Word Stars
SHAKESPEARE WAS A WORD STAR - and so are you! After a snippet of Gregorian chant ('Veni Creator Spiritus' by Fideascende), host Lucy McIvor repeats a Shakespearean sonnet 3x, interspersed with the sound of a gong. Suitable for use as a word lullaby for babies... for adults and children in need of a bedtime ritual... for those looking to memorize or understand the sonnets... or for anyone requiring a gentle reset at any time of day. All 154 sonnets will ultimately be represented here in numerical order. Episodes are brief, focusing on the pure joy of the poetry - free of scholarly interpretation. A Note from Lucy: After creating the trailer and first episode, I had a life-changing audio masterclass, which showed me how I could achieve a much better sound quality. I've decided not to record any more episodes at present until I upgrade my audio equipment. Thank you for your interest in this project, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!
Episodes
Mar 23, 2026
Mar 23, 2026
6 min
Host Lucy McIvor spends three minutes introducing the concepts behind Word Stars, before reading what is arguably Shakespeare's most famous sonnet, 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day...' She repeats this sonnet three times before signing off. All forthcoming episodes will be free of commentary. Music credits: 'Veni Creator Spiritus' by Fideascende, courtesy of Pixabay. Lucy plays the gong, which has been improvised from a metallic water bottle.
Mar 26, 2026
Mar 26, 2026
4 min
Lucy McIvor reads Shakespeare's Sonnet 1, "From Fairest Creatures We Desire Increase..." Intended to provide a brief moment of respite in an otherwise hectic world, this is very much a learn-as-you-go podcast, with the host leading the way - learning comprehension, pronunciation and audio-production as she goes! International Shakespeare Day is on April 23rd, which will be the OFFICIAL launch of this podcast series...