[davem]

Thanks so much for that

Originally Posted by Brian Sibley

I have a copy of the tape -- or, I should say, a tape because I have since heard the Church House Bookshop recording in which I say that we had to ask Christopher for more tapes...

I really wish I could have heard more of that recording - CT seemed quite self-effacing: I'm thinking of the 'Thengel/Thenjel' thing & the mention of the error on the map being his fault (Hithaeglin rather than Hithaeglir). Now, I note from checking my first edition copies that Hithaeglin only appears on the First edition maps, & was corrected to Hithaeglir for the Second Edition - so, were you working from the First Edition map or was that just an interesting typo on the list you sent CT?

I love that Church House recording - though I'm not sure Stephen Oliver's annecdote on the afternoon he spent teaching the Ambrosian Singers the song from the Field of Cormallen would be quite acceptable in these more PC times ('Like teaching disabled children to sing God save the Queen'!). I also had to laugh at the reaction he got from the audience when he said that he found Tolkien's verse to be 'poor' - I'm surprised he got out of there alive

I doubt it... Not that the present-day BBC would ever embark on a re-make. In fact I doubt they will ever re-broadcast the series on Radio 4. They wanted to broadcast it on their archive channel - Radio 7 (who only give minuscule token payments for repeats) - but abandoned the idea because of the copyrights involved - which would include those of the rights-holders. It is possible that the Estate don't even control the radio rights any longer.

I did read somewhere that LotR is the most requested programme for a repeat on Radio 7. I don't expect to hear the series broadcast again, sadly the BBC seems to be a lot less adventurous as regards radio drama these days. I doubt they'd commision anything like LotR again. Puts paid to my dream of a Silmarillion dramatisation - or even a Children of Hurin...