1977

Broadcast on Thursday 3rd December on BBC Radio 4. It was radio pick of the day in The Telegraph, The Express, The Independent and the Guardian. Click here to listen on iPlayer Radio
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Click for Sarah's  BBC Writers' Room blog about discovering the story of composer Angela Morley

1977: Story of transgender pioneer Angela Morley to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4  Independent on Sunday

David Hepworth on this week’s best radio 
The Guardian

A celebration of a great composer of theme music
Louis Barfe - The Lady, 4th December 2015
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In 1977 the bestselling children's novel Watership Down was made into an animated film. Malcolm Williamson, Master of the Queens music, had been hired as the film's composer. But all was not well. Williamson, a notoriously difficult and complicated man, was under extreme pressure; it was the Queens jubilee year and he was over commissioned.

When the film's conductor, Marcus Dods, arrived looking for the film's score he found to his horror that all that existed were two small sketches of music which amounted to no more than seven minutes of screen time. With an expensive orchestra and recording studio booked for the following week, the film's future looked to be in jeopardy.

In desperation he turned to the one person he knew could help; composer and arranger Angela Morley. But she, for her own reasons, was going to need some persuading.

Starring Rebecca Root as Angela Morley 

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