About this episode
Soul Music with stories of the lasting impact of Joni Mitchell's song 'River', from her iconic 1971 album Blue.
A song about the breakdown of a relationship and of a longing to be elsewhere that has become a melancholy Christmas anthem.
It's coming on Christmas They're cutting down trees They're putting up reindeer And singing songs of joy and peace Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on....
Emotional true stories of what the song means to different people, including:
* Comedian Chris Forbes, who lost his father on Christmas Day * Isobel, who fell sick far from home and understands the longing to be elsewhere captured in the song * Laura, who heard the song while pregnant at Christmastime * Writer Rob Crossan, who will forever associate the song with his first love * Canadian poet Lorna Crozier who describes the frozen rivers of her and Joni's Saskatchewan childhood
Plus thoughts from Joni Mitchell's biographer, David Yaffe.
Includes a rare live recording of 'River' from a BBC Concert in 1970, hosted by John Peel.
The other versions of the song are by (in order of appearance):
Joni Mitchell (Blue, 1971) Scott Matthews (Live Session for BBC 6 Music, 2011) Béla Fleck and the Flecktones (Jingle All the Way, 2008) The Belgian indie choir Scala & Kolacny Brothers (Live Session for BBC 6 Music, 2011).
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.
Producer: Mair Bosworth
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2018.
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