Poets in Prison

Poets in Prison is Delia's name for her work for a series Poetry from Prison in which poems written by people in prison, many awaiting the death sentence, are set to music.

It was produced by Edward "Ted" Lucie-Smith who also translated some of the poems, and paid for by "Hedley" and performed in summer 1970 at the City of London Festival.

Papers

• DD101757a Poem text for Chidiock Tichborne's Elegy For Himself
• DD101757b Poem text for Nazim Hikmet's That's How It Goes
• DD101814 Poem text for Anne Boleyn
• DD101837 "part sung / part spoken"
• DD101850 Poem text for Anne Boleyn /2
• DD101901 "Poetry from Prison /73": "The onion is frozen / stubborn and poor..."
• DD101814 "Poetry from Prison /74": "The laughter in your eyes / is the light of the world..."
• DD101920 "Poetry from Prison /75"
• DD101929 "Poetry from Prison /76"
• DD101814 Poem text for "Edward II"
• DD101950 Letter from Ted to Delia dated 30th January "Herewith a batch of photostats to brood on"
• DD102100 "HOUSE OF THE MAN ATHIRST" "I am desert sand, /dearth of thirst..." "Miguel Herdandez / trans. E. Lucie-Smith"
• DD102148 Letter dated 21st July 1970 to Delia "herewith cheque for Poetry from Prison..."
• DD102201 Notes: "Library make-up tape / 1.Superflumen / 2.monks / 3.low vroom..."
• DD102357 General notes
• DD102422 Notes: "Timetable - ASK ELS - SOUND F/X"
• DD102435 Notes: "Tape treatment"
• DD102454 Notes: "Timetable - Lute Chittaronte(?)"
• DD102523 Notes: "WATERS OF BABYLON"
• DD102638 Notes: "TARTARS"
• DD102650 Notes: "RICHARD COEUR DE LION"
• DD102714 Poem text: "Richard Coeur de Lion"
• DD102723 Poem text: "Richard Coeur de Lion /2"
• DD102731 Notes: "EDWARD II"
• DD102650 Note sequences: "Eb C D B Eb C D B / On rot ten shore All fight storm tune pours(?)..."
• DD102801 "James I of Scotland": "When as I lay in bed alone waking..."
• DD102821 Letter dated 27 Feb. to Delia "How are things going?"
• DD102841 Notes for "LULLABY OF THE ONION"
• DD102857 Note sequence: E|G E-E D|E - E - ..."
• DD102935 Notes: "TUNE I "Lullaby" V.2" "In the cra-dle of hun-ger..."
• DD102945 Notes "T.I ? V4" "Bird in laugh out a-laysth in you(?)"
• DD103007 Notes "TI V11" "tomorrow they will be..."
• DD103030 Notes: "T II" "Mixture of laughing and flying - higher register"
• DD103043 Notes for "FRANCIS"
• DD103102 Notes for "EARL RIVERS" (blank)
• DD103115 Poem text "Anthony Widville, Earl Rivers": "Somewhat musing / And more mourning..."
• DD103125 Poem text "Earl Rivers /2"
• DD103136 Notes for "ANNE BOLEYN" / words - tune -- written - harmony" "Use hummed second lower line + git. asints. & before?"
• DD103149 Note sequences "G C D Eb" "O rock sleep ..."
• DD103208 Note sequences "G C D Eb" "Yet on sleep for gri-et(?)..."
• DD103230 Poem text: "Sir Thomas Seymour" "Forgetting God to love a king / Hath been my rod, or else nothing..."
• DD103240 Poem text "Elizabeth I" "Oh, fortune, thy wresting wavering state / Hath fraught with cares my troubled wit..."
• DD103252 Notes "TICHBOURNE" (blank)
• DD103312 Note sequences "Bb Ab Gb F" "S.F. router but first..."(?)
• DD103342 Note sequences "Bb G F G Bb C" "The day is past & you saw no sun..."
• DD103405 Note sequences "Bb F ... D C" "My per I but for of" (?)
• DD103418 Note sequences for "Tichborne": "C A G ... A C
• DD103441 Poem text for "Mary Queen of Scots" "Alas! what am I! and in what estate?" (****)
• DD103457 Notes "MARY Q. OF SCOTS"
• DD103516 Note sequences: "(G D) A G / G E D / G A G" "Ca Je su lib ra in te met OR can Je news va bet"(?)
• DD103529 Poem text "Mary, Queen of Scots" "O Domine Deus! Speravi in Te, / O care mi Iesu! nunc libera me..."
• DD103607 Notes: "WAR" "DD Tape acc.t"
• DD103625 Notes: "WAR II" "Same notes for each verse"
• DD103642 Notes: "WAR I" "chords are bass 8ths +8ves..."
• DD103720 Notes: "sung & played" + list of pieces
• DD103733 Note sequences: "C G A A F G" "Ev. time ch tae in th..."(?)
• DD103841 Manuscript "Intro"
• DD103908 Manuscript "Intro: The sky above the roof top is blue..."
• DD103921 Notes: "Do: Treat Hedley" Quomodo..." / "I caught myself in my instrumental strings"
• DD103934 Letter dated Friday 26th June to Delia "Herewith a full script of the programme..."
• DD103951 Notes: "VCS3 for high phrases" "Fish p.47" etc.
• DD104011 Table headed "Poem - Tape 1 - Tape 2"
• DD104036 Table headed "T1 - T2" "1a Wind for Superflumen"
• DD104046 "Id[?] keep still / wind etc down to final level" "Start 237"
• DD104100 Poem text "WAR" "Old age in the villages, / heart without a master..."
• DD104112 Letter dated 24th July 1970 from Hedley to Delia: "Thank you for your recent letter - I have enclosed your cheque"
• DD104153 Handwritten poem text: "Even such is time which takes in trust / Our youth, and joys and all we have..."
• DD104226 "Fx M/U": Table headed "POEM - TAPE1 - TAPE 2 - TAPE 3 - NOTES"
• DD104304 VCS3 dope sheet "POETRY FROM PRISONS" effects "FISHES 1" "FISHES 2" "WHALES"
• DD104341 Manuscript "Old age in the villages, Heart without a master..."

Availability

• On Attic Tapes:
  • DD019 "Prisons 1"
  • DD020 "Prisons 2"
  • DD021 "Prisons safety copy"