About this episode
This episode explores the role of music in the lives of codebreakers at Bletchley Park during WWII.
May 2026 Against the backdrop of war and secrecy, the Codebreakers of Bletchley Park were often able to enjoy comfort in music. From choirs to orchestras, gramophone evenings to opera, music appears again and again as a recurring motif in the social lives of those working at the Government Code & Cypher School. This episode delves into several different aspects of a topic that we are often asked about, but which frequently gets overshadowed by the showier activities of the BP Drama Group. Head of Content Erica Munro and Head of Audiences and Programmes Vicki Pipe will discuss some very special musical material from Bletchley Park Trust's archive. Hear from researcher and musician Crispin Lewis about his famous BP relative, composer Herbert Murrill. We are also joined by Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham to explore links between music and codebreaking. Many thanks to Crispin Lewis for allowing us reproduce his performance of Herbert Murrill's 1942 piece 'In Youth Is Pleasure'. www.crispinlewis.com See copies of the documents we discuss in this episode here: https://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/our-story/e191-music-at-bletchley-park/ Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2026 #BPark…
People in this episode
Hosts: Erica Munro, Vicki Pipe
Guests: Crispin Lewis, Dr Thomas Cheetham
Topics covered
- music
- Bletchley Park
- codebreaking
- choirs
- orchestras
- social lives during war
Keywords
- Bletchley Park
- music
- codebreaking
- choirs
- orchestras
- Herbert Murrill
- Crispin Lewis
- Dr Thomas Cheetham
- social history
- WWII
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Bletchley Park Trust
Books & works: In Youth Is Pleasure
Places: Bletchley Park
More episodes of Bletchley Park
- E190 - Focus On: Josh Cooper · April 24, 2026 · 54 min
- E189 - Dilly and his Girls · March 27, 2026 · 59 min
- E188 - Focus On: Emily Anderson · February 27, 2026 · 1h 3m
- E187 - Codebooks, Diplomats and Diamonds · January 23, 2026 · 54 min
- E186 - Top Secret Misinformation - Part 5 · December 19, 2025 · 52 min
- E185 - Reaping the Whirlwind · November 21, 2025 · 60 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Bletchley Park podcast page.