Seriously...

A Cello in the Desert


Listen Later

Winner of this year's prestigious BBC/RGS dream journey award is Nina Plapp who sets off from the Isle of Wight with her cello 'Cuthbert' en route to India via Transylvania in a search for the roots of gypsy music.

Nina is a cellist from a large musical family and the energy and rhythms of gypsy music have always mesmerized her. Cuthbert, now 167 years old, has played in many an orchestra and was most recently under the guardianship of Nina's great aunt Bebe.

After a family send-off, Nina and Cuthbert head east on an adventure into the rich musical landscape of the gypsies. They first visit a family in Romania where she immerses herself in the wild rhythms and melodies of the Roma in rural Transylvania. Then they continue to India to seek out the original gypsies. On their way they join a chorus on the train through the desert, get locked inside a cupboard with singing girls in a Rajasthani village and play with the gypsy musicians at a wedding.

If you'd like to apply for next years Journey of a Lifetime Award and make a feature fore Radio 4 about your adventure you have until 2nd November. Look for Journey of a Lifetime on the Royal Geographical Society website. www.rgs.org/journeyofalifetime

Producer Neil McCarthy.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Seriously...By BBC Radio 4

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

257 ratings


More shows like Seriously...

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,589 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,051 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,470 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,801 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,880 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,766 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,043 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,118 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,090 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

489 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,990 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

479 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

591 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

106 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

44 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

297 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

851 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

67 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

46 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,184 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,015 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

103 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

81 Listeners

When It Hits the Fan by BBC Radio 4

When It Hits the Fan

49 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

45 Listeners