Tsunami Audio Memorial (Radio 4)

[Lawrence Jones]

This programme is, in my own opinion, by far and away the most powerful commentary that I’ve either seen or heard in respect of the Tsunami tragedy. The reduced bandwidth of a telephone conversation with a father telling us about his beautiful daughter conveys a far more powerful sense of loss than any tears. He speaks about her love of dancing and music – ‘Dancing In The Moonlight’ synopsizes her character perfectly. The listener hears haunting and perfect Thai singing throughout the programme. One commentator describes the sea as appearing ‘stiff’ prior to the event. I ‘d never heard this adjective applied before and understood what they meant. The animal and marine behaviour - prior to and after the event - is described in fascinating detail. A young woman describes her panic - despite severe injuries – at finding her bikini top ripped off with the force of the wave.

I was astonished at not hearing an extract on POTW.

Anyone with access to Listen Again really should listen to this piece of radio magnificence.

[Waves and Wind]

The pulpable fervour of your enthusiastic recommendation tells me that this is indeed a marvellous piece of radio excelling in its medium. In my experience being able to share such a powerful experience can be a sort of touchstone, minds embracing the jewel of an idea or of beauty or in this case with the counterpoint of terror.

My inability to follow your usual excellent suggestion to listen to a (rather this) piece, results in my the shocking realization that I am not able to listen to an engaging piece about the horrors of such a major disaster, mainly perhaps I fear my vivid imagination which has the ability to involve me totally in the sound theatre of radio which can tap very deep emotions. (I have been through a comparable natural disaster last year and thought - until I read your suggestion - that I had put it behind me. Strangely enough I watched the American carpet coverage of New Orleans and it did not worry me, although it really brought my experience home to me. I therefore conclude that for me radio is a far more powerful medium than tv appears to be.)

I really wanted to compare notes with you on this programme, but can perhaps only share my perception that radio is so powerful because at its best it is the intimate voice with total access to our imagination; it may, of course, be that this is not a shared experience. For me this is very different from the interpretation we give to the written word of an author, however engaging it may be.

[Lawrence Jones]

Hello Waves

Firstly, can I thank you for such a thoughtful response? The delay was quite simply because I was genuinely embarrassed (several attempts to compose a response) at my inability to match the quality and thought behind your posting!

Concerning your first paragraph, sharing important radio moments has always meant a lot to me and I’ve always admired the work of this particular producer. It was clear that she’d put an enormous amount of effort into the programme, so I did feel the need to post a ‘thank you’. It’s all too easy to forget the effect that making - or taking part - in such a programme can have on a producer or presenter. More often than not these individuals have to live alone with their feelings after compiling such a programme and this must be very difficult.

I fear my vivid imagination which has the ability to involve me totally in the sound theatre of radio which can tap very deep emotions

Same here and I’ve often wondered why radio has this ability to penetrate our emotional reservoirs in a manner that TV just can’t achieve (not criticising TV here). I think most people tend to assume that the psychological effects of an optical stimulus are far more powerful than processed acoustic signals within the brain (optical signals appear to take precedence when we meet a future partner), but I’m not so sure. I’ve never forgotten the explicit description detailed by the late Lord Hailsham on Any Questions many years ago, describing how he attempted to put his life together after the loss of his wife (he spoke about endless bouts of ‘wailing’). The first broadcast of the R4 play Cross My Heart And Hope To Fly also had a very powerful emotional effect on me, but I don’t really know why. How can a man ever understand the feelings of a woman suffering from breast cancer?

You mentioned in your initial posting that you’d been though a comparable disaster last year. Consequently, I’m not remotely surprised at your feelings in respect of this programme. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d placed an angry posting in response to mine. It must be devastating to feel that one has established some kind of recovery programme, only to suffer the kind of setback that you describe when programmes such as this are broadcast. I don’t know if you consume a great deal of R4, but the station did broadcast a series revisiting New Orleans, but I chose to give them a miss.

I really wanted to compare notes with you on this programme, but can perhaps only share my perception that radio is so powerful because at its best it is the intimate voice with total access to our imagination

I’m sure they’ll be occasions when we can exchange notes in respect of other radio programmes that we’ve consumed and I thank you again for taking the time to respond. ‘Intimate’ is a most appropriate word to describe the whole radio listening experience.