Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Presenter0:01

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts. Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne and this is the Desert Island Discs Podcast. Every week I ask my guests to choose the eight tracks, book and luxury they'd want to take with them if they were cast away to a desert island. And for rights reasons, the music is shorter than the original broadcast. I hope you enjoy listening.

Presenter0:45

My castaway this week is the cellist Sheiku Kane Mason. At 24, he's one of classical music's brightest stars, with a C V many musicians twice his age would kill for. His appearance at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 catapulted him to international recognition, with an estimated global television audience of 2 billion. Since then, he's performed everywhere from Downing Street to the Hollywood Bowl and was a soloist at the last night of the proms last year. He's the first cellist to hit the top 10 in the British album chart and had an MBA for outstanding achievement by the time he was 21.

Presenter1:21

He began playing the cello when he was six. By nine, he had completed all of his music grades, receiving the highest marks in the country. And at 17, he won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. He still remembers the first time he picked up the instrument that would change his life. He says, I loved the feeling of almost hugging an instrument and feeling its vibrations, looking down at the fingerboard and seeing all the possibilities. Sheikhu Kane Mason, welcome to Desert Island Discs.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason1:50

Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.

Presenter1:52

Well, absolutely thrilled that you're here, Sheiku. So, how would you describe your relationship with your cello today? I mean, I was surprised that your cello was with you.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason1:59

It's not with me literally all the time, but a lot of the time. I have a rehearsal after this. That's why I brought it.

Presenter2:00

It's just not

Presenter2:07

It did feel right that you walked through the door carrying it though, I've got to be honest.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason2:11

It's nice to have have it with me, it feels comforting. And I s I spend a lot of time playing the cello and carrying the cello and being with it and it's yeah, in a way it has taken me to so many places and to do so many things with that instrument, so I'm grateful for the cello it's itself.

Presenter2:24

Yeah.

Presenter2:26

You've described performing as a wonderful but draining sharing process. What did you mean by that exactly?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason2:26

And for

Sheku Kanneh-Mason2:31

Oh, yeah, I mean, not draining in a negative sense. I don't think I could ever get tired of it, but it requires so much energy and concentration and it's very, very demanding in that sense. The responsibility of trying to present this music as truly and vividly and honestly as possible is um

Presenter2:39

Mm.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason2:50

Yeah, one that therefore takes a lot of focus. But it's really wonderful, and I like the idea of a live performance because you are there with this piece that's written, I don't know, a few hundred years ago, but it's been presented in this moment to this group of people with this orchestra, this chamber group, in this hall at this time. I love the centering energy of that, and it feels like that's really such a special thing.

Presenter3:13

For someone for whom music has been such a central part of their lives, how on earth did you go about choosing your discs for this program?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason3:21

I think it's a combination of things that bring about very, very strong memories. Some things that I find really

Sheku Kanneh-Mason3:28

Yeah, give me a feeling of excitement or um exploring something or something that's like I look at with wonder and I I think keeping those things with me as well, this sense of exploring and and and looking upwards and around and inwards.

Presenter3:43

Well, a sense of exploration and wonder is a great place to start, so let's go. Tell us about your first disc. What have you chosen and why?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason3:51

Jacqueline Dupre's recording of Elgar's cello concerto, I was yeah so inspired by what I've I heard and um saw of her. There's a wonderful video of her playing the Elgar Concerto and I used to watch that a lot growing up and just try and figure out what was going on. But I think it's a piece that is so fragile at times and so constantly changing and constantly expressing I guess um and the intention behind

Sheku Kanneh-Mason4:18

how she plays with this level of of intensity and honesty.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason4:22

has had a massive impact on me.

Presenter5:25

Part of the first movement from Elgar's Cello Concerto performed by Jacqueline Dupre with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbaroli. Sheikhu Kane Mason, you were born in 1999. Your dad, Stuart, is a senior executive for a luxury travel company, and your mum Caddy is a former university lecturer. You grew up in Nottingham, you're the third of seven children, and all of you play musical instruments to an exceptionally high standard. If I was to pay a visit to the family home when you were a kid, what would I have seen and heard?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason5:56

A lot of practicing all the time. Well, in the evenings, once we came back from school, we'd all practice often at the same time, so it would be quite a cacophony of noise, sometimes nice-sounding music. But I think practice is a lot of repeating the same thing, so it wouldn't be so pleasant to be listening to necessarily. But I found growing up in that environment where you're surrounded by everyone else practicing, it meant that practice was less of a lonely thing because everyone else was doing it around me. And so though I was in the room on my own working things out by myself, it felt like a thing that was quite collective. And then

Speaker 26:22

Because every

Sheku Kanneh-Mason6:31

Outside of that when we were interacting as siblings, it was chaos in terms of conversations and shouting over each other. And it works because that's how we've done it.

Presenter6:42

Was there a sense of competition between the seven of you, you know, all all interested in music, all motivated to do well and achieve?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason6:49

I think within um music there was never the sense of

Sheku Kanneh-Mason6:53

competition. I think in almost everything

Sheku Kanneh-Mason6:56

else, like how tall we were going to grow or who's going to win this game of that or who's going to finish the food first so you can get the first second helpings or who's going to have the biggest piece of chicken. All those kinds of things. There was always constant competition.

Presenter7:10

But not music.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason7:10

But not music. But not with not with not with music, no. I think we inspired each other and helped each other and learnt together in lots of ways.

Presenter7:20

And day to day your mum was was looking after you guys the most because your dad worked quite long hours and and was away early morning until evening. So she was flying solo with all your kids. She must have been very organized and quite disciplined to to manage all of you.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason7:36

Yeah, quite amazing. I think both my parents, to be very honest, are certainly some of the hardest working people I've ever met and to have been around that from a young age. I think that's why my although our motivation for practice fluctuates a little bit, I think this sense of practice and work being important was shown to us all by my parents constantly because they were always working as hard as possible and had this genuine love and commitment to all of us.

Presenter8:07

So you were taught that by example. Did it ever bring a bit of pressure though? I mean it can be a lot, the expectation, especially when you're doing well because, you know, as you've heard, you you spun through all those grades in three years I think from picking up a cello to you know finishing your grade eight with the highest marks in the country. That's a lot of expectation must have been whipped up around you.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason8:26

Yeah

Sheku Kanneh-Mason8:27

Yeah, I think expectation is not necessarily a bad or good thing. I think it can be a very, very, very good thing. I think pressure maybe is a is a different thing. And I didn't feel the sense of pressure because I always felt very supported in everything that I did. And if I was struggling with something, the chance to ask for help was always was always there.

Presenter8:39

Mm.

Presenter8:46

All right, well I think on that note we'd better have some more music. Your second disc, if you would, Shaker, what's it gonna be?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason8:52

Rivers of Babylon by the Melodians. We used to have this CD that my dad had like written in like pen on it, like old Jamaica songs or something like that, I think. And all of the tracks were listed as just like Track 01, Track 02, Track 03, Track 04. And this was, I can't remember where, like, Track 03, but we knew the name of this song. Some of the songs we didn't know the names of necessarily. And the sense of play with a lot of that music was also such a big part of how we listened and how we talked about it. Being open and listening. We do a lot of listening to music and dancing as a family or listening in the car or things like that. And that's how I just came to know a lot of the music that I grew up with.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason9:37

Where he sat down.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason9:42

And very win.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason9:46

Many remembers say.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason9:51

But the weekend carried us away down.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason10:01

Okay.

Presenter10:03

The Melodians and Rivers of Babylon. So, Sheikh Ukanemason, you started learning piano when you were five, following in the footsteps of your big sister Isata, and then took up the violin. Now those instruments didn't take. Why not?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason10:19

Yeah, I think well I was I was having lessons with my mum at the very beginning of of of learning the the violin and and and I I think I wasn't so so in it and so those those lessons I think were difficult for for both of us but particularly for my mum.

Presenter10:32

So when did you realize that that the cello was what you wanted to do? It was seeing someone else play.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason10:37

Yeah, I think I I have um a memory of seeing a youth orchestra, a Nottingham Youth Orchestra, when I was about six years old. Seeing the cello section really, really appealed. And then I asked my parents if it was possible to learn the cello.

Presenter10:50

And what was it of the about the instrument that you were excited by?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason10:54

I think at that age I'm not sure. I think playing the violin probably seeing something that had a richer range of sounds and being able to sit down and embrace the cello seems much more more natural and enjoyable.

Presenter11:09

You had a lot of support at primary school, I know, in learning music and secondary school too. What did both schools do to nurture and support your talent?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason11:18

Both my primary school and secondary school had like concerts at the end of term where people would play and I remember in my primary school everyone from year four upwards would learn either trumpet, trombone or clarinet. There were lots of bands and music nights. We'd walk into assembly every morning and the headteacher would be playing on the C D player or whatever it was, Jeho Mars Bach Suites for example and Vorjak New World Symphony. I remember hearing that a lot.

Presenter11:45

I know that now you're a big advocate for music education. You visit schools, perform to kids. What do you get out of those visits?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason11:53

I love those visits. I was just in the US and went to a school in Philadelphia where they have just started a programme of everyone learning a string instrument and it was incredibly moving to see a room full of children learning an instrument for the first time and sort of developing their relationship and talking to them about it and then playing to them and seeing from their questions and from their actions what they were listening to and responding to. And what I love about it is, yeah, the feeling of confidence and having each child having something that they can do themselves and work out and explore and listen and have this feeling of endless creativity and exploration, but also the discipline and the focus that is required to learn an instrument, I think, is incredibly important and centering and humbling.

Presenter12:39

Budgets are being cut and music education doesn't necessarily feel like a priority today. How do you feel about that?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason12:46

Um I'm devastated. It's really a massive disservice to yeah, our children in this country if we're not giving them um access to quality music education. You therefore create a massive divide of people who have access to this and who don't and and that's I think very very very unfair and and that's why I think it's such a shame.

Presenter12:51

Yeah.

Speaker 212:52

Uh

Presenter13:06

And you've expressed your gratitude to the school that supported you when you were a kid. You know you've put on concerts. Do you know what they get to do with the money that you've raised?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason13:14

For a while I s I funded some cello lessons for students there for a few years and various things I've yeah I've been back to perform and and and to talk to the children hopefully as an inspiration and I know in the music department there there's lots of stuff about myself and my family. It's a bit odd going back to the school and having that there to be to be honest but it's also it's also like

Presenter13:35

Like a genan south of the corner.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason13:36

Yeah.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason13:39

A little bit like that, but no, it's really wonderful, and I'm so grateful to how supportive they were of me and my family.

Presenter13:46

Alright Shaker, we've been talking about music enough. Let's hear some more. Disc number three, what have you got for us today?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason13:51

A song called That by Pluto Sheffington. Again, one I've listened to a lot. As a child, my dad has the record, and so he'd play that often. For a while, I think either the record player was broken or the record was scratched, and it used to. Do you know, it does the thing where it keeps repeating the same few seconds many, many, many times. So now when I listen to that song, I always almost expect a few other bits. But yeah, it's a great song.

Presenter14:05

Oh, yeah.

Presenter14:09

Always expect

Sheku Kanneh-Mason14:13

So a foul market, I sight the butcher boy by rigging.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason14:19

You are good. No, I might a kill I queen I no check in no grass me green What you know is time the a change got children What I know you know sight be rich Push him out by me bread ring here Sell I a pound at that thing dear

Presenter14:37

Oh shit!

Presenter14:43

Pluto Shervington and Dat. Sheiku Kane Mason, when you were eight, you won a scholarship to join the primary academy of the Royal Academy of Music in London and had lessons there every Saturday. Now classical music is an extremely expensive pursuit and your mum has said that every penny she had went on music lessons, travel, instruments, she never bought new clothes, wouldn't put the heating on during the day, never changed the car. Were you aware of the sacrifices that your parents were making, not just for you but for all of your siblings?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason15:12

a lot of the amount of effort and sacrifice I don't think I was necessarily aware of. But now, yeah, I think the level of commitment and love that my parents showed to us, I think, is remarkable.

Presenter15:25

As much as your your parents were compassionate and supportive, they were quite strict about certain things, I think. They restricted your access to T V as a kid and to the family computer as well. Did you ever resent that, try to get round it?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason15:31

The results

Sheku Kanneh-Mason15:39

Certainly tried to get around it for sh a lot actually yeah yeah with the with the laptop we it was only allowed to be used for homework and when it was my mum would have to come in and or my dad would type the password for the laptop and we weren't allowed to see what the password was and then we'd come back in the room and when my dad would do it he would type really really quickly so he didn't actually mind we could be in the room we wouldn't still wouldn't be able to work it and work it out but my mum types incredibly slowly with like one finger and so we set up a small camera above the above the laptop and asked my mum to do the password and so she came in did the password and then of course and then we watched the video back and we could

Speaker 215:54

Time

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:14

Yeah, decipher very easily what it was. And so then for a while we had access to the laptop and secret. Things like that.

Presenter16:16

And for

Presenter16:21

Did did your parents ever find out about that?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:21

Compared to

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:23

Um

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:24

I think, yeah, I think like that that that laptop story, for example, I think we told them many, many years later when when when that didn't I think that some things changed most I think some things some things we did get caught, but

Presenter16:31

I think that's something. Yeah.

Speaker 216:33

Yeah.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:36

It was clear that my mum was always trying her best and always showing love. So to then disobey that felt.

Presenter16:42

Oh.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:42

Fuck real.

Presenter16:42

Yeah.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:43

My leg highs, my dad was terrifying, I think, sometimes. I mean, all in a, you know.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason16:48

coming from a place of love and and and making sure that we understood why that wasn't allowed.

Presenter16:55

It's time for your next piece of music, Shaker. We've got to make room for disc number four. What's it going to be?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason17:00

This is Haydn's string quartet in C major, a performance from the London Haydn Quartet.

Presenter17:06

And why have you chosen it?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason17:08

I think the Haydn string quartets and chamber music in general played a massive and does play a massive part of my life. I love the feeling of being in a group with three, four, five, or whatever voices talking very intimately. This piece, it's either a shock in terms of how much it arrests you, or it's this feeling of awe of how can something be so magical and so precious. Also the feeling of music that I think is like

Speaker 217:25

Cool.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason17:35

out of this world in the sense of like going beyond like I don't know the imagination of what I feel that I can like feel and touch and see. It goes like beyond that.

Speaker 217:43

Yeah.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason18:08

Uh

Presenter18:44

Part of the second movement of Haydn's string quartet in C major, opus twenty, number two, performed by the London Haydn Quartet.

Presenter18:53

Sheikh Ukane Mason, you and your brother and sisters got a lot of positive attention growing up, but you've also talked about experiencing racial prejudice. What form did it take and how did you deal with it?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason19:04

Very often in the in the spaces I was in within classical music, myself and my family were very often the only um black people in those places and that's um you know most of the time was fine in the sense of you know I felt comfortable and and all all good. But yeah, there are certainly um occasions where my being black was meant that I wasn't necessarily taken seriously in some situations.

Speaker 219:18

Felt comfortable.

Presenter19:26

So in whatever way.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason19:27

And also outside of of course, outside of music, but that's that's that's normal.

Presenter19:31

So in terms of those situations where you said you weren't like taken seriously, what, not listened to, not kind of included?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason19:36

Yeah, including it's it's it's as much as the the looks from some some people when you walk on um okay, so the subtler things I think it's o it's most often the the the the subtler things, but yeah, sometimes also also also much more much more obvious, but yeah.

Presenter19:43

Okay, so this the subtler thing.

Presenter19:47

Yeah.

Presenter19:51

Obvious, but yeah.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason19:56

Not from musicians that I was with or or or teachers generally, yeah, from from from from from audiences and things like that.

Presenter19:58

But I was

Presenter20:01

And what was your framework for understanding that? Because especially when it's it's subtext rather than something that somebody's actually saying, it's a really big thing to get your head around. Did who did you talk to about it and who helped you understand it?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason20:08

That's somebody's

Sheku Kanneh-Mason20:14

Uh my parents a lot, um, for sure. What gave me

Presenter20:16

Mm-hmm.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason20:18

The strength in those situations is we we would spend a lot of time and with children watching documentaries of like real like black heroes succeeding and and and and and

Speaker 220:25

Oops.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason20:28

being challenged and overcoming those people like Muhammad Ali, I think they, yeah, were certainly a source of like inspiration and understanding of those situations.

Presenter20:37

And unfortunately, it is still something that you have to deal with. Someone recently posted a racist message on social media after a proms performance given by your sister Isata. The family saw it. How did that affect you? And how do you deal with those comments today?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason20:53

The isolated incidents in in the moment are uh offensive and uh uh aff affect you, but

Sheku Kanneh-Mason21:00

that's um something that one can can deal with. But I think the long term

Sheku Kanneh-Mason21:04

The long term effects I think can be something that you're less um aware of and more difficult to deal with how you view yourself and you how how how you are you are valued and your confidence and how you feel that you fit into the into the world. I think that's where for me uh at least and and a lot of people I think is where are you at with

Presenter21:10

Okay.

Speaker 221:10

Yeah.

Presenter21:20

And how where are you at with that? How do you what's your perspective on that?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason21:24

It's um yeah, something that I have to think about and examine very often. I I live in a house with my brother and a friend who's a um mixed race classical guitarist um from Brazil. And the three of us we talk about um this a lot and I'm grateful for the conversations that we have because yeah, you need the support of people like like that because it's it's hard to navigate yourself I think.

Presenter21:49

It's time for your next track, Shaku. What are you going to take with you to the island next?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason21:54

There's a song by Barmaly called Chances Are. Certainly one of my favourite songs and one that I listen to quite frequently. I find it is very accepting and hopeful.

Speaker 222:10

Perfect now.

Speaker 222:15

The my days are made.

Speaker 222:20

I'm feeling with sorrow.

Speaker 222:25

I see it.

Speaker 222:30

All bright tomorrow chances

Presenter22:36

Bob Marley and chances are, Sheiku Kanemason, in twenty sixteen you won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. This was your third go. It's held every other year, so that's quite a long held dream for one who is so young. What did it mean to you to finally win it?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason22:51

Yeah, it was a wonderful experience and opportunity to particularly in the final, for example, to perform for a big audience on television with a professional orchestra and the experience of playing a concerto. Yeah, wonderful feeling.

Presenter23:00

Mm.

Presenter23:04

There was a lot of commentary in the media after you won because you were the first black musician to win the competition. What did that first mean to you?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason23:12

Yeah, I was very proud of that achievement. And I think what it means to me is is hopefully to inspire other young black children to see the cello and castle music as something that they can go on to do by seeing me. Yeah, that would be wonderful.

Presenter23:27

And there was a lot of celebration at home in Nottingham. I know the council were absolutely delighted to see you win and actually did something to commemorate the victory. That was quite extraordinary. Yeah, was it?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason23:37

Yeah, they they named a bus, um, like a public bus after after me and so I had like a picture of me on the back and then on the front like my name. I think it was it was the bus route that I would take to school. Um so that was like a little bit embarrassing to like

Presenter23:49

So you had to get on your own bus?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason23:50

You had to get on your own bus.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason23:53

Carol

Presenter23:53

So it's a charming picture of your face on the back of the bar.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason23:56

Yeah, and it wasn't like every so it was like the bus routes, so it would be like every every like seven or eight buses, it would be me. No, so you have the anxiety of not knowing around the corner and you'd

Presenter24:01

No, so you have the anxiety of not knowing if

Presenter24:04

Oh.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason24:05

But no, it's a it's a massive it's it's it's it's a massive honour, of course.

Presenter24:08

I mean, you know, we're we're joking, but there is a lot of responsibility that comes alongside that level of success. Is that ever uncomfortable or heavy to carry for you?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason24:19

No, because I I I love music and do genuinely care about it. And so I'm glad of the less responsibility but opportunity to be able to share that with people. I think that's something that I really, really enjoy.

Presenter24:29

Yeah.

Presenter24:33

Speaking of which, it's time for your next disc. Number six, what are we going to hear and why are you taking it to the island?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason24:39

I'm taking Mozart's Requiem. It's one of those

Sheku Kanneh-Mason24:43

pieces that I find incredibly stirring and also very, very comforting.

Presenter25:51

The opening of Mozart's Requiem in D minor, performed by the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists, conducted by John Elliott Gardner.

Presenter26:00

Sheikhu Kane Mason, you played the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Windsor Castle, twenty eighteen. What do you remember about actually playing at the ceremony? I think they were signing the register and you did was it three pieces you played?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason26:10

Yeah, three pieces. I think at the time of performing I was very much

Sheku Kanneh-Mason26:15

I don't know. It felt like very much just playing to the people in the room. Of course, maybe somewhere I was aware of the fact that it's broadcast around the world and that's the best way to do it.

Presenter26:21

To billions. But then also the people in the room, to be fair, Sheikh, I mean, we're talking David Beckham. We're talking.

Presenter26:28

The entire royal family. So.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason26:32

Yes, yes, for sure.

Presenter26:33

And many other luminaries.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason26:35

I think in terms of like nervousness I'd be more I'm more nervous for my childhood lesson because I know that my you know teacher listens in a certain way in a certain level of detail. So I I think I think the I guess what I'm saying is is is is the audience yeah, for me I'm grateful for them being there, but I don't think who is there necessarily

Sheku Kanneh-Mason26:52

puts puts something more, you know, as a as a more of a pressure event. But I suppose, yeah, I'm still a a very a very shy person by nature and that will will always be there.

Presenter27:02

And last year you performed at the last night of the proms. What did it feel like playing such a prominent role in this well loved, prestigious music festival?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason27:10

It's a wonderful, wonderful feeling and and and there's such a a feeling of celebration I find of the proms I've performed. Um many times at the festival I think generally the yeah, the festival has such a feeling of celebration of music and um yeah, to be a part of that is is wonderful.

Presenter27:27

There's obviously been a a lot of conversation, certain amount of controversy around the rendition of Royal Britannia at the last night. What's your view on whether it should be included or not?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason27:38

Um, I don't think it should be included and I didn't stay for that, that's just my my my opinion.

Presenter27:41

Why not?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason27:43

I think

Sheku Kanneh-Mason27:44

Maybe some people didn't realise how uncomfortable a sound like that can make a lot of people.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason27:49

feel even if it makes them feel good. I think that's somehow a a b a big misunderstanding about it.

Presenter27:56

What do you think it should be replaced with, if anything? What would you like to hear instead?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason27:59

Oh, there's so much wonderful

Sheku Kanneh-Mason28:02

British music, I mean like the the wealth of folk music from this country is astonishing. I think that would be a wonderful thing to take its place. I mean.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason28:09

Yeah, there's so much that I think is worth celebrating and having as part of a a big celebration at the end of a wonderful music festival.

Presenter28:17

It's time for disc number seven, Shaku. What are we going to hear next and why?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason28:21

Shaskovich's Symphony number eleven.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason28:25

An unbelievable piece of music. I listened to it the first time, I think I was about 14 or 15, and listened in bed with my headphones and listened to the whole symphony at once and couldn't believe the journey that I'd been on listening to it. I think it's... I've never seen it live, actually. I would love to hear it live. I listen to this recording often. I think it's incredible.

Presenter29:49

Part of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 performed by the Moscow Philharmonic, conducted by Kirill Kondrashin.

Presenter29:56

Sheikh Ukanemason, you were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when you were 12. How did you manage the diagnosis at such a young age?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason30:04

The diagnosis came as a shock and all that comes with that thereafter was all very all very new and a lot to deal with. And then at that age you're growing and changing and so a lot of the the management of the diabetes is is I think more challenging at that time because what you have to do has to you know has to be different different each day. As you get older and it becomes a bit more stable it's and also much more used to it then it's easier but it's something that I constantly have to think about and and manage and performing with it can be a challenge because it would be a massive shame if my blood sugar were to go low into a hyper as I was playing.

Speaker 230:23

What you have to do has to you know has to be different.

Presenter30:45

So do you have to be very careful about that?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason30:46

I have to be very careful about that and and make sure that my blood sugar's at a a good level before I go on stage because the adrenaline and the physicality and and and focus of it can kind of can cause it to to dip and so I have to be aware of you know of that and make sure that throughout the day I've you know be managing it well and and

Presenter30:54

Alrighty

Sheku Kanneh-Mason31:03

But it's it's it's it's a thing that I have and accepted, I have and will always

Presenter31:07

Hmm.

Presenter31:09

You've already achieved so much at at just twenty four. I wonder what your mindset is like these days, having had to develop such discipline and having achieved so many goals. Is that how you think now? Do you still have more that you're striving for? Or are you in a different place?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason31:26

There are like s some very immediate things in terms of I mean I'm always learning new new pieces of music and that keeps me constantly yeah striving for

Presenter31:33

You'll never get to the end of all that.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason31:34

And with all that. Impossible. And as well with the pieces of music that I already know to some level, there's a constant development with that as well. And yeah, there are many projects that I would like to do and to do more with. There's a youth orchestra in Antigua, Barbuda, where my grandparents are from. It was set up six years ago that I set up with my family and the government there. And I would love for there to be a a concert hall on the island and for that to become one of the centres of classical music in the world. That's like an ambition of mine that I would like to see.

Speaker 231:57

Mm-hmm.

Presenter32:11

Sheikhu, the last few years have been difficult for classical music and classical musicians. Obviously the pandemic, cuts to opera companies and orchestras, audiences that are ageing as well. How worried do you feel about the future of classical music?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason32:28

The future of classical music is something that one needs to fight for and talk about and hopefully sort of um be a part of. But I I I think the y the young musicians um that I see all the time fill me with a lot of um

Sheku Kanneh-Mason32:42

confidence in the future of of classical music, but it will require a lot of work in many different areas, but I'm certainly confident in its in its future, however it will look like.

Presenter32:53

And obviously we're about to cast you away to the island. What will you miss most, do you think?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason32:58

Family, friends just people, too.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason33:01

interact and share with. If I think about most of the experiences in my life that I've really, really, really enjoyed, it would take me a while to think of ones that happened on my own.

Presenter33:14

Well Sheikhu, we've got your company for one more disc before we cast you away. So what are we going to hear? What's your last choice today?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason33:21

This is um the lager from uh one of Bach's organ sonatas. It's played by um the pianist Samuel Feinberg, and it's it's magical.

Presenter34:32

Bach's organ sonata number five in C major, played on the piano by Samuel Feinberg.

Presenter34:38

So, Sheikh Ukana Mason, I'm going to send you away to the island now. I'm giving you the Bible, the complete works of Shakespeare, and you can take one other book. What will that be?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason34:48

Richard Feynman, um the lectures on physics, which I've not read.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason34:51

before. So yeah, I think I think I would learn a lot.

Presenter34:54

Well that'll that'll sharpen up your scientific perspective.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason34:56

It will yeah, exactly.

Presenter34:58

That's yours. You can also have a luxury item. What's that gonna be?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason35:02

Cello. It certainly would be be that I d I'm not sure how it's gonna survive on an island though. Like if I break a string

Presenter35:07

I'm going to have to give you some. I mean, I think I can throw it. You throw it a few specifics.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason35:08

I mean, I think I can throw some. You throw in a few strings. I think I can throw in some strings. Yeah, I mean, some hairs for the bone. Okay, so some boots, some strings. Yeah, thank you very much.

Presenter35:14

Okay, so some more sounds and strings.

Presenter35:18

And finally, which one track of the eight that you shared with us to day would you save from the waves?

Sheku Kanneh-Mason35:25

Kinda I would go for Mozart's Requiem. Having something with voices can can communicate something that's really, really, really powerful and I think that piece has so much in it, so much like wonder and awe and it's yeah, I would say Mozart's Requiem.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason35:40

But I would probably change my mind as soon as I leave this this village.

Presenter35:43

You would get to save that one and then wade back up to the other one.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason35:46

Yeah.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason35:47

Actually I'm not a very good swimmer. That's that's that's that's

Presenter35:50

Oh no. So no escape plan for you.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason35:50

So no escape plan.

Presenter35:53

You'll be alright, you've got your channel.

Presenter35:58

Shaker Cana Mason, thank you very much for letting us hear your Desert Island Discs.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason36:02

It's a pleasure. Thank you.

Presenter36:24

Hello, I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Shiku. I'm sure his cello will bring him much happiness and comfort on the island. We've cast away many musicians, including one of Sheiku's heroines, Jacqueline Dupre and Yo-Yo Ma, and the pianists Stephen Huff and Mitsuko Uchida. You can find these episodes in our Desert Island Discs programme archive and through BBC Sands. The studio manager for today's programme was Emma Hart, the assistant producer was Christine Pavlovsky, and the producer was Paula McGinley. The series editor is John Gowdy. Next time, my guest will be the actor Jamie Dornan. I do hope you'll join us.

Speaker 237:11

I'm Tom Heap.

Speaker 337:12

And I'm Helen Cherisky, a journalist and a physicist.

Speaker 237:13

A journalist.

Speaker 237:14

Ready to tackle the biggest issues on the planet.

Speaker 337:17

We've had a toxic relationship with nature for too long. It's time to reset and rekindle our love for the planet.

Speaker 237:23

Each week on Rare Earth, a podcast from BBC Radio 4, we investigate a major story about our environment and wildlife, we delve into the history, how on earth did we get here, and we search for effective solutions to rising temperatures and collapsing wildlife.

Speaker 337:37

But this won't be a weekly dose of doom-laden predictions. We're here to celebrate the wonder of the natural world and meet the brave and clever people with fresh ideas to bring it back from the brink.

Speaker 237:47

Listen to Rare Earth on BBC Sounds.