Sting first found fame with the band The Police and then went on to forge a highly successful solo career. He is one of today’s most thoughtful and literate songwriters, adopting an eclectic array of styles, while remaining a best-selling artist world-wide. Filmed at his magnificent English country manor, Sting is seen recording his hit album Mercury Falling. An elusive star who has preserved his essential privacy against all odds, he talks in interview about his life and his music.
The French Chanson
Charles Aznavour, Juliette Gréco, Petula Clark and Mireille are among the singers who take part in an exploration of the French chanson, looking at its history, its distinctive character, its stars, its enduring popularity and its unique role in French culture. Material drawn from sound and film archives featuring many of the great chansonniers is included, and the final vital ingredient in the programme is Paris, home of the chanson, captured in a melancholy, wintry mood.
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige played Grizabella in the première staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats and shot to stardom overnight when she created the title role in his hugely successful Evita. This music special focuses on Paige’s portrayals of Eva Peron (Evita), Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard) and Edith Piaf (Piaf). The cameras follow her to Buenos Aires, Hollywood and Paris to investigate the lives of these charismatic, but very different, women, whose stories are juxtaposed with her own. A wealth of rehearsal and performance footage is included in the programme.
k. d. lang
Shot on location in Vancouver and Los Angeles, this intimate portrait charts k. d. lang’s journey from her childhood in Canada to superstardom. The vocalist gave the cameras unprecedented access to film her as she worked on her album All You Can Eat and she is seen with her long-time collaborator Ben Mink, laying down the type of multi-octave, soaring vocals that have earned her the reputation of being one of the most outstanding popular singers of her generation.