When Dr. Haynes is appointed Archdeacon of Barchester, his zeal and enthusiasm is in marked contrast with his elderly predecessor. But he has something on his conscience, and the grotesque carved figures in the choir stalls appear to seek retribution for his sins...
A new, original recording of a classic public domain text, read and performed by Simon Stanhope for Bitesized Audio.
If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, you may like to consider supporting me on Patreon:
/ bitesizedaudio
Or for occasional one-off contributions, you can Buy Me a Coffee here: www.buymeacoff...
Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936) was a medievalist and scholar, and is probably the best known and most celebrated English ghost story writer of the 20th century, although he actually began composing supernatural tales in the late Victorian era, beginning with 'Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book' (1894). He was born in Kent, but spent most of his childhood in Suffolk, a county which features prominently in many of his stories, including perhaps his most famous 'Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad'. Several of James's protagonists also reflect his own antiquarian interests, with academics and historians featuring regularly. During a long academic career which encompassed several positions at King's College, Cambridge, and Eton College, M. R. James developed a tradition of reading ghost stories aloud to a group of friends, most famously on Christmas eve, and the majority of his stories were first heard in that setting.
'The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral' first appeared in issue number 35 of the Contemporary Review in 1910, and was subsequently republished in 'More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary', James's second collection of short stories, in 1911. The story was selected by Lawrence Gordon Clark to be the first instalment of the BBC's 'A Ghost Story for Christmas', broadcast on 24 December 1971.
Recording © Bitesized Audio 2020.
29 авг 2024
