St Mary-le-Bow public debates
Encyclopedia
The St Mary-le-Bow public debates were recorded between 1964-1979 at the St Mary-le-Bow
Church, London
, and feature well-known public figures debating important issues of the time. The recordings were made every Tuesday lunchtime at 1pm, with the speakers invited by the rector of the church, Joseph McCulloch
. The recordings are held by the British Library
as part of the Archival Sound Recordings
.
The public debates include interviews with:
Only a small representative sample of recordings from this collection is available at present.
St Mary-le-Bow
St Mary-le-Bow is an historic church in the City of London, off Cheapside. According to tradition, a true Cockney must be born within earshot of the sound of the church's bells.-Bells:...
Church, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and feature well-known public figures debating important issues of the time. The recordings were made every Tuesday lunchtime at 1pm, with the speakers invited by the rector of the church, Joseph McCulloch
Joseph McCulloch
Joseph Howard McCulloch was an American football, baseball, and basketball coach, teacher and athletic director in the United States. He played college football and baseball at Springfield College from 1908 to 1910...
. The recordings are held by the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
as part of the Archival Sound Recordings
Archival Sound Recordings
Archival Sound Recordings is a British Library service providing free online access to a diverse range of spoken word, music and environmental sounds from the British Library Sound Archive. Anyone with web access can use the service to search, browse and listen to 24,000 digitised recordings...
.
The public debates include interviews with:
- Enoch PowellEnoch PowellJohn Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
on race - Diana RiggDiana RiggDame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE is an English actress. She is probably best known for her portrayals of Emma Peel in The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service....
on single parentage - A. J. Ayer on moral responsibility
- Edna O’Brien on fear
- Germaine GreerGermaine GreerGermaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
on free will. - Peter CookPeter CookPeter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
, Comedian and broadcaster, talking about the DevilDevilThe Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
. - Billie WhitelawBillie WhitelawBillie Honor Whitelaw, CBE is an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works...
, actress, on various topics including life.
Only a small representative sample of recordings from this collection is available at present.