Original air February 10 2024 | Time 58:00
WB Yeats' poem "The Second Coming" was set to music by Joni Mitchell on her 1991 album "Night Ride Home". She titled the song "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" and took the original two verses and made a six verse song with chorus made from the last two lines of the poem. Joni also set Rudyard Kiplings' "If" on her last studio album "Shine" released in 2008.
In 1969, classical composer Peter Schicklele set several poems to orchestra and Joan Baez sang and spoke the poetry on the album "Baptism". It's astounding to hear what Joan Baez might have sounded like singing classical art song, so expressive.
Kathy Geary, Host of Now & Then on Radio Catskill, Public Radio for the Catskills and Northeast Pennsylvania