Posts Tagged ‘Speeches’

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Firth Class King’s Speech

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
Colin Firth in the King's Speech

Colin Firth stars as the Duke of York, later King George VI in the film, The King's Speech.

Film previews of the King’s Speech reveal the extraordinary relationship between the future King George VI and his voice coach.

The film dramatizes the events leading up to the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 and the accession to the throne of George VI seen through the prism of George’s public speaking problems…a speech impediment, stutter and a shy, retiring nature.

His first public speech is a disaster and his wife, the Duchess of York, takes charge of the problem. After a string of unsuccessful coaches, the film tells how an out of work Australian actor, a voice coach, is eventually hired to get the Royal Duke (Bertie) ready for a speech…and then prepare him for all his future public speaking roles; no small amount of work with the looming war in Europe and the eventual abdication of Edward VIII.

It looks a fascinating film with starring performances from Colin Firth as George VI, Geoffrey Rush as the speech coach and Helena Bonham-Carter as Queen Elizabeth supported by Michael Gambon as George V and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill.

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Prince Charles Speech Signals Green For Whistle Stop Tour

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Prince Charles's speech

Prince Charles starts his whistle stop tour of the United Kingdom

The heir to the throne, Prince Charles, has started a Green campaigning whistle stop tour of the United Kingdom with a speech in Glasgow. The tour, known as Start, aims to promote a green way of living for the UK. Recognising that people are more likely to start doing some good than being hectored to stop something, the Start campaign aims to show people just what they can do.

Prince Charles will be accompanied by a party of 14 people on the 8-carriage Royal Train as it makes its way from Glasgow to Wales, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and then London.

It’s an ostentatious way to travel–costing the taxpayer some £50,000–but both his Start spokesman and good friend Tony Juniper were keen to point out that the Royal Train operates on recycled cooking oil, bio-diesel! Don’t get down wind of this Royal Train.

Whistle stop tours used to be a favoured way for political campaigns to be organised in both Britain and the USA. So, it’s a return to old-fashioned campaigning, old-fashioned transport and old-fashioned values. And that’s, perhaps, a key part of the Start programme. The tour is supported by many of the great and the good, knights of the realm such as Stuart Rose and many of Britain’s leading businesses, who no doubt sense some advantage.

The last whistle stop is London where the Start initiative combines with the IBM Summit at Start, a nine-day conference beginning on Wednesday 8th September. Prince Charles will give a speech at this conference on his return to London.

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Lincoln Memorial Speech. Coincidence or Planned?

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Martin Luther King

The Lincoln Memorial, August 28th 1963 or 2010

There’s a time and a place for everything. Saturday 28th August was the time and the Lincoln Memorial was the place. Are we discussing Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech?

No. Saturday 28th August 2010 was the date for speeches by Republican would-be Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and the broadcaster Glenn Beck.

The speeches by Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck’s from the Lincoln Memorial attracted a characteristic outcry beforehand. It does seem that whenever Sarah Palin is on the speaking podium she inspires criticism.

In the event her speech, and that of her fellow speaker, Glenn Beck who organised the restoring honor event were not the stuff of legend. Estimates for the size of the crowd ranged from 87,000 to 500,000. A big spread!

The time and place mean something for a lot of Americans. I can’t imagine that this event will upset the significance of the time and place in the annals of speech making, either.

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Brief Castro Speech A New Personal Best

Friday, August 13th, 2010
Fidel Castro Speech

A short speech from Fidel Castro

After some four years of conspicuous absence from the speaking podium, Fidel Castro gave a speech last Saturday. It’s been four years since his mystery intestinal illness forced Cuba’s leader to give up power to his younger brother Raul.

So this speech was a surprise to the assembled lawmakers in Cuba’s Parliament in Havana.

Castro’s speech was something of a personal best. At less than 11 minutes the speech is undoubtedly his shortest in his 49 years of power in Cuba. Perhaps he really is following his own words:

“I have reached the conclusion, a bit late perhaps, that speeches should be short.”

Perhaps he no longer has the endurance required for speeches lasting several hours. Those speeches certainly stretched the endurance and stamina of his audiences.

Notably his audience in the parliament building included his brother Raul, the new Leader. Could it be that the short speech was another sign of the shift of power? Either way, brief speeches are typically best.

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Public Speaking History Lives On At The Wynnstay Arms Hotel

Friday, August 6th, 2010
The Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Wrexham

Prime Ministers Gladstone and Lloyd George gave speeches from this balcony

Balconies rarely take centre stage; perhaps the balcony in Romeo & Juliet is an exception and undoubtedly there are others in literature. But as a public speaking venue outside the great cities of London, Cardiff and Edinburgh it’s hard to find a single private site more steeped in history than the balcony at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Wrexham.

It was the scene of a speech by William Gladstone to the people of Wrexham, North Wales and in 1918 it was the site selected by Prime Minister David Lloyd George to announce the end of the World War.

It’s true that the site has seen some extensive architectural damage in the intervening years. Damage that was largely overseen by zealous council officers in the name of modernisation! But the facade of the old coaching house, dating back to 1702, remains intact. And the balcony is still there, preserved in this Grade Two listed building.

No doubt the facade or the balcony was witness to more historical events, but hearing speeches from two Prime Ministers has to be a good public speaking record.

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