Showing results by narrator "Josh Verbae" in All Categories

Shakespeare often uses expressive language in his portrayal of jealousy. It is a 'green-eyed monster', an object that 'one might fight and conquer', 'an infection which strikes as quickly as the plague'. In this selection of Shakespeare stories, jealousy plays a prominent role, offering us a wonderful opportunity to learn how Shakespeare's characters are dealing with this vice.

Shakespeare is often referred to as the great teacher of life and for a good reason, too. His tales offer worldly wisdom on tap and a great abundance of it. In this collection of Shakespeare tales, we offer those that perhaps more than others teach us important lessons.

The First Noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay. In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, on a cold winter's night that was so deep. This recording offers reading of the English-language lyrics followed by magical harp music based on original Christmas carol melody composition.

'O Christmas Tree', or ' O Tannenbaum', is one of the most famous German traditional songs about Christmas trees. It was written by the organist and teacher Ernst Anschutz, who was based in Leipzig. He used an old folk melody called 'Lauriger Horatius' for his carol. The same melody was also used for other songs including 'Maryland, My Maryland', the official state song of the US state. This recording offers a reading of the English-language lyrics followed by magical harp music based on an original Christmas carol melody.

This collection of Shakespeare's tales focuses on themes of friendship and betrayal. Included in this volume: 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona', 'The Comedy of Errors' and 'The Winter's Tale'. Read in English, unabridged.

This traditional Christmas carol is often referred to as 'The Huron Carol' or 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime'. A Jesuit missionary in Canada adapted an old 16th-century French tune into a Christmas carol, adding words in the local Huron language, which he taught to the Indians where he was based. This recording offers a reading of the English-language text followed by magical harp music based on the original composition.

This traditional Christmas carol is also known as 'The Basque Carol' or simply as 'Gabriel's Message'. It tells a story of Jesus' birth. Charles Bordes composed the tune while researching traditional Basque music. He published several of these traditional songs, and some were popularised elsewhere in Europe. This recording offers a reading of the English-language text followed by magical harp music based on original composition.

This traditional Christmas carol was written by the Austrian priest Joseph Mohr, and the music was composed by the Austrian teacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber. This audio recording of Silent Night includes a reading of the English-language text followed by magical harp music based on the original composition.

'Ding Dong Merrily on High' is a traditional Christmas carol based on French dance music. Lyrics were written by the English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward, who had an interest in church bell ringing, which is the subject of the carol. The tune itself is a much older one which was originally recorded in the 16th century by Jehan Tabourot in his study of French Renaissance social dance called Orchésographie. This recording offers a reading of the English-language lyrics followed by magical harp music based on the original melody composition.

Justice, mortality, mercy in Vienna, dichotomy between corruption and purity. Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall. Mercy and virtue prevail, as the play does not end tragically, with virtues such as compassion and forgiveness being exercised at the end of the production. This edition of Measure for Measure is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.

This collection of Shakespeare tales focuses on themes of revenge, opening with Hamlet, the greatest revenge play of all time, one of the finest examples of revenge that a young man plans for the murder of his father. This collection of Shakespeare adaptations also includes Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice, each offering a unique perspective on the psychology of revenge.

In Shakespeare plays the tragic and the comic often fade into each other, turning into a harmonious blending of these two elements. Shakespeare takes a special delight in the employment of such harmonies. His tragedies never fail having their comic interludes, and his comedies often have a serious undertone. Still, the comic is not the tragic, and in this collection we offer some of the more humorous and witty tales from Shakespeare. The following Shakespeare adaptations are included here: A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It and Measure for Measure.

Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. This edition of The Merchant of Venice is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.

In the beginning, Timon is a wealthy and generous Athenian gentleman. He hosts a large banquet, attended by nearly all the main characters. Timon gives away money wastefully, and everyone wants to please him to get more, except for Apemantus, a churlish philosopher whose cynicism Timon cannot yet appreciate. This edition of Timon of Athens is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.

Valentine is preparing to leave Verona for Milan so as to broaden his horizons. He begs his best friend, Proteus, to come with him, but Proteus is in love with Julia and refuses to leave. The play deals with the themes of friendship and infidelity, the conflict between friendship and love, and the foolish behaviour of people in love. This edition of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.

Petruchio tames Katherina, an unwilling participant in the relationship, with various psychological torments, such as keeping her from eating and drinking, until she becomes a desirable, compliant and obedient bride. This edition of The Taming of the Shrew is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.

Helena, the low-born ward of a French countess, is in love with the countess' son, Bertram, who is indifferent to her. Bertram goes to Paris to replace his late father as attendant to the ailing King of France. Helena, the daughter of a recently deceased doctor, follows Bertram, ostensibly to offer the King her services as a healer. The King is sceptical, and she guarantees the cure with her life: if he dies, she will be put to death, but if he lives, she may choose a husband from the court.

A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler.

The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. This edition of The Comedy of Errors is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's work.

We continue to explore the world of our feral friends and learn about some of their darker secrets, some of the naughty episodes of their hidden lives, and some of the most revealing confessions of what cats think about their human masters. It may come as a surprise, but cats often do watch humans and attempt to imitate their behaviour, albeit not always very successfully. And in the second half of this collection we meet humans who don't seem to know how to handle their pets without embarrassment and even those humans who try to be a bit too close to nature for their own good.