Soul Music - Send in the Clowns

Send in the Clowns

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Stephen Sondheim's song, Send In the Clowns, from the musical 'A Little Night Music' was written late in rehearsals for the actress Glynis Johns, playing the part of Desiree.

A song of regret and anger, the part has famously been played by Judi Dench, and the song became an independent hit, sung by Judy Collins, Shirley Bassey and Barbra Streisand.

Hannah Waddingham played the youngest ever Desiree in Trevor Nunn's production, and used her memories of an unhappy relationship to inspire her performance.

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Producer: Sara Conkey.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2010.


Published on Tuesday, 7th September 2010.

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