Tweet of the Day

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Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 9 of 12 Dec 27, 2017

Show notes

During this season of goodwill our thoughts turn to crackling fires, being with the family and for many a song or a carol to bring merriment to the colder days. Tweet of the Day has been entertaining early morning listeners to the Radio 4 schedule every day since 2013, but this Christmas we will delight in an avian offering of the well known song the Twelve Days of Christmas.

As actress Alison Steadman recounts, there are many birds who could be thought of as the best dancers, but for me I'm sure the nine ladies dancing (and gentlemen) in the song would relish a chance to relax for a while and watch the dancing display of the great crested grebe. A sure sign that winter is nearly over.

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: Tim Donovan.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 8 of 12 Dec 26, 2017

Show notes

As actress Alison Steadman reveals during the cold mid-winter as they went about their business, those eight maids a milking were probably not thinking of a familiar bird which also produces milk. The domestic pigeon.

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: David England.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 7 of 12 Dec 25, 2017

Show notes

The big day has arrived and with it seven swans a swimming. Though wrapping these may have been an issue. As actress Alison Steadman discusses deeply embedded in the British culture the mute swan, which for many is the perfect bird for the seventh day in the song. Although in winter two other contenders arrive on our shores, the Bewick swan from Siberia and the slightly more vocal Whooper swan from Iceland.

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: Kevin Neal.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 6 of 12 Dec 24, 2017

Show notes

As preparations for Christmas gather pace, what better for a true love than to supply a laying goose for the family table? Though six geese a-laying may be a gaggle too much in some households. As actress Alison Steadman discusses a strong contender for the goose-a-laying could well be the gregarious greylag goose, the wild ancestor of many a farmyard goose today.

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: John Dixon.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 5 of 12 Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

During this season of goodwill our thoughts turn to crackling fires, being with the family and, for many, a song or a carol to bring merriment to the colder days. Tweet of the Day has been entertaining early morning listeners to the Radio 4 schedule every day since 2013, but this Christmas we will delight in an avian offering of the well known song the Twelve Days of Christmas.

As actress Alison Steadman outlines the refrain Five Gold Rings in the song is a recent thing, having emerged as an Edwardian addition to the song when Frederic Austen composed the music we know and love today. Yet in the century before that, a small colourful bird captivated Victorian society like no other. The goldfinch.

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: Janet Sharp.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 4 of 12 Dec 21, 2017

Show notes

As actress Alison Steadman discusses, on the fourth day of the song, a true love is sent four calling birds. Given that most birds call, which quartet of birds could be calling? Possibly the four calling birds could refer back to colly, a derivative of the older col, roughly translated as coal. In other words, birds as black as coal. But which black bird would capture a wooing heart?

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: John Quine.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 3 of 12 Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

As actress Alison Steadman discusses working out what the actual bird is on the third day of the song could prove a headache. The original three French hens mentioned in the song could be of course domestic chickens or hens in France, but not, I suggest, French Hens, a species which as far as we know doesn't exist. It's thought then our domestic chickens are descendants of junglefowl, forest dwelling members of the pheasant family from southern Asia. Of all the junglefowl, it is the red junglefowl that is believed to be the primary ancestral source of our humble hen.

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: Graham Ball.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 2 of 12 Dec 19, 2017

Show notes

As actress Alison Steadman discusses at the time of the song's creation, across England the soft call of the turtle dove would have sent amorous sounds to many a loved one, though not at Christmas of course. These days however the soft dove call that a true love would most likely hear is that of the collared dove.

Producer: Andrew Dawes Photograph: Mediocreimage.

Alison Steadman - The Twelve Tweets of Christmas 1 of 12 Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

On the first day of Christmas so the song goes, a true love sent a partridge in a pear tree. As actress Alison Steadman suggests as ground birds, partridges are not known for their amorous arboreal perching. Why a partridge in a tree could have many meanings, but given the song is of possible French origin, the French or red-legged partridge seems an ideal candidate as sitter in a pear tree.

Producer : Andrew Dawes Photograph: Lynn Martin.

Fyfe Dangerfield on the Pied Butcherbird Dec 15, 2017

Show notes

Having recorded a number of bird calls in Australia, back home musician Fyfe Dangerfield manipulates their speed and pitch to experiment in music and melody composition.

Producer : Mark Ward.

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