Dr Nathan James Dearden, Associate Professor in Music Composition at the Department of Music, made a special trip to the Hay Festival this May to appear as a guest panellist on BBC Radio 4's The Verb, the station's acclaimed "cabaret of the word" hosted by Ian McMillan.
Nicola Davies, Joanna Kavenna, Ian McMillan, Nathan James Dearden, clare e. potter (Left to right)
Recorded live in front of an audience at the festival, Nathan joined an outstanding panel including Children's Laureate for Wales Nicola Davies, novelist Joanna Kavenna, and poet clare e. potter. Together, the group explored the alchemy between poetry, music, and storytelling – a conversation at the heart of a programme dedicated to the best in poetry, new writing, and performance.
During the episode, Nathan spoke about what makes Waldo Williams a Welsh hero, reflecting on the poet's enduring significance ahead of this year's National Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire. Williams' work is the focus of the Medal y Cyfansoddwr (The Composer's Medal) for 2026, a competition for which Nathan is serving as Lead Mentor, guiding the composer finalists as they write new works for choir.
Nathan also discussed what working with other art forms can do for a creative practice, and shared insights into the process of working with poets as a composer, including what makes a poem singable, and the magic that happens when music deepens existing meaning.
Listen now
The episode is available on BBC Sounds from 31 May 2026. Listen on BBC Sounds: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002x427
