op 102 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Dmitri Alexeev. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Jerzy Maksymiuk.
    • 100 Best Relaxing Classics.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 17.

  • Ēriks Ešenvalds

    Stars

    Choir: VOCES8.
    • Lux.
    • Decca.
    • 7.

  • Spiro

    The Darkling Plains

  • amiina

    Boga

    Ensemble: amiina.
    • Ever Records.

  • Jonas Bonnetta

    All this here: Deep Bay

    Performer: Jonas Bonnetta.

  • Paul McCartney

    Junk

    Ensemble: The Loma Mar Quartet.
    • Decca.

  • Jonas Bonnetta

    Deep Bay

    Performer: Jonas Bonnetta.
    • Idea Of North Recordings.

  • Morfydd Llwyn Owen

    Nocturne for orchestra

    Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Perry So.

  • John Luther Adams

    Untouched (Crossing)

    Ensemble: JACK Quartet.
    • New, John Luther Adams: Lines Made by Walking.
    • COLD BLUE MUSIC.
    • 5.

  • Alessandro Marcello

    Oboe Concerto in C minor transc. for trumpet (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Alison Balsom. Ensemble: Scottish Ensemble.
    • Italian Concertos; Alison Balsom, Scottish Ensemble.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 5.

  • Ólafur Arnalds

    Written in Stone

    Ensemble: Ólafur Arnalds.
    • MERCURY.

Broadcast

  • Tue 28 Dec 2021 16:00
    BBC Radio 3

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