SEVEN AGES - An Anthology of Poetry with Music

‘One of the best anthologies of the year…An arresting, deeply moving collection of the best of British poetry read by a star-studded cast.’ — The Independent. This exceptional anthology, based on Lord Owen’s published anthology Seven Ages - Poetry for a Lifetime, features many of Britain’s leading actors who have all given their services for charity. Shakespeare’s ‘seven ages’ speech (read by Sir Ian McKellen) punctuates the programme which contains over four hundred poems read by forty actors. Michael Caine reads Kipling’s ‘If’; Ralph Fiennes reads Hood’s ‘I Remember, I Remember’; John Cleese reads ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’; Pete Postlethwaite reads ‘Kubla Khan’.



CD1

Vivaldi: Violin Concerto In F, Op. 8/3, RV 293, "The Four Seasons (Autumn)" - 2. Adagio Molto......Takako Nishizaki; Stephen Gunzenhauser: Capella Istropolitana

Seven Ages - As You Like It......Ian McKellen (reader)

A Fancy......Rose Consort Of Viols

Infant......Ian McKellen (reader)

Baby Song......Catherine McCormack, reader

The Victory......Glenda Jackson, reader

Surgeons......Gayle Hunnicutt, reader

Fancy - The Merchant Of Venice......Mark Rylance, reader

The Guppy......Prunella Scales (reader)

The Quangle Wangle's Hat......Connie Booth, reader

I Remember, I Remember......Ralph Fiennes, reader

The Fairies......Juliet Stevenson, reader

A Parental Ode......Ralph Fiennes, reader

My Shadow......Stella Gonet, reader

The Owl And The Pussy Cat......John Cleese, reader

Sneezles......Andrew Sachs, reader

The Walrus And The Carpenter......Joss Ackland, reader

Jellyfish......Leo Sayer, reader

The Donkey......Emma Fielding, reader

The Common Cormorant......Andrew Sachs, reader

Where Go The Boats......Stella Gonet, reader

Crab......Leo Sayer, reader

The End......Catherine McCormack, reader

Uphill Down Dale - Midsummer Night's Dream......Wordsworth, London Symphony

School......Ian McKellen (reader)

To Any Reader......John Sessions, reader

Under Milk Wood......Ioan Gruffudd, reader

The Collier......Ioan Gruffudd, reader

Sick......Catherine McCormack, reader

Boring......John Cleese, reader

The Barefoot Boy......Jenny Agutter, reader

Full Fathom Five - The Tempest......Glenda Jackson, reader

Rosa Mystica......Michael Williams, reader

A Smuggler's Song......Michael Caine, reader

Walking Away......Timothy West, reader

Tarantella......Terence Stamp, reader

Macavity......David Suchet, reader

If......Michael Caine, reader

This Above All......Michael Maloney, Reader

M George Whitehead His Almand......Rose Consort Of Viols

Lover......Ian McKellen (reader)

The Arrow......Art Malik, reader

The Arrow And The Song......HRH The Duchess of Kent, reader

They Who Are Near To Me......Art Malik, reader

The First Day......Felicity Kendal, reader

The Song Of Torrismond......Janet Suzman, reader

My Delight And Thy Delight......Ralph Fiennes, reader

Sonnet 43......Hannah Gordon, reader

The Virginity......Terence Stamp, reader

The Longest Journey......Samuel West, reader

We Have Known Treasure......Charles Dance, reader

Sonnet 138......Robert Lindsay, reader

Echo......Glenda Jackson, reader

Delusions I Did Cherish......Art Malik, reader

Sonnet 18......Glenda Jackson, reader

When I Was One-And-Twenty......Pete Postlethwaite, reader

The Mermaid......Juliet Stevenson, reader

Upon The Nipples Of Julia's Breast......Terence Stamp, reader

My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose......John Sessions, reader

Sonnet 116......Robert Lindsay, reader

New Year's Eve......Michael Maloney, Reader

Green......Michael Maloney, Reader

A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy Forever......Mark Rylance, reader

CD2

Music: A Soldier's Tale......Various Artists

Soldier (Intro To Age 4)......McKellan, Sir Ian

Prologue, King Henry VIII......Mark Rylance, reader

Into Battle......Juliet Stevenson, reader

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death......William Houston, reader

Once To Every Man And Nation......Judi Dench, reader

Whatever You Can Say, Say Nothing......William Houston, reader

In Flanders Fields......Robert Powell, reader

Perhaps......Judi Dench, reader

Anthem For Doomed Youth......Robert Powell, reader

Dulce Et Decorum Est......Lord Owen, reader

Pluck......Felicity Kendal, reader

In Memory Of W.B. Keats (Excerpt)......Art Malik, reader

At A War Grave......Michael Maloney, Reader

El Alamein......Michael Maloney, Reader

Handbag......Prunella Scales (reader)

Salvage Song......Prunella Scales & Michael Maloney, readers

England......Michael Caine, reader

Dover Beach......Michael Williams, reader

Written With A Penciil In A Sealed Wagon......Janet Suzman, reader

No Man Is An Island......Elizabeth Bishop, reader

Music: Fantasia......Shirley Rumsey, lute

Wisdom (Intro To Age 5)......Ian McKellen (reader)

The Qualify Of Mercy, From Merchant Of Venice......Ralph Fiennes, reader

What Is Good......Judi Dench, reader

Leaves Of Grass (Excerpt)......Art Malik, reader

Addendum Mto The Ten Commandments......Michael Caine, reader

A Student......Emma Fielding, reader

Abou Ben Adhem......Robert Powell, reader

Song Of Hiawatha (Excerpt)......Peter Clark, reader

My Heart Leaps Up......Robert Hardy, reader

Auguries Of Innocence......Timothy West, reader

The Tyger......Timothy West, reader

Of All The Souls That Stand Create......Gayle Hunnicutt, reader

Chorus Of Spirits......Prunella Scales (reader)

Kubla Khan......Pete Postlethwaite, reader

A Man's A Man For A' That......John Sessions, reader

The Road Not Taken......John Cleese, reader

The Bleed'n' Sparrer......Michael Caine, reader

Music: The King Of Denmark's Galiard......Fretwork

Age (Intro To Age 6)......Ian McKellen (reader)

Politics......Michael Caine, reader

Peekaboo, I Almost See You......David Suchet, reader

Samson Agonistes......David Suchet, reader

Sea Fever......Terence Stamp, reader

The Exultation......Gayle Hunnicutt, reader

We Have Been Here Before......Charles Dance, reader

The Brook (Excerpt)......Janet Suzman, reader

Upon Westminster Bridge......Robert Hardy, reader

A Song Of A Young Lady To Her Ancient Lover......Janet Suzman, reader

John Anderson, My Jo......Stella Gonet, reader

In Praise Of Cocoa, Cupid's Nightcap......Emma Fielding, reader

The Way Through The Woods......Art Malik, reader

Uphill (Excerpt)......HRH The Duchess of Kent, reader

Last Scene (Death) (Intro To Age 7)......Ian McKellen (reader)

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night......Ioan Gruffudd, reader

Song......Jenny Agutter, reader

Code Poem For The French Resistance......Ralph Fiennes, reader

This World Is Not Conclusion......Gayle Hunnicutt, reader

Requiem......John Sessions, reader

Sleeping At Last......Judi Dench, reader

Fear No More, From Cymbeline......Ian McKellen (reader)

Evolution......Mark Rylance, reader