JUNIOR CLASSICS

Benedict Flynn

Read by Sean Bean 1 Prologue – the reign of 1:58 2 The death of Uther Pendragon 2:34 3 A summons to the Great Council in London 6:54 4 The sword in the anvil 6:32 5 learns from 4:29 6 Magic and , the young daughter of King Leodegraunce 6:48 7 From a lake, the sword 7:01 8 Arthur, Guinevere and the 9:32 9 Merlin’s farewell, and a surprise arrival 5:15 10 A new knight – Sir 7:54 11 Sir and the 9:59 12 ‘And there was the Green Knight’… 3:00

2 13 The adventures of Sir Lancelot at Corbenic Castle 10:45 14 ‘ refused to be comforted’ 5:18 15 – black, black hair and cruel, pale eyes 2:58 16 The sword in the stone and the 8:23 17 The Holy Grail again 9:09 18 Lancelot and Guinevere 9:12 19 Guinevere is saved 4:38 20 Battle between Arthur and Lancelot 9:03 21 Mordred and Morgana le Fay plot 6:16 22 Face to face with Mordred 3:38 23 Excalibur returns to the 4:28 24 To … 2:33

Total time: 2:28:30

3 Benedict Flynn

There are still some places in Britain, hidden Merlin’s magic is needed. There are those away, that are beyond the reach of time. who would like to see Arthur never wake On certain days, at certain times of the year, again. His arch-enemy, the wicked Morgana they can be found. But you have to know le Fey, for one, who plotted so deviously where to look unless you come across them against Arthur, hoping to win his kingdom by chance, which can happen. for herself. At first there seems nothing remarkable And Merlin’s magic protects Arthur as he about them: the entrance might be a hollow sleeps because there is no sword at his hand. tree or a sea cave, perhaps a dark mountain His great shield leans against the cave wall, lake. But if you climbed inside the hollow but Excalibur, the most beautiful and the tree, or tried to find the end of the sea most famous sword in the world, which no cave, or stared into the cold mountain water man could stand against, is not there with too long, you might find more than you him. The Lady of the Lake has it safe in her expected to find. keeping, until the day comes when Arthur is Because in one such place beyond the called on to wield it once again. reach of time, deep in a hillside, sleeps Who knows, when Arthur wakes perhaps Arthur, King of England. He sleeps in shining he will call the best knights in the country armour on a bed of stone, waiting for the to sit at another Round Table with him as call to save his country in its hour of greatest he did before. And they will set out once need. With him there sits an old man, again, to rid the country of the troubles that Merlin the Wise, protecting Arthur with his plague it, and bring peace, making the hall enchantment, until that day comes. of a new Round Table ring with the stories

4 of the brave deeds they perform and their perilous adventures. Perhaps there will be a new Sir Lancelot, who the world knows was the greatest knight in the prowess of arms, except his son Sir , who sought and found the Holy Grail; or a knight as brave as Sir Gawain, whose courage was tested by the strange Green Knight – or as kind as who looked after Arthur as a boy. Maybe there will even be a woman as beautiful as Queen Guinevere to be a new queen for Arthur. But if you do discover a sleeping king dressed in shining armour, without a sword, and a withered man who looks like he might be a wizard, quietly go back the way you came, without disturbing their sleep. Now is not the time to wake them. But when the time comes, be ready: they may call on you.

Notes by Benedict Flynn

5 Sean Bean is known for his major roles in films such as Goldeneye, When Saturday Comes, Patriot Games and Anna Karenina, and for his TV roles in the Sharpe series, Lady Chatterley, Clarissa and A Woman’s Guide to Adultery. His theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet and Fair Maid of the West for the RSC.

Credits

Produced by Nicolas Soames Post-production and sound effects: Simon Weir, The Classical Recording Company Engineer (speech): Alan Smyth, Bucks Audio Cassettes

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. UNAUTHORISED PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, BROADCASTING AND COPYING OF THESE COMPACT DISCS PROHIBITED.

Cover picture: Henrietta Webb, 1997.

6 The music on this recording is taken from the NAXOS and MARCO POLO catalogues

DE BOEK SYMPHONY IN G 8.223740 Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra, Frédéric Devreese

SORENSEN THE ECHOING GARDEN 8.224039 The Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam

SIBELIUS FINLANDIA 8.550103 CSR Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava), Kenneth Schermerhorn

BUCK LANDSCAPES 8.224034 The Danish Chamber Players, Svend Aaquist

MARSCHNER OVERTURES 8.223342 Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice), Alfred Walter

RAFF SYMPHONY No. 3 8.223321 Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice), Urs Schneider

ELGAR ENIGMA VARIATIONS 8.550229 Czecho-Slovak RSO, Adrian Leaper

7 Other Junior Classics on Naxos AudioBooks

The Wind in the Willows Dragon Tales (Grahame, Nesbit) (Grahame) ISBN: 9789626342770 ISBN: 9789626349496 Read by Martin Jarvis Read by Bertie Carvel and Emma Gregory

Robin Hood Five Children and It (Flynn) ISBN: 9789626341926 (Nesbit) ISBN: 9789626343050 Read by John McAndrew Read by Anna Bentinck

8 Other Junior Classics on Naxos AudioBooks

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz The Marvelous Land of Oz (Baum) ISBN: 9789626342145 (Baum) ISBN: 9789626349502 Read by Liza Ross Read by Liza Ross

Little Women Peter Pan (Alcott) ISBN: 9789626341940 (Barrie) ISBN: 9789626341025 Read by Liza Ross Read by Samuel West

9 Other Junior Classics on Naxos AudioBooks

The Jungle Books Just So Stories (Kipling) ISBN: 9789626340356 (Kipling) ISBN: 9789626342503 Read by Madhav Sharma Read by Geoffrey Palmer

Kidnapped Treasure Island (Stevenson) ISBN: 9789626341179 (Stevenson) ISBN: 9789626341018 Read by John Sessions Read by Jasper Britton

10 For a complete catalogue and details of how to order other Naxos AudioBooks titles please contact:

In the UK: Naxos AudioBooks, Select Music & Video Distribution, 3 Wells Place, Redhill, Surrey RH1 3SL. Tel: 01737 645600.

In the USA: Naxos of America Inc., 1810 Columbia Ave., Suite 28, Franklin, TN37064. Tel: +1 615 771 9393

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order online at www.naxosaudiobooks.com

11 Other Junior Classics on Naxos AudioBooks

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Through the Looking-Glass (Carroll) ISBN: 9789626343845 and What Alice Found There Read by David Horovitch with Jo Wyatt (Carroll) ISBN: 9789626344200 and full cast Read by David Horovitch with Jo Wyatt and full cast

Sparky’s Magic Piano Classic Fairy Stories and Other Children’s Favourites (Various) ISBN: 9789626342220 (Various) ISBN: 9789626342794 Read by Bernard Cribbins Read by various artists www.naxosaudiobooks.com p 1997 Naxos AudioBooks Ltd. © 1997 Naxos Benedict Flynn AudioBooks Ltd. Made in the Germany.

Total time JUNIOR 2:28:30 CLASSICS CHILDRENS Read by Sean Bean FAVOURITES

These stories are about how, many years ago, Arthur, the once and future NA213812D King of England, set out to save his country from the troubles that plagued it, aided by the brave knights of his Round Table, and the most famous CD ISBN: sword in the world, Excalibur. How Merlin the Wizard fought against the 978-962-634-138-4 wicked Morgana le Fay’s enchantments, and how Arthur loved and lost the beautiful Guinevere, his Queen.

Sean Bean is known for his major roles in films such as Goldeneye, When Saturday Comes, Patriot Games and Anna Karenina, and for his TV roles in the Sharpe series, Lady Chatterley, Clarissa and A Woman’s Guide to Adultery. His theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet and Fair Maid of the West for the RSC.

View our catalogue online at www.naxosaudiobooks.com