Yes isn't he. David Collings, he was an actor in lots of classics back in the 60s and 70s, Dickens etc. and then lots of radio plays. We were lucky to have met him when he lived in our town and he agreed to do it for nothing! I've never heard a better version of Crossing the Bar before or since.

The person reading the poems is incredible. He is a joy to listen to, voice is wonderful.. thank you for this video.

Thanks for the memory.

He was. Although I think poetry still plays a big part in a lot of people's lives today.

If you call rap poetry . . . when millions wallow in WAP, you realize by contrast how far our culture has fallen @@musictopictures

Are you a member of the Tennyson Society? I think you'd enjoy their research.

Thank you Bia, that's so nice to hear. (More poetry!)

I guess the word 'poor' is not a very accurate measure in many respects, and quite subjective? Certainly Victorian society had huge disparities in wealth, much like today sadly, and maybe forever? Many thanks for watching and commenting.

@@musictopicturesI didn’t get the ending..the last lines...any illumination for your brother?

@@cosmicman621 you mean the poem 'Crossing the Bar' at the end?

@@cosmicman621 sorry, you were talking about the previous comment by Alan Gilchrist?

Not all of them. Keats died at 25 in poverty. Most of the poets came from the class who had the money to get a classical education--translating Greek and Latin poetry makes you halfway to being a poet already.

... maybe the servants wouldn't be too bad? 😂 Thanks for watching.

Hmm.....I always find it rather irritating to have the servants hovering around the place . My butler's air of superiority is getting out of hand. He'll have to go...!

How often does the greatest art grow from the greatest adversity!

Thank you.

Great! Which book is it?

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Actually I composed all of the music specifically for the video, all on very old equipment! More of my music is here musictopictures.co.uk

​@@musictopictures Do you know where I can listen to that specific score?

@@philalethes216 I'm afraid it's not anywhere other than on a defunct computer and the video! However, I did adapt some of the themes in new compositions, you can look through my orchestral pieces on my website.

@@musictopictures Thanks for the reply. I did check out the pieces on the website, and nice as they are, those sound much more modern and crisp to my ears compared to the nostalgic feel of the more classic theme in the video. I found the atmosphere of the documentary quite moving in part because of it.

@@philalethes216 I do know what you mean, and thanks for your observations.

I've asked my co-producer as I can't remember myself!

Hope he converted you!?

@@musictopicturesNo. I think that ill be converted when english get out of my country.

That's a very good question! And now I look back at it it seems it was never actually a published poem. There is mention of it in 'Tennyson's Maud: The Biographical Genesis.' by Ralph Wilson Rader, page 32 as being read to Palgrave when he describes them as 'Early verses of compliment to Rosa Bearing' Are you a scholar?

@@musictopictures I looked for it and only find thr same book. Naah, not a schollar, mate, only a poetry lover haha. But thanks anyway! Cheers.

@@poesiadequinta you're welcome! Thanks for the interest.

Thanks for that Wilhelm, I think his status as a Victorian Poet Laureate led to a reputation as a stuffy old establishment poet, but he wrote some very tender and moving pieces I think.

I have also written music using his poetry.

@@musictopictures His poetry to me is extremely raw and endearing, depressingly beautiful. I just feel that not many people of his era spoke of the things he did in such a tangible realistic way. That's why I love him so much. His work will probably never seem dated, it's been nearly 200 years and it still seems relatable and fresh. Maybe that's just me.

Yes Wilhelm. He was - and still is - a giant . His best work is among the greatest in English OR any literature .. I rate him alongside Yeats and Eliot . And , oddly enough , Larkin .!

@@WilhelmWilder Relatable and fresh: I agree. Earlier, I was reading why he wrote Amphion. The reason given was that he felt that people no longer appreciated such poetry as was then written. Heaven knows what he would make of what passes for poetry today!

Interesting! What were their names?

@@musictopictures my grandpa is Lige Alex Tennyson and my grandma was born in Germany so I doubt she’s the connection. I’m trying to find out more about relatives from the past but hard to do with Tennyson being fairly common in Texas. I also wonder if you go far enough back if Tennyson and Tennison are related or from the same family. My dad passed away about three years ago and I’m not close to his family to be able to ask questions about ancestors in our family.

@@GardenNolm this page seems to have some good info and links www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tennyson-39