Kevin Crossley-Holland in Swanbourne Preparatory School, Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire - 1953, at night
from The Hidden Roads: A Memoir of Childhood, page 121:
Dear Mummy, Daddy and Sally,
I have a lot to tell you.
First on Friday night, McDonald (Sir Ian Fraser’s grandson) actually lent me his battery wireless. I heard Daddy’s name mentioned, also someone Ross. I heard six snatches of the carols. I was very pleased because it was so late and it was only [a] battery wireless. … more >>
Kevin Crossley-Holland, The Hidden Roads: A Memoir of Childhood (London, 2009), p. 121. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1546772071424 accessed: 23 December, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
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Six Carols for Sundry Seasons
written by Crossley-Holland, Peter, 1916-2001 |
Experience Information
| Date/Time | 1953, at night |
| Medium | broadcast |
| Listening Environment | in private, indoors, solitary |
Notes
Kevin Crossley-Holland quotes an entire letter that he wrote to his family when he was 12 years old and boarding at Swanbourne School. The ‘carols’ is likely to refer to 'Six Carols for Sundry Seasons' composed by his father, Peter Crossley-Holland, which was broadcast twice during 1953: on Sunday 11 January at 18.00 and on Wednesday 8 April at 23.35. Also a concert including unspecified ‘new choral music', conducted by Peter Crossley-Holland and John Lowe on Friday 3 July at 22.00. Given that Kevin specifically refers to 'Friday night' in his letter, the final option seems most likely. Source: BBC Genome Project Radio Times listings.