Lost in Lullabies – Documentary – BBC Radio 4
Matt Edmonds is trying to sing his child to sleep. It’s not working.
From Rock-a-bye Baby to Brahms to AI… What happened to the lost art of the lullaby?
What is a lullaby? What gives it its magic? The tune? The words? The rhythm? The very act of delivery? In this programme, we join Matt Edmonds – writer, musician and father – as he falls down a rabbit hole searching for the perfect lullaby for his reluctant child.
During Lullaby Hour at a neonatal unit, Matt hears first-hand the impact live lullabies have on premature babies. He talks to Roxana Vilk – whose lullabies project gathers songs from all over the world – to see if she can help. And he meets his friends, musicians Johnny and Lillie Flynn, to hear what musical tricks they use to compose and sing lullabies.Returning to his wide-awake son, he realises there’s been missing something all along…
With special thanks to Mica Bernard, Irena Meza, Dr Aniko Deierl, Music in Hospitals & Care. Cuban, Japanese and Iranian Lullabies songs recorded and mixed by Roxana Vilk and Peter Vilk at Vilk Collective studios. © [2025] [Roxana Vilk]
Lost in Lullabies will be broadcast on Sunday 16th November 2025 at 7:15pm on BBC Radio 4
It was produced by Jenny Dare and Matt Edmonds
