A history of song: from Schumann to Sting

Songs can trigger a range of emotions in their listeners: intense joy, sadness or even disgust. But how did this type of musical composition develop and become what it is today? The acclaimed singer and author John Potter takes Jon Bauckham on a tour through the history of song in Europe, covering everything from the works of Schumann and Sting to the musical troubadours of medieval Provence.

(Ad) John Potter is the author of Song: A History in 12 Parts (Yale University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-History-Parts-John-Potter/dp/0300263538/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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