Donald Macleod explores a rich and varied body of music gathered under a single name: Anonymous. Bringing together works whose creators were never recorded, later forgotten or deliberately obscured, the podcast traces how music can circulate and endure without a clear author. With contributions from Professor Lisa Colton and Professor Fay Hield, there is a focus on how anonymous works have been preserved, collected and sometimes reshaped over time, from medieval polyphony and early modern song to folk traditions passed down through generations. Along the way, questions emerge about authorship, ownership and how we listen to music when its origins are uncertain or shared.

Music featured includes:Romance Anonimo (arr. Yepes) from Jeux interditsHorn Concerto in E flat majorThree Medieval Dances: A que as cousas coitadas; Il Trotto; La Quarte Estampie RoyalShallow BrownDances from Le Concert Royal de la Nuit (1653)Three Modinhas from 18th Century PortugalNeapolitan Songs: Barcarola napoletana; La favola dell'uccello grifoneLa Messe de Tournai: Gloria; CredoThe Cruel MotherThe Bull RingVaughan Williams: English Folk Song SuiteThree Dances (arr. Praetorius)Attrib. Beethoven: Waltz in B flat major ‘Gertrude’s Dream Waltz’Attrib. L. Mozart: Cassation in G major ‘Toy Symphony’Mrs Philarmonica: Sonata Sesta in G majorAttrib. Mozart: Divertimento in E flat major, K.196eAttrib. Brahms: Piano Trio in A major, Op. post.El Cant de la SibillaThe Banks of the NileGreen GravelIn Te Domine speraviThree Medieval DancesSumer is icumen inAgincourt CarolO sponsa Dei electaThree Worcester FragmentsLovely on the WaterThe Bloody GardenerOld England Grown NewThree Cantigas de Santa María