THE ENGLISH HERITAGE PODCAST
Every object has a story to tell.
But how can one mystery item lead us on a journey through history, people and places?
In the English Heritage podcast, comedian and writer Amy Matthews brings you entertaining tales from unexpected places. Each week, we begin with a mystery item and with the help of English Heritage experts and special guests, Amy explores what our past can tell us about our present and perhaps our future.
The Black British composer who broke America
One of the first black students at the Royal College of Music in 1890, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor would go on to compose some of the most-loved music of his time and ‘break’ America. Despite this global success, Coleridge-Taylor made his home in Croydon, where a blue plaque now marks his former home at Dagnall Park, Selhurst.
But who was this musical genius?
English Heritage’s Howard Spencer, broadcaster Petroc Trelawney and equity and musicology scholar Joquan Johnson join Amy to share his story. They reveal political, patriotic and powerful themes in Coleridge-Taylor’s music, from collaborations with civil rights campaigners to innovative uses of heritage melodies and rhythms, and how his work is finding new audiences and meanings today.
Listen HereFrom the archive: episodes we’re revisiting this month
This month, we're celebrating travel, tourism and leisure time with episodes from the archive to inspire you to get out and about this summer.
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Episode 174 - A history of the Great British seaside resort
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Episode 175 – Georgian garden tourists: a potted history of visiting gardens
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Episode 111 - The lawn games and sports played at our historic sites
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Episode 196 - The remarkable life and legacy of naturalist and explorer Alfred Russel Wallace
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Episode 66 - Voices of England: How the railways shaped the nation
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Episode 219 - The Ridgeway: a walk through time along England's oldest road
All Episodes
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REQUEST A READABLE FORMAT
If you would like to access any of our episodes in a written format, please email podcast@english-heritage.org.uk to make a request.
Speaking with shadows
When you’re wandering about a historic place, what voices do you hear echoing off the walls? Are they the ones you learnt about at school – or do you wonder about the shadowy, quiet voices that may have gone unheard?
Travel from 17th-century Northamptonshire, where we hear about the heroic servant who may have become Britain’s first black pub landlord, to wartime Essex, where Polish special forces soldiers trained in secrecy for life or death missions to their homeland.
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