Shelley Background | Education | Picts 1  Pics 2 | Songtracks | Lyrics | People | Sales

                                  THE SHELLEY STORY                                                                  'A project close to my heart'                                                            - Benjamin Zephaniah                                             

      Step 1: Get the story of Shelley's life and the lyrics' background from the full CD.....Step 2: Edit songs together as an 11 track Shelley song collection for your iPod, computer or music system......Step 3: Build the Shelley, Keats and Byron song collections through companion CDs 'Lord Byron and the Greek War' and 'My Romantics EP'

John Webster's Romantics CD collection: versatile, enduring, and imaginative gifts from £5.95 to £9.95. Complete collection £24.95

All available from Booksystems Plus bsporders@aol.com 01223 894870

What the critics said: On the Shelley Story

‘Attractive, engaging’ - The Times; ‘Absorbing and novel...Shelley's radical spirit comes through loud and clear' - The Morning Star; ‘Intelligent and profound’ - The Independent on Sunday;  ‘Well worth a listen’ - Eastern Daily Press

What the educational press said:

‘I liked these CDs, not just for their quirkiness but for what they're trying to do’ - The Times Educational Supplement; 'Well played and well recorded - highly appropriate for post-16 studies' - National Association for the Teaching of English journal (on 'Lord Byron and the Greek War'); 'This CD would be a welcome additional resource for any 11 to 18 year old studying Shelley who would like a quick but knowledgeable and authoritative way into their subject. It may also be of use to teachers of humanities and of history - as it describes the momentous changes taking place in the early nineteenth century' - School Librarian )

THE SHELLEY STORY

Shelley's turbulent poetry-fuelled life story, his engagement with contemporary politics, and his hopes for the future are brought out in the narrative which gives context to the poet's work as presented in song form.
Written by John Webster, narrated by Benjamin Zephaniah
Includes 11 'Shelley songs' performed by Brindaband: Paradise of Exiles, Rise like lions, Wild Spirit, Spirit of Delight, Heart of hearts, The Pine Forest, The Triumph of Life, Immortal Deity,  The funeral, Adonais, The World's Great Age.

Format: CD, spoken word and music, running time: 58 minutes, ISBN:  0953584003

Free access essay - John Lennon and Shelley compared . Two visionaries across time - could the progress that Shelley's ideals have made encourage us to think that Lennon's 'Imagine' might come closer in our lifetimes?

LORD BYRON AND THE GREEK WAR

The bittersweet story of the poet's final exploit, his journey to Greece to support the Greek War of Independence in 1823/4.  The story begins in Ravenna in 1821, traces Byron's growing interest in contemporary movements for national independence, and describes his decision to join the Greek uprising against foreign rule. The narrative is based on eyewitness accounts of Byron's journey, contains a number of reconstructed dialogues, and includes 5 song versions of Byron lyrics and 2 'narrative songs'.  

 

        LORD BYRON AND THE GREEK WAR Written by John Webster, narrated by Benjamin Zephaniah, includes 7 'Byronic songs' performed by Brindaband:  1. (Lord Byron's) freedom son 2. Lord B. in motion Marathon 4.Setting Sail from Genoa5. Half a Scot by birth 6. Epitaph 7. So we'll go no more a roving

 

Format: CD, spoken word and music, running time: 56 minutes, ISBN number: 09535840 11, Price: £12.95 (£9.95 from BSP)

New feature:Click here to listen on Spotify

• Free access essay - Byron and Islam.  How Byron saved a young woman in Athens during Ottoman rule from the rigours of Islamic law, his criticism of the suicide bombers' paradise as 'a flimsy pretence',  and how he developed a principled and humane approach to Islam.
  

MY ROMANTICS EP

Seven songs written by John Webster with lyrics by Keats, Byron, Leigh Hunt and Shelley. Performed by Brindaband. Format: music CD, running time 23.40 mins. Available from Booksystems Plus for £5.95 inc. p&p.

Includes 4 extra Romantics songs plus 3 new versions of songs from The Shelley Story and Lord Byron and the Greek War. Stands on its own as a mini-collection, and also supplements the two CDs. Includes a contribution from Leigh Hunt, and lyrics by Keats, Shelley and Byron. Presented in card packaging. 

 

Track listing:  1. Jenny kissed me (medley, the poets on love), 2. To Autumn (Keats, beauty and change) 3. On the shore (Keats, mortality) 4. Many a green isle (Shelley, hope) 5. Marathon (Byron, active liberalism) 6. Paradise of Exiles (Shelley, universal spirit) 7. The world's great age (Shelley, democratic progress)

 

ORDER ALL 3 CDs FROM Booksystems Plus for £24.95 INCLUDING p&p. Register your purchase with Pathfinder Audio for news and more: Tel: 01865 765436 or  pathfinderaudio@googlemail.com.

AND FINALLY, 

THE FIRST FAB FOUR

 

Lets face it, our three poets with their mate Leigh Hunt (journalist and minor poet) had an effect on their times similar to the cultural impact the Beatles have had on ours. With the three CDs you can put together the three solo releases as above and this compliation album in which they're all represented. It's a great deal, folks!

Track listing: 1. Jenny kissed me 2. Lord B. in motion 3. Marathon 4. Rise like lions 5.Wild Spirit 6. To Autumn 7. On the shore 8. The Pine Forest near the sea 9. Many a green isle 10. The funeral 11.Adonais 12.Epitaph 13. The World's Great Age 14. So we'll go no more a-roving

And remember, around our site there is plenty of free information – photos, lyrics, commentaries to give context and background. The lyrics of the songs and some comment on them can be found here at  Lyrics