The Grateful and the Dead - ACE260.5

San Francisco buildings; opening of a radio broadcast. Gary Lambert of KPFA, talking to Lesh about that evening’s composer, James Dillon. City traffic on the Golden Gate bridge; Lesh broadcasts over. Night-time city traffic; music and Lesh’s voice over. Lesh in the studio talking about how the Grateful Dead, and perhaps all rock and rollers, are outsiders. Lambert asks Lesh about the music of Havergal Brian, whose work was the genesis of the programme. Lesh talks about his reaction to hearing Brian’s Gothic Symphony (completed 1927). San Francisco skyline; music heard over. Amateur video image of Ondrej Lenárd conducting the recording of the work in Bratislava in 1989. Lesh VO explains that the Rex Foundation sent money to the Havergal Brian Society for Brian’s work to be recorded and the rest followed. Film of Brian in 1970, aged 94, talking about his work, and listening to a recording of his music. Music continues, with VO, describing Brian’s early life, over images of Staffordshire and the Potteries. Music continues over shots of mining machinery; Brian. Music continues over shot of Golden Gate Bridge.