Amongst all the figures in the history of Western art forms, Beethoven is one of the most radical and influential. Not only did he produce some of the most celebrated and recognizable music of all time, but his influence dramatically accelerated the development of musical composition. He was instrumental in raising the status of the composer from that of a court servant to one of an independent artist. Much has been written on Beethoven, including many substantial biographies. The most notable of these is a monumental work by Alexander Wheelock Thayer. But there are also many shorter and more accessible works, like this entertaining text by novelist, art historian, and music critic, Romain Rolland. A passionate devotee of music, Rolland also wrote a number of substantial essays about other musicians, including biographical sketches of Handel, Wagner, and Berlioz. The book also contains the famous Heiligenstadt Testament, selected letters, and recorded thoughts of the great composer.

Beethoven

Sense and Sensibility follows the fortunes of sensible Elinor and her volatile younger sister, Marianne, as each searches for a spouse—a quest made urgent by the family’s financial embarrassment. While Elinor pursues the heart of clergyman, Edward Ferrars, Marianne impulsively falls in love with a glamorous but unscrupulous adventurer, Willoughby. Elinor sees trouble brewing but the enraptured Marianne does not. The sisters question each other’s choices in love. More than in her other novels, Austen here includes portraits of ill-matched couples, such as the avaricious Fanny Dashwood and her hen-pecked husband John; and the daffy Charlotte Palmer and her gloomy and contemptuous spouse. Perhaps Austen here suggests that, while marriage seems inevitable for most people, conjugal happiness can be much harder to find. Sense and Sensibility (written by ‘a lady’) was first published in 1811. It is a complete re-writing of Austen’s earlier epistolary novel, Elinor and Marianne.

Sense and Sensibility

In January 1817, Jane Austen commenced work on a new novel, to which she never assigned a name. By mid-March, she had completed twelve chapters, at which time she ceased working due to illness. The unfinished work was eventually published in 1925 under its working title: Fragment of a Novel Written by Jane Austen, January–March 1817. It has since become known simply as Sanditon, and a number of completions by other authors have since been published. Mr. and Mrs. Parker are visiting Sanditon, a village on the coast of Sussex. Unfortunately, Mr. Parker suffers an injury but he receives assistance from a local farmer, Mr Heywood. The latter’s daughter, Charlotte, is of marriageable age and has three eligible suitors, including the son of local patron, Lady Denham. Lady Denham is very keen to find a suitable match for her son Sir Edward—one of Charlotte’s suitors. Accordingly, she seeks an introduction with a Miss Lambe, a wealthy young heiress from the West Indies who is to take lodgings at Sanditon. Meanwhile, Charlotte finds herself attracted to the witty and debonair Sydney. The narrative ceases at this point, with little indication about the final results of the various romantic encounters. However, it appears clear that Charlotte is intended to be the heroine of the story.

Sanditon

Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and As You Like It are usually regarded as Shakespeare’s crowning achievements in the world of mirth and humor. In this group of plays, written during the playwright’s Second Period (1595–1600), the author depicts chiefly the cheerful, energetic side of life. In As You Like It, a wicked Duke expels his virtuous brother, the lawful ruler, from his domains. The banished Duke takes refuge with his followers in the Forest of Arden, where they live as free a life as did Robin Hood and his merry men. They are presently sought out by the Duke’s daughter Rosalind and her cousin Celia, who have been banished by the usurper. Also among the banished is Orlando, a virtuous young man, who is being pursued by his wicked brother Oliver, pursuant to the orders of the usurping duke. Orlando and Rosalind immediately fall in love, and she, disguised as a boy under the name of Ganymede, makes sport with him throughout the play. Eventually all ends happily – with conversions, repentance and revelations of love. Featuring the voices of Linda Barrans, Blaise Doran, Laura Richcreek, Emma Faye, Claudia Anglade, P J Morgan, Gary MacFadden, Denis Daly, Marty Krz, Dara Brown, Trisha Rose, John Burlinson, and Kendra Murray. Audio edited by Denis Daly Tunes for songs provided by Alan Weyman. The text used for this performance was kindly provided by playshakespeare.com. Production copyright 2024 is held by Voices of Today.

As You Like It

Persuasion was the last novel completed by Jane Austen and was first published posthumously in December, 1817. The story represents an interesting configuration of Austen’s characteristic narrative patterns. The heroine, Anne Eliot, is something of an old maid—she is twenty-seven years old, still single and is considered by family and friends to have lost her youthful beauty. Several years earlier, her engagement to Captain Frederick Wentworth had been broken off, due to the insistence of her family that the Captain lacked the wealth and status needed in a suitable husband. Due to the improvidence of Anne’s snobbish father, Sir Walter Elliot, it becomes necessary to rent out the family estate at Kellynch Hall. The Elliots take up residence in Bath. Anne and Frederick meet again, and Anne is faced with a difficult choice between suitors: should she align herself with the honest and upright but socially awkward Frederick Wentworth? Or with her charming, wealthy, and devious cousin, William Elliot?

Persuasion

The Buddhist Philosophy of Life Henry M. Tichenor Narrated by Denis Daly In this extended pamphlet, free-thinking advocate Henry Tichenor presents the life story of Gotama Buddha in the style of a hagiography, in which the fundamental doctrines of Buddhism are interwoven. Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today

The Buddhist Philosophy of Life

Emily Dickinson was one of the most reclusive of all poets. She spent much of her life in seclusion in her father’s house in Amherst, and only a handful of her 1800 poems were published in her lifetime. Credit for the posthumous publication of her work must be given to her editor and friend Thomas W. Higginson, who reported that, in spite of the voluminous correspondence which passed between himself and Dickinson, he only met her twice in person. Dickinson’s poems are all short; few of them exceed twenty lines. Within her writing, the most mundane events of domestic life appear as events of momentous significance. The original editors of this collection write that, “The main quality of these poems is that of extraordinary grasp and insight, uttered with an uneven vigor, sometimes exasperating, seemingly wayward, but really unsought and inevitable.”

Poems of Emily Dickinson – Series 1

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is one of the earliest and most compelling presentations of the story of a man who sold his soul to the Devil. It is based on the popular history of Johann Georg Faust (1466–1541) a German chemist and magician, who allegedly perished in an explosion during an alchemical experiment. In the theologically charged world of early reformation Germany, a report spread that his violent death was a demonstration that the devil had come to collect his soul. The legend spread quickly and has formed the basis of many later literary and dramatic works. Marlowe’s play is essentially a morality play. However, unlike medieval morality plays, in this version, Faust is portrayed as a tragic hero rather than as a hapless sinner. Marlowe’s play was published posthumously in two separate folios, the first in 1604 and a more extended version in 1616. The earlier version was divided into sixteen scenes and the latter into twenty. This performance is based on a special conflation of material from both folios.

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus

Where The Dead Men Lie And Other Poems By Barcroft Boake Collected and edited by A. G. Stephens Narrated by Denis Daly and Amy Soakes In his short life Australian poet Barcoft Boake completed thirty poems, the most famous of which is the pastoral lament, Where The Dead Men Lie, which was first published in the The Bulletin in December, 1891. This collection was prepared and edited by critic and anthologist, A. G. Stephens, who also appended a detailed memoir of the poet. Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today

Where The Dead Men Lie And Other Poems

Accusation is the unperceived catalyst for this dramatic narrative; Job is framed by the accusation that his self-invested allegiance to God will evaporate if he is exposed to adversity. Job is unaware that this wager against his integrity has taken place. The drama that ensues on an epic scale resonates with universal experiences of human suffering—from Job's searching questions, to the grating interventions of Job's friends, and the sense that human misfortune can seem contingent on the whim of unseen powers. The Book of Job is found in the writings of the Hebrew Bible and is the first book of poetry in the Old Testament. This audiobook is performed by Sarah Bacaller and Denis Daly, and includes a foreword written by Dr. Stephen Curkpatrick.

The Book of Job

Diary of a Madman by Nikolai Gogol Translated by Ethel Voynich Narrated by Denis Daly Many of Gogol's stories feature ineffectual individuals who are overwhelmed by the caprices of fate. In Diary of a Madman, one of his most colourful tales, the narrator, a humble and obscure office worker, veers from mere eccentricity into full blown lunacy, and finds that the delusions fostered by madness are anything but comforting.

Diary of a Madman

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Translated by Edward FitzGerald Narrated by Denis Daly Omar Khayyam (1048 - 1131) was a true polymath. A distinguished mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, he is best known today for his Rubaiyat, a collection of rubai, or rhyming quatrains, of which he is estimated to have composed at least 500. Together with the work of Hafiz and Rumi, Khayyam's poetry represents the high point of classical Persian literature. Edward Fitzgerald was neither the first nor the most scholarly of the translators of the quatrains of Omar Khayyam, but due to his remarkable abilities as a poet, his versions have been accepted as classic literature in their own right. During his lifetime Fitzgerald published four editions of his translation - in 1859, 1868, 1872 and 1879 - and a fifth edition was released posthumously in 1889. In this recording are presented readings of all five editions as well as biographical material about Fitzgerald and Omar Khayyam and a laudatory poem by Andrew Lang, which were published as part of the Fourth Edition. Production copyright 2020 Voices of Today

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Poems - 1905-1911 By Rupert Brooke Narrated by Denis Daly Not all the young poets whose lives were cut short during the First World War were actual casualties of the conflict. James Elroy Flecker and Rupert Brooke both died in 1915, each leaving a body of finished work which places him in the ranks of the major poets of the Twentieth Century. Brooke seems to have had a premonition of his untimely demise for a considerable period. The subject of death is very prominent in his verse, which, even in its most playful moments, is characterized by a profoundly elegaic quality. Brooke's untimely passing inspired tributes from many literary celebrities, among whom was Winston Churchill: "During the last few months of his life, the poet-soldier told with all the simple force of genius, the sorrow of youth about to die, and the sure, triumphant consolations of a sincere and valiant spirit. "The thoughts to which he gave expression in the very few incomparable war sonnets which he has left behind will be shared by many thousands of young men moving resolutely and blithely forward into this, the hardest, the cruellest, and the least-rewarded of all the wars that men have fought. They are a whole history and revelation of Rupert Brooke himself. Joyous, fearless, versatile, deeply instructed, with classic symmetry of mind and body, ruled by high, undoubting purpose, he was all that one would wish England's noblest sons to be in days when no sacrifice but the most precious is acceptable, and the most precious is that which is most freely proffered." Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today

Poems - 1905-1911

Alastor Or the Spirit of Solitude And Other Poems By Percy Bysshe Shelley Narrated by Denis Daly This meditation on artistic creativity was written during the latter months of 1815, during a sojourn on the border of Windsor Forest. Critics have concurred in the opinion that the anonymous hero of the poem is Shelley himself, who feared that he too would become an "inheritor of unfulfilled renown." Today, the poem is considered to be the first major work of Shelley's maturity. Appended to the collection were a number of shorter pieces: 1) To Coleridge 2) Stanzas — April 1814 3) Mutability 4) The pale, the cold, and the moony smile 5) A Summer-evening Church-yard 6) To Wordsworth 7) Feelings of a Republican on the Fall of Bonaparte 8) Superstition 9) Sonnet from the Italian of Dante 10) Translated from the Greek of Moschus 11) The Daemon of the World The final poem is a reworking of the first two cantos of a much larger work, Queen Mab, which was first published in 1813. Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today

Alastor

This collection follows on from Australian Christmas Yarns Volume I and consists of ten stories by notable Australian author Mary Grant Bruce (1878-1958). These stories sketch challenges of landscape, relationship, loss and hope. This collection includes: A Coastwise Christmas Santa Claus, Helper Santa Claus, Junior Santa Claus, Mediator The Christmas Cook In Great Waters The Hammock A New Year's Dawn 1 A New Year's Dawn 2 A New Year's Dawn 3 Mary Grant Bruce (1878-1958) was an Australian author, many of whose writings focused on iconic Australian life. As well as publishing 37 books, Mary Grant Bruce wrote regularly for Australian newspapers, often for children. Her most well known works are the books in the Billabong series. Visit marygrantbruce.com.au to find out more. Mary Grant Bruce Family Trust (P)2021 Voices of Today

Australian Christmas Yarns by Mary Grant Bruce

Australian Christmas Yarns

oe Wilson and His Mates By Henry Lawson Narrated by Amy Soakes and Denis Daly This collection was published in 1901 and contains some of Lawson's best known stories. Most of the stories are set in the Australian bush, and feature many of Lawson's iconic characters, like squatters, swagmen and struggling selector farmers. A persistent theme is the harshness of rural life and the inevitablity of personal tragedy. 1) The Author’s Farewell to the Bushmen 2) Joe Wilson’s Courtship 3) Brighten’s Sister-In-Law 4) "Water Them Geraniums" 5) A Double Buggy at Lahey's Creek 6) The Writer Wants to say a Word 7) The Golden Graveyard 8) The Chinaman’s Ghost 9) The Loaded Dog 10) Poisonous Jimmy Gets Left 11) The Ghostly Door 12) A Wild Irishman 13) The Babies in the Bush 14) A Bush Dance 15) The Buck-Jumper 16) Jimmy Grimshaw’s Wooing 17) At Dead Dingo 18) Telling Mrs Baker 19) A Hero in Dingo-Scrubs 20) The Little World Left Behind 21) The Never-Never Country Text prepared by Denis Daly Audio edited by Denis Daly Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today

Joe Wilson and His Mates

In this entertaining pamphlet, the author, who was an expert on the artistic traditions of China and Japan, examines the effect of Zen Buddhism on popular culture. He provides a perceptive thumbnail view of the development of Buddhism in the Far East, and engaging portraits of its luminary figures.

Zen Buddhism and Its Relation to Art

This collection arguably contains some of the most charming lyrics ever written in English. The childlike simplicity and trust of these artless verses are unique. Blake’s poems can be enjoyed, not only for their historical importance in an age which was fiercely proud of its genius and its traditions, but also for their simple and beautiful expression of “two contrary states of the human soul.” Songs of Innocence was originally a complete collection of twenty-three poems, first printed in 1789. In 1794, a composite collection entitled Songs of Innocence and of Experience, containing forty-seven poems, was published.

Songs of Innocence and of Experience

This collection contains several of Tennyson’s best-known poems and shows his mastery of both lyricism and epic narrative. Contents: “The Epic - Morte d’Arthur” “The Gardener’s Daughter, or The Pictures” “Dora” “The Talking Oak” “Love and Duty” “Ulysses” “Locksley Hall” “Godiva” The Day-dream” “St. Agnes’ Eve” “Sir Galahad” “To ___, after reading a Life and Letters” “Lady Clare” “The Lord of Burleigh” “Come not, when I am dead” “The Beggar Maid” “A Farewell” “The Eagle” “Break, break, break” “Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington” “The Charge of the Light Brigade” “The Brook. An Idyll” “The Daisy” “To the Rev. F. D. Maurice” “Will” “Tithonus”

English Idylls and Other Poems

Short Poems of John Milton With a preface by Samuel Thurber Narrated by Denis Daly While the issues of the day that consumed the attention of scholar, accomplished linguist, politician and severe Puritan, John Milton (1608 - 1674) are now largely of historical interest, the verse which they inspired remains a staple of English literature. Although he is best known today for his poetic epics, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, Milton was also a master of shorter verse forms, particularly the sonnet, in which many consider him second only to Shakespeare. This collection includes twenty-one of Milton's best-known short works. On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity On Shakespeare L’Allegro Il Penseroso At a Solemn Music Lycidas Fifteen Sonnets Production copyright 2024 Voices of Today

Short Poems of John Milton

Chamber Music by James Joyce Narrated by Denis Daly This collection of 36 short poems was published in 1907. The title is alleged to be an ironic pun referring cryptically to the sound of urine striking the sides of a chamber pot. However, the poems have no touch of vulgarity or bawdiness. The collection received favorable critical comments from Ezra Pound and W. B. Yeats. Joyce later commented on the poems: "When I wrote Chamber Music, I was a lonely boy, walking about by myself at night and thinking that one day a girl would love me." Production copyright 2024 Voices of Today

Chamber Music

Sand and Foam by Kahlil Gibran Narrated by Denis Daly This collection of aphorisms, poems and parables has been described as the reflections of a philosopher watching from his window and commenting on the scenes passing before him. Barbara Young in her biographical study of Gibran, "The Man from Lebanon," assessed this text as follows: "Sand and Foam is a book that will penetrate the consciousness deeply and inevitably, as The Prophet has done. It is my opinion, and I have often heard others express it as their own, that there is not in the language another book of its character, a book that has not only three dimensions — height, depth, and breadth - but also the fourth dimension, timelessness, which is but another word for time unbounded, limitless......" Production copyright 2024 Voices of Today.

Sand and Foam

This book is a critical analysis by an ex-Muslim activist of religion in general and of Islam in particular. It describes the author's journey out of Islam and discusses in depth many common misconceptions about Islam that are prevalent both within and outside the Islamic world. Production copyright 2020 Voices of Today.

The Curse of God

This collection contains eight of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies. Each exhibits the vigour, humour, and optimism of the young master before he turned to the gloom and bitterness of the great tragedies. Contents A Midsummer Night’s Dream All’s Well That Ends Well Twelfth Night Much Ado About Nothing The Comedy of Errors As You Like It Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice Featuring the voices of:Aisling Gray, Alan Weyman, Alexandra Lee Smith, Blaise Doran, Cate Barratt, Catherine Bilson, Claudia Anglade, Dara Brown, David Shears, Denis Daly, Emma Faye, Gary D. MacFadden, Graham Scott, John Burlinson, Josh Innerst, Kendra Murray, Laura Richcreek, Lillian Rachel, Linda Barrans, Mark Crowle-Groves, Marty Krz, PJ Morgan, Roberta Jackson, Ron Altman, Simon Paxton, Susan Iannucci, Tom Saer, and Trisha Rose. Texts kindly provided by playshakespeare.com Songs created and arranged by Alan Weyman and Marty Krz Audio edited by Denis Daly

Eight Shakespeare Comedies

Measure for Measure is one of darkest of Shakespeare’s comedies. Written in about 1603 and first performed in 1604, it immediately preceded the composition of the major tragedies Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Duke Vincentino, the ruler of Vienna, fears that under his mild sovereignty, the people may have become lazy and lax. He decides to “go over cover” in the disguise of a monk and appoint his deputy, Angelo, who is a reputed paragon of virtue, as temporary ruler. On assuming power, Angelo inaugurates draconian provisions regarding sexual propriety. One of the first victims of this new regime is young Claudio, who has impregnated his lover Juliet, and is accordingly sentenced to death. Claudio’s sister, Isabella, who is preparing to enter religious life, is encouraged to approach Angelo and plead for her brother’s life. Angelo is immediately smitten with the beautiful Isabella and makes her an offer: her brother will be spared if she yields to Angelo’s sexual advances. Isabella indignantly rejects this proposal, but finds herself unable to reveal Angelo’s hypocrisy publicly, as she fears her accusations will lack credence. Fortunately, the Duke, who has not left Vienna, befriends Isabella in his assumed role of friar, and hatches a plan to both save Claudio and to unmask Angelo. Featuring the voices of Denis Daly, Gary D. MacFadden, David Shears, Graham Scott, Josh Innerst, Kendra Murray, Blaise Doran, Simon Paxton, Roberta Jackson, Alexandra Lee Smith, and Alan Weyman. Audio edited by Denis Daly Tunes for songs provided by Alan Weyman. The text used for this performance was kindly provided by playshakespeare.com.

Measure for Measure

The unlikely heroine of this novel is the bashful and unadventurous Fanny Price, who occupies a Cinderella-like position in the residence of her wealthy cousins, the Bertrams, at Mansfield Park. Fanny is the butt of ridicule for the young Bertram sisters (Maria and Julia), and is relentlessly bullied by her manipulative and penny-pinching aunt, the widowed Mrs Norris. Maria, Julia, and their brother Tom are symbols of social irresponsibility, while their brother Edmund, is earnest and upright. Although Sir Thomas Bertram’s wealth is derived largely from a sugar plantation in the West Indies, Austen largely avoids discussion of slavery and other evils of colonialism. The young Bertrams form a close friendship with the dashing and unscrupulous Henry Crawford, and his glamorous sister Mary. Henry decides to pursue Fanny with a view to marriage, but she, discerning his devious nature, resists all his advances. After a visit to her family in Portsmouth, Fanny returns to Mansfield Park and finds herself attracted to the worthy Edmund, who is recovering after being rejected by Mary Crawford. Interestingly, Mansfield Park features the abortive amateur production of a popular sentimental drama, Lovers’ Vows, planned by members and friends of the Bertram family while Sir Thomas is absent in the West Indies. His unexpected return brings these plans to an abrupt halt. This audiobook recording also includes a multicast presentation of Lovers’ Vows. In Lovers’ Vows, the widowed Baron Wildenheim, by a twist of circumstances, comes into contact with a poor woman whom he had abandoned while a young man. The Baron has since married a wealthy woman and they have a daughter, Amelia. Unbeknownst to the Baron, his first relationship resulted in the birth of a son. He now has to decide how he is to acknowledge his new-found son and the young man’s mother. At the time of its publication, the plot was considered controversial because it centered on the issue of illegitimate children.

Mansfield Park and Lovers’ Vows

This epistolary novel was probably written in 1794, but was not published until 1871. Lady Susan Vernon, middle-aged and recently widowed, has retained her looks and appealing vivacity. She makes use of her bereavement and her loss of wealth by imposing herself on the hospitality of relatives, and by amusing herself in flirtation with the various men who fall under her spell. Lady Susan has a daughter, Frederica, who is bashful and innocent—in stark contrast to her unfeeling and manipulative mother. Her mother is anxious to marry Frederica off to a spouse of appropriate wealth and social standing, and also, perhaps, to capture a new mate for herself. The forty-one letters between the various parties in this tale of twisted courtship describe Lady Susan’s path to marital satisfaction for her daughter and herself.

Lady Susan

William Wordsworth belonged to a chosen band of poets for whom poetry was a priesthood, displayed in his unerring devotion to his art. He nourished his unique poetic gift by daily intimacy with Nature. It is Wordworth’s peculiar achievement to reveal the impulses at work behind the outward beauty of Nature, and to manifest its sustaining influence upon the spirit of man. The forty-one poems in this collection cover a range of subjects but all reflect Wordsworth’s fundamental philosophy that poetry should be the embodiment of emotion recollected in tranquility.

Poems of Sentiment and Reflection

This play is a dramatization of Boccaccio’s story of Gillette of Narbonne. Only the comic parts were of Shakespeare’s invention; he added the characters of the pusillanimous Parolles, the lofty courtier Lafew, the Clown Lavatch, and the long suffering Countess. He gave new depth and vitality to the leading characters, who are mere outlines in Boccaccio’s tale. The comedy has for its heroine a young woman who loves the haughty Bertram with an unrequited and despised passion, cures the King of France of a dangerous sickness, claims as her reward the right to choose a husband from among the courtiers, chooses Bertram, is repudiated by him, and, after a nocturnal meeting at which she takes the place of another woman whom he believes himself to have seduced, at last overcomes his resistance and is acknowledged as his wife. In Helena, Shakespeare drew a portrait of familiar type of loving and cruelly maltreated womanhood—the woman who suffers everything in inexhaustible tenderness and humility, and never falters in her love until in the end she wins the rebellious heart.

Alls Well That Ends Well

In The Amethyst Box, a vial of incredibly potent poison goes missing on the eve of a wedding. The groom and the best man set out to find it and prevent its misuse. A man's unexpected but natural death in a hotel become more and more mysterious when we learn his obituary was printed before he died. In The Ruby and the Cauldron, a precious gem is lost then found then lost again...finding it will save one woman from shame but will condemn another. Finally, one of Inspector Gryce's first forays into police work is chronicled in The Staircase at Heart's Delight as he risks his life to solve a series of murders.

The Amethyst Box and Other Detective Stories

Antonio, a wealthy and popular merchant, is in financial difficulty. He approaches a Jewish money lender, Shylock, who agrees to provide 3000 ducats, with a very curious bond – a pound of the merchant’s flesh, to be levied if Antonio fails to make a timely repayment. Feeling confident that his argosies will arrive in time to cover the debt, Antonio agrees to this bizarre transaction. Meanwhile, a wealthy gentlewoman, Portia, must choose a suitor using a curious ritual mandated by her father’s will. Applicants must choose from three locked caskets, one of which contains a picture of Portia. He who chooses the casket with the picture will wed Portia immediately; the unsuccessful applicants will cease courting not only Portia, but all prospective partners. Portia’s preferred suitor is a young Venetian, Bassanio, who is a close friend of Antonio. Antonio’s ships fail to arrive in time to satisfy his debt to Shylock and Antonio is hauled into court. In a male disguise, Portia appears in court to represent Antonio. Will her skillful representation free Antonio from Shylock’s demands? Written between 1596 and 1598 and published in 1600, The Merchant of Venice most notably touches on the troubling subject of antisemitism. While critical debate rages about Shakespeare’s actual attitudes toward Jewish culture, it is difficult to deny that the eventual fate of Shylock is not in accord with today’s view of social justice. Featuring the voices of Denis Daly, Catherina Bilson, Alexandra Lee Smith, Gary D. Macfadden, Blaise Doran, Graham Scott, Roberta Jackson, Josh Innerst, Simon Paxton, Alan Weyman, Emma Faye and Marty Krz.

The Merchant of Venice

Esson’s first collection of poems, Bells and Bees, was published in 1910; a second collection, Red Gums and Other Verses, in 1912. Although Esson published no further poetry collections, his verse continued to appear in magazines such as The Bulletin until the late 1920s. Included in his verse are not only bush ballads such as “Whalin’ up the Lachlan,” but also somber meditations such as “The Travail of Nature,” monologues like “Silenus to a Young Satyr,” and thundering panegyrics like “The Bazaar of Death.” As a rule, Esson’s poems are quite short and, despite occasional infelicities, display a tidy and skillful use of language.

Collected Verse of Louis Esson

This collection of short stories by notable Australian author, Mary Grant Bruce (1878-1958), reflects on Australian experiences of summertime. Infused with the smells, sounds and textures of Australian life during the Christmas season, these stories also highlight the strengths and yearnings of their characters. This unique collection includes a foreword by Ian Bruce, grandson of Mary Grant Bruce, and includes the following six stories: * A Gentleman by Accident * An Australian Christmas * Home for Christmas * Our Christmas Eve * Christmas at Henderson's * The Valley of Forgetfulness Mary Grant Bruce (1878-1958) was an Australian author, many of whose writings focused on iconic Australian life. As well as publishing thirty-seven books, Mary Grant Bruce wrote regularly for Australian newspapers, often for children. Her most well known works are the books in the Billabong series. See www.marygrantbruce.com.au

Mary Grant Bruce Short Story Collection

Gitanjali By Rabindranath Tagore With an Introduction by W. B. Yeats Gitanjali (song offerings) is a collection of 103 devotional poems written originally in Bengali and first published in 1910. In 1912 a translation into English by the author was published in 1912, and led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. The Indian sage, Paramahansa Yogananda, who was a friend and admirer of Tagore, made the following comment on his poetry: "The beauty of his lines, to me, lies in his art of referring to God in nearly every stanza, yet seldom mentioning the sacred Name. 'Drunk with the bliss of singing,' Tagore writes, 'I forget myself and call thee friend who art my lord.'" Production copyright 2024 Voices of Today

Gitanjali

Enoch Arden By Alfred Lord Tennyson Narrated by Denis Daly Enoch Arden is a long narrative poem which is built on a theme which has been widely explored in literature and on film. A man is separated from his family due to shipwreck, and marooned on an island. After several years of absence from his home it is assumed that he has died, and his wife remarries and starts a new family. After ten years the man finally makes his way home and has to deal with the trauma of discovering his wife and family happily established in a new relationship. Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today.

Enoch Arden

As the generating force of its plot, Twelfth Night uses a device which has since become a staple in comedy: gender confusion. Viola and her twin brother Sebastian, are shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria, a country ruled by the melancholy Duke Orsino. The twins are separated and Viola is led to believe that her brother has perished. She disguises herself as a male under the name of Cesario and makes her way to the ducal court, where Orsino employs her as a messenger, to communicate his love to the reclusive lady, Olivia—who is not willing to return his affection. Olivia is also the target of two other romantic schemes. Her pompous steward, Malvolio, has persuaded himself that Olivia has fallen for him but is too diffident to reveal her passion. Her dissipated uncle, Sir Toby Belch, has plans to set up a match for her with Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a feeble-minded squire. Viola/Cesario falls in love with Orsino and Olivia with Cesario, but all of the parties are obliged to hide their feelings. Having survived the shipwreck, Sebastian now appears on the scene and contracts a secret marriage with Olivia, who believes him to be Cesario. In the final act, Viola reveals her true identity … Featuring Emma Faye as Viola, Kendra Murray as Olivia, Cate Barratt as Sir Toby Belch, Alan Weyman as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Lillian Rachel as Malvolio, Marty Krz as Feste and Laura Richcreek as Orsino. Also featuring the voices of Claudia Anglade, Linda Barrans, PJ Morgan, Denis Daly and John Burlinson. Songs arranged by Alan Weyman and Marty Krz Audio edited by Denis Daly Text kindly provided by playshakespeare.com

Twelfth Night

This collection of 35 short poems was first published in 1927, and is a sequel to When We Were Very Young, which was the first anthology of verse dealing with the domestic adventures of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. As the author explains in the introduction: “We have been nearly three years writing this book. We began it when we were very young … and now we are six. So, of course, bits of it seem rather baby-ish to us, almost as if they had slipped out of some other book by mistake. So we want you to know that the name of the book doesn’t mean that this is us being six all the time, but that it is about as far as we’ve got at present, and we half think of stopping there.”

Now We Are Six

Jane Austen probably commenced writing The Watsons in 1803 and discontinued it after her father’s death in 1805. The original text contains no chapter divisions. It was first published in 1871 as an appendix to A Memoir of Jane Austen, by the novelist’s nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh. The story concerns the young and vivacious Emma Watson, one of six children of a widowed clergyman. Emma has spent most of her life under the care of a wealthy aunt of liberal views, and has received a good education. However, when her aunt enters into a second marriage, Emma is forced to return to the family home, where she is affronted by the crass hunting for husbands undertaken her sisters, Penelope and Margaret. Emma herself attracts the notice of local nobleman, Lord Osborne, and also of Mr. Howard, vicar of the nearby parish church. The sisters are invited to visit the home of their brother, Robert, an attorney in Croydon, but Emma refuses to join them. The original text concludes at this point. Several completions of the novel have been composed after the author’s death. The first appeared in 1850, and was written by her niece, Catherine Hubback, who expanded the story into a three volume novel entitled, The Younger Sister. In 1923, the completion by L. Oulton was published. And in 1928, another completion appeared, this time written the granddaughter of Catherine Hubback, Emily Brown, and her husband Francis Brown. In the version completed by Oulton, the narrative concludes with a resolution fairly typical of an Austen novel. However, the full text is considerably shorter than any of the novels completed by the Austen. There has been much speculation as to why Austen discontinued writing the novel. One surmise is that the author may have felt the narrative was uncomfortably close to the events of her own life.

The Watsons

Richard le Gallienne was, almost to the point of caricature, a notable example of the Bohemian literary figure. He travelled widely, had many acquaintances among notable figures of his day, including Oscar Wilde, Rupert Brooke and John Cowper Powys, and worked through a long series of romantic relationships. However, his poetic verbiage is economical and disciplined, and free from rhetorical affectation. This collection was published in 1895, and reflects the mature style of the poet. It contains two large poems, Paolo and Francesca, and Young Love, and 46 short poems.

English Poems

The Jerilderie Letter By Ned Kelly Narrated by Denis Daly Edward "Ned" Kelly (1854 -1880) was the last and most celebrated Australian bushranger (outlaw). After being implicated in the shooting of three policemen at Stringybark Creek in October, 1878, Kelly and his gang were declared by the Victorian government to be outlaws, and were the subjects of an extensive man hunt over the next two years. In February, 1879, the Kelly gang staged a daring and highly organized raid on the Bank of New South Wales in the town of Jerilderie. During the occupation of the town Kelly dictated a letter to fellow gang member Joe Byrne, which he wished the editor of the Jerilderie & Urana Gazette to publish. Unable to locate the editor of the paper, Kelly gave the letter to Edwin Living, the accountant of the bank, with a demand that it be printed. However, the letter was not actually published until 1930 In the letter the outlaw gives a detailed explanation of his various grievances and, in particular, attempts to justify his actions at Stringybark Creek. Kelly was captured after an epic shootout at the Glenrowan Hotel in June 1880, and was executed by hanging in Melbourne on 11th November.

The Jerilderie Letter

E. Clerihew Bentley is credited with the invention of the ‘clerihew’, or humorous verse aphorism, on biographical subjects. This collection, which was illustrated by G. K Chesterton, contains thirty-nine irregular quatrains on historical and contemporary celebrities, starting with Sir Christopher Wren and concluding with the publisher, T. Werner Laurie.

Biography for Beginners

The authorship of this Gospel has been widely disputed. Some scholars accept that it was really written by Nicodemus, the Pharisee who visited Jesus by night, as described in chapter three of John’s Gospel. Others have conjectured that the Gospel was a forgery made towards the close of the third century by some zealous believer who imagined it would aid the spread of Christianity. Jeremiah Jones notes that such pious frauds were very common among Christians even in the first three centuries, and that the circulation of forgeries of this nature seems natural and probable. The reference to the Acts of Pontius Pilate relates to a note in the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea (260–340), which mentions the book and avers that it was not composed by ‘a heathen’. Whether this text is canonical or not, it is of great antiquity and was appealed to by several ancient Christians. The translation used for this recording was made from the Gospel published by Grynaeus in the Orthodoxographa.

The Gospel of Nicodemus

Instructions to his Son By Sir Walter Raleigh Narrated by Denis Daly During his long internment in the Tower of London Elizabethan adventurer and statesman Sir Walter Raleigh (1552 - 1618) took time to compose this thoughtful homily to his son. It consists of ten short chapters dealing with a variety of important issues such as the choice of friends and a wife, the maintenance of a good reputation, the management of one's estate and wealth and concludes with an exhortation to seek the wisdom and protection of God throughout life. Production copyright 2024 Voices of Today

Instructions to His Son

Wells had a keen interest in the political and social issues of his day, one of the most significant of which was the outbreak of the First World War. This book, written in 1916, presents the story of Mr Britling, a political commentator, living in comfortable security in his country estate at Matchings Easy, in Essex. He entertains a varied assembly of guests, including Mr Direck, an American journalist, and Herr Heinrich, a German philology student who acts as a family tutor, and the general atmosphere is a hectic social whirl, involving wild games of hockey, extravagant dinners, and florid conversation. This avoidant conviviality is shattered by the military adventurism of Germany and Austria, and the resultant involvement of other countries on the European continent in a world war. Even though Mr Britling remains in England, the war has major ramifications on his family and friends, and his view of the world. In the middle of the book, Wells presents his own succinct summary of the action: “This story is essentially the history of the opening and of the realization of the Great War as it happened to one small group of people in Essex, and more particularly as it happened to one human brain. It came at first to all these people in a spectacular manner, as a thing happening dramatically and internationally, as a show, as something in the newspapers, something in the character of an historical epoch rather than a personal experience; only by slow degrees did it and its consequences invade the common texture of English life. If this story could be represented by sketches or pictures the central figure would be Mr. Britling.”

Mr Britling Sees It Through

This collection of sixteen poems features several notable examples of Tennyson’s early work, including “Oenone” and “The May Queen”, as well as two of his most iconic works, “The Lady of Shalott” and “The Lotus Eaters." All the poems are marked by the euphony and ease of versification for which Tennyson has become famous.

Shorter Poems and Lyrics

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