Merle Park

Speaker 20:00

Hello, I'm Kirsty Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Disc's Archive. For rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen seventy seven, and the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:32

Our castaway this week is the ballerina Merle Park.

Presenter0:36

Music is so much a part of your working life. Do you play records at home?

Merle Park0:40

Yes, in the little spare time I have at home. I do. I mostly listen to the radio, actually.

Presenter0:46

You ought to be, mister Coast.

Merle Park0:48

Well, a pianist of sorts, I mean, for my own enjoyment. I wouldn't let

Merle Park0:53

You or anyone else listen to me play the piano.

Presenter0:55

Now this desert island problem, how did you set about choosing your record?

Merle Park1:01

Well, it's just terribly difficult, isn't it? I mean

Merle Park1:04

How on earth do you choose eight records?

Merle Park1:06

I'm leaving all my lovely

Merle Park1:08

Puccini and Strauss, which I adore.

Presenter1:12

What's your first record?

Merle Park1:13

It's going to be, um, Sebelius's Fernandia.

Presenter1:17

Why?

Merle Park1:18

Well, because of being on a lovely warm island, I think one ought to have a little thought for the cooler parts in the north.

Presenter2:26

The closing passage of Finlandia by Sebelius, the Halley Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli.

Presenter2:33

Merle, you're from Rhodesia, aren't you?

Merle Park2:35

Yes, I was born in Salisbury.

Presenter2:37

Your father worked for Rhodesian Railways? That's right.

Presenter2:41

Now you started dancing, I heard, for medical reasons. Is that true?

Merle Park2:45

Yes, in a way. I was a very thin and sort of

Merle Park2:49

weedy child, and my mother took me to the doctor.

Merle Park2:53

Ready for a tourniquet?

Merle Park2:55

And he said, Well, I really can't find much wrong in her. Give her some Scots emulsion, ooh, which was ghastly.

Merle Park3:01

and let her dance or ride horses.

Merle Park3:06

and as there were no horses near, I went to dancing class.

Presenter3:09

Hmm.

Merle Park3:09

Never look back, Rowling.

Presenter3:11

And you were also studying the piano.

Merle Park3:13

I started piano when I was nine.

Merle Park3:18

and the dancing I started at five and a half.

Merle Park3:21

But I had got a scholarship to go to the Royal College of Music there.

Merle Park3:25

And then came a conflict when I was about eleven.

Merle Park3:29

when the college said, you know, Mel has to choose because her music's suffering, it's got to be music or dancing.

Merle Park3:36

And I chose the dancing.

Presenter3:39

How old were you when you came to Britain?

Merle Park3:41

thirteen.

Presenter3:42

And you came really because you had exhausted the teaching possibilities in Rhodesia, was that right?

Merle Park3:47

Yes. My teacher thought I could go to South Africa, but then she said, Well, I think eventually she'll have to go overseas anyhow, so she thought it was an idea to make the break and go immediately to London.

Presenter4:00

Was there anything like a Rhodesian Arts Council? Did you get any financial help?

Merle Park4:06

No, in those days there wasn't. But, um, the teachers all got together and I had a benefit performance. The mums all made coffee and cakes and sold it in the interval and

Speaker 44:16

Yeah.

Presenter4:16

Yeah. Uh

Merle Park4:17

We raised my fare money, which was a hundred and seventy five pounds.

Presenter4:22

And you had no return ticket. You were going for good, obviously.

Merle Park4:25

Oh yes, I never thought of that at that time.

Presenter4:27

That time.

Presenter4:28

Who looked after you?

Merle Park4:29

I came to a boarding school in Surrey, Elmhurst.

Presenter4:33

Had you tried to get into the Royal Ballet School?

Merle Park4:36

No, because for that reason they had no boarding accommodation for young thirteen year olds in those days.

Merle Park4:44

And I would have had to stay in Diggs.

Merle Park4:47

And this wasn't so wise being so many thousands of miles from home.

Presenter4:50

At thirteen, I quite agree. So how long did you stay at Elmhurst?

Merle Park4:52

Sure.

Merle Park4:55

I was at Elmhurst for two and a half years, and then I auditioned for the Royal Valley School, for their senior school.

Presenter5:00

Yes.

Merle Park5:01

which meant um I then stayed with friends in Opington for three months while I was being a student.

Presenter5:09

You were only in the Royal Ballet School for three months.

Merle Park5:11

Yes, virtually, because I was then taken into the company as an extra and I was doing a mouse in Sleeping Beauty or a Page.

Merle Park5:19

And then I had to live in London. I couldn't get down to Kent every night.

Merle Park5:23

and I stayed at the Theatre Girls' Club in Greek Street.

Presenter5:26

At last, you had achieved your ambition. You were in the Royal Ballet. Oh, you were still called the.

Merle Park5:29

Oh, I thought you were going to say I got to sell her.

Presenter5:32

Two ambitions. Let's have another record. What next?

Merle Park5:38

Well, let's have a little of my past.

Merle Park5:41

In Rhodesia the Africans

Merle Park5:44

have marvelous rhythm. They have

Merle Park5:46

This music they call the Quella.

Merle Park5:48

which is really, mostly made.

Merle Park5:51

From Penny Whistles Reed Whistles.

Merle Park5:54

And I love it.

Presenter6:46

Aquela from Rhodesia. What was that one called?

Merle Park6:49

Min I con a fun em and ninke sabenza.

Presenter6:52

But better you than me.

Presenter6:54

So you joined the Royal Bally Company. It was still called the Saddlers Wells Company then?

Merle Park6:59

That's right, yes.

Presenter7:00

You were in the Cordebelle how long before you danced your first solo?

Merle Park7:05

About eight months I was given the Milkmaid in Fassade by Sir Frederick.

Presenter7:11

Must have been rather sad that you couldn't have your mother in front to watch all. You must have felt rather a long way from home that night, exciting though it was.

Merle Park7:20

Well, yes. I guess, um, you know, I was jolly nervous and very thrilled. But they they knew all about it. I mean, I

Merle Park7:28

I think they were sitting.

Merle Park7:30

thousands of miles away, you know.

Merle Park7:32

pretending they were there.

Presenter7:34

What was your first leading row?

Merle Park7:35

The first big major role I did was really by accident because one of the ballerinas had appendicitis and I had to step in at about four hours' notice. Um that was Sir Frederick Ashton's um variation on the theme of Purcell.

Presenter7:51

There.

Merle Park7:52

And it was for Rowena Jackson.

Merle Park7:54

But then I was given a Swanhilda.

Presenter7:57

In Coppelia.

Merle Park7:57

Wikipedia. Hm.

Presenter7:59

I've been looking up the press cuttings and and I I discovered that you were a little bit harem skerum in those early days, late for rehearsal and all that stuff. Is that right?

Merle Park8:07

No, I was marvellous in those days. I mean, I'm much worse now.

Presenter8:12

Record number three.

Merle Park8:15

Well, really going back a little to the days that I was at um my boarding school in Surrey.

Merle Park8:22

And we used to.

Merle Park8:24

dance like Isadora Duncan all over the lawns and prize givings and things.

Merle Park8:29

It was a very happy time for me, those two and a half years.

Merle Park8:33

And I used to choreograph.

Merle Park8:36

I can't do it any more. I'm hopeless at it, but

Merle Park8:39

I used to choreographed Chopin ballads.

Merle Park8:43

And so I think I'd like

Merle Park8:45

to take one of those with me.

Presenter9:48

Chopin's Ballard No. 2 in F played by Arthur Rubinstein.

Presenter9:53

You were one of the first Juliets in Kenneth MacMillan's full-length ballet, Romeo and Juliet, weren't you?

Merle Park9:59

Yes, I'm asked.

Presenter10:00

That must be a marvellous ballet to dance. It's so exciting.

Merle Park10:02

So exciting. It's lovely.

Merle Park10:04

Whenever I'm asked what my favourite role is, I usually end up by saying Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

Presenter10:11

That must be an exhausting one, though.

Merle Park10:14

Not really, not in the way that the Petipar, the Sleeping Beauty, and um Swan Lake are exhausting.

Presenter10:20

And then there's the new one you've just done, the other Shakespeare one, Taming of the Shrew. Is that an exhausting one?

Merle Park10:26

Yes, that's exhausting because it's such agony, the bottom and the wrists and the knockabout that one has to do, you know, to have to get over all that. It that that's great fun.

Presenter10:40

Now, you were married and and had a son, Antony.

Presenter10:44

And I gather you are back practising again with the company within two weeks. That must be a record.

Merle Park10:50

It was a little too soon, actually, because it told a year later I became very anemic, but I felt so fit.

Merle Park10:56

I was working in class.

Merle Park10:58

up until two weeks before he was born. I looked very funny, mind you.

Merle Park11:03

I used to wear my husband's enormous shirt.

Merle Park11:06

And I never did the big jumps at the end of class or anything.

Merle Park11:10

But I gave my chums a laugh.

Merle Park11:12

I remember one morning Dame Nynette de Valois coming in to the class just to look, and John Field was taking it.

Merle Park11:22

And um

Merle Park11:24

She sort of squinted across in my direction, and she went up to John and she said

Merle Park11:28

John, that girl's much too fat. She'll have to go.

Merle Park11:33

I think she thought I was, you know, one of the cord de ballet who'd blown up overnight or something.

Speaker 411:37

Uh

Presenter11:37

I just

Presenter11:38

Ha ha.

Presenter11:39

And how long after Antony's arrival was it that you were back?

Merle Park11:44

Um, it was five weeks.

Presenter11:46

So you took less than two months off altogether.

Merle Park11:49

Yes, I guess so.

Presenter11:51

Now you've danced so many leading roles it's obviously pointless to list them all, but there was one you put off for years and years.

Presenter11:59

Hmm, swan leg.

Merle Park12:01

Yeah.

Presenter12:01

Or that ordeal.

Merle Park12:01

Yeah.

Presenter12:03

Why did you?

Presenter12:04

bulk a bit at that moment

Merle Park12:05

Yeah.

Merle Park12:06

I never really wanted to ever do three act ballets.

Merle Park12:11

I much prefer the short number, you know, two and a half minutes, on and off.

Speaker 412:17

Ha ha ha.

Merle Park12:18

But over the past many years I've got to realize that I have to do it.

Presenter12:25

Are there any other parts that you have still to tackle that you want to tackle?

Presenter12:29

In the repertoire?

Merle Park12:30

The one I would like to do, the classic I haven't done which I would like to do, is La Silfid.

Speaker 412:35

Mm-hmm.

Merle Park12:36

And of the reptoine now, I would very much like to do um

Merle Park12:42

Kenneth MacMillan's Song of the Earth.

Merle Park12:44

Which I cover, but I haven't yet done. But I'm in no hurry, I mean, you know.

Merle Park12:49

I'm willing to wait another six years.

Presenter12:52

Which ones have been created for you?

Merle Park12:54

Well, I've had lots of um things created for me. Let's see.

Merle Park12:58

Tuesday's Child in Jazz Calendar.

Speaker 413:00

Uh-huh.

Merle Park13:01

The Walk to the Paradise Garden The Celestial in Shadow Play

Merle Park13:06

the um girl in the red top hat in elite syncopations.

Presenter13:11

Well, there's obviously quite a list. Let's leave it there and have your fourth record.

Merle Park13:16

As I'm not taking any opera, I'd like to take the four last songs.

Merle Park13:21

of Strauss, with Elizabeth Shwaskov singing it.

Merle Park13:24

I just think well, they speak for themselves, don't they?

Speaker 413:31

We're singing

Speaker 413:53

Until

Presenter14:30

An excerpt from In Arbentrote, The Last of Richard Streis's Four Last Songs, sung by Elizabeth Schwartzkopf.

Presenter14:38

You've worked with so many.

Presenter14:40

Find choreographers. Are they very different in their methods?

Merle Park14:44

Oh yes, quite diff

Presenter14:46

Sir Frederick Ashton, for example, how does he work? Has he got it all very clear in his mind?

Merle Park14:51

He has his music very clear in his mind.

Merle Park14:55

and he he knows what he wants, and then he works it out on the dancers.

Merle Park15:01

He doesn't come in and say do this step because he wants to see how the dancer will move.

Presenter15:06

In other words, he builds up on on his dunks.

Merle Park15:08

On his dances completely.

Presenter15:09

Does Kenneth McMillan work in the same way?

Merle Park15:11

To a degree, but not so much. Kennis comes in and he knows almost exactly what he wants, which I find fascinating too. Yes, he's got a mind that's worked it all out. I mean, there are times when he'll say um know this way or that way, but but generally you find that he he's the, I think, the type who knows what he wants in the beginning.

Presenter15:20

The steps

Presenter15:36

What's your next record?

Merle Park15:38

I would like to take some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's music.

Merle Park15:43

I'd like to have um Evita.

Presenter15:45

Evita from the so far unperformed opera that he's written with Tim Reisons.

Merle Park15:50

Yeah.

Presenter15:50

Which part of it shall we have?

Merle Park15:52

The voice of Ava

Merle Park15:54

Don't cry for me, Argentina.

Merle Park15:56

Yeah.

Speaker 415:56

Uh Don't cry for me, Argentina.

Speaker 416:02

The truth is.

Speaker 416:04

I never left you.

Speaker 416:07

All through my wild days, my mad existence I kept my promise, don't keep your distance.

Presenter16:23

Julie Covington as Eva Perron in Evita.

Presenter16:27

Have you done a great deal of travelling, well? I know you've been on a number of tours of the United States. Where else have you been?

Merle Park16:34

I've been to um South America, to Brazil, um, four or five times. Very exciting. Um, Peru, Bolivia.

Merle Park16:45

Most places in Europe.

Presenter16:46

The Far East?

Merle Park16:47

Yes, Japan. We had a wonderful tour two years ago to Japan.

Presenter16:52

You start with Neraev in the only ballet season ever to play on Broadway.

Presenter16:57

That must have been a kind of a breakthrough.

Merle Park17:00

No, it's not the only ballet season. It was the first ballet season. They'd not actually had a full night of ballet on Broadway, this was the point. Now I think they do it often. They use that theatre and take ballet there.

Presenter17:12

Now you're a trailbreaker.

Presenter17:13

Uh

Presenter17:14

How did it go?

Merle Park17:15

Well, it was very successful. Um, full house every night.

Merle Park17:21

But this is the great thing about New York and its ballet public.

Merle Park17:25

They were having full houses at ballet theatre as well.

Merle Park17:28

And um there were four or five companies on in New York. It is the center of the dance well.

Presenter17:32

I just

Merle Park17:35

But I really enjoyed that season. I did thirty four performances in a row.

Presenter17:41

Now, what is the fascination of Bally? It must be the most growling life of any practice in the morning, rehearsal in the afternoon.

Presenter17:49

Performances at night

Merle Park17:51

Well

Merle Park17:53

Keeps you out of mischief.

Presenter17:55

But is it worth it?

Merle Park17:56

I think so. I once said to Rudolph

Merle Park18:00

I mean, and he really does. He flies here, then everywhere to do a performance and never yes, and never has an a night off in between and I couldn't do that.

Presenter18:04

Mariah

Merle Park18:10

And I said, Rudolph, you'll kill yourself and he said, Well, girl, what better way to die?

Presenter18:14

A dancer's professional life, because it's so growing, is is is usually fairly short now. Will you teach when you eventually start dancing?

Merle Park18:20

Yeah.

Merle Park18:21

I I do teach now. I have a ballet school which I've just opened, which is very exciting. And I find this very satisfying.

Presenter18:24

Zoom.

Presenter18:25

Exactly.

Presenter18:31

What's your next record?

Merle Park18:33

It's the Vorjak New World Symphony. Something I'd love to conduct.

Presenter19:34

The second movement of Bauchak's New World Symphony,

Presenter19:38

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Raphael Kubelik.

Presenter19:43

Now having spent your childhood in Africa, the climate of this desert island shouldn't worry you.

Presenter19:49

Do you know how to construct a hut?

Merle Park19:51

Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, I don't think.

Merle Park19:54

So long as I could have a hammock and, you know, I was just off the ground, I w I would be very happy.

Presenter19:59

You could make a hammock?

Merle Park20:01

Oh yes, easily. Dry a few reeds and plait them and

Presenter20:06

What about food? Could you look after yourself there? Ever done any fishing?

Merle Park20:08

You can look after yourself there. Ever done in a fishing?

Merle Park20:11

No, but it's a chance to land, isn't it?

Presenter20:15

Would you try to escape?

Merle Park20:16

No, not at all. I love being by myself.

Merle Park20:20

Oh, I'd be very happy.

Presenter20:21

Record number seven.

Merle Park20:23

I like little boys, and I love voice choirs, and I would like to take Oath the Wings of a Dove, sung by Paul Dutton in Leeds, an avid follower of Leeds United.

Speaker 420:39

Things of a dog.

Speaker 421:14

Yielding this peace, yield me a rest.

Presenter21:35

Mendelssohn's Over the Wings of a Dove by the choir of the parish church of St Peter Leeds with Paul Dutton as soloist. Now your last record, what's that?

Merle Park21:45

Foray's Requiem, which has, um, incidentally just been used for a lovely ballet by Kenneth Macmillan.

Presenter21:53

We haven't seen it yet.

Merle Park21:55

No, alas it was done in Stuttgart.

Merle Park21:58

for the Great Stuttgart Company.

Merle Park22:00

Theirs is the gain, and ours is certainly the loss, but maybe one day we'll see it here.

Presenter23:05

A closing passage of the Fore Requiem, the choir of King's College, Cambridge, with David Wilcox as conductor. If you could take just one disc, which would it be?

Merle Park23:16

This stars is four lessons.

Presenter23:18

And one luxury to take with you?

Merle Park23:20

The piano.

Presenter23:22

Yes, it has to be an upright for obvious reasons.

Merle Park23:25

B

Presenter23:25

You can't float away on the top as a raft. And one book apart from the Bible and Shakespeare and big encyclopedias.

Merle Park23:32

Well, it will have to be follows English usage.

Merle Park23:36

Because I will have to teach myself.

Merle Park23:39

When I'm on the island.

Merle Park23:41

Educate myself.

Speaker 423:41

Uh

Presenter23:41

Alright.

Speaker 423:41

Uh

Presenter23:41

Uh

Merle Park23:42

Well, I've I've missed out on all that side, you see.

Merle Park23:45

And this will be a very good opportunity.

Presenter23:49

Well, you'll come back and be a writer. And thank you, Merle Park, for letting us hear your Desert Island Discs.

Merle Park23:54

Thank you.

Presenter23:55

Goodbye, everyone.

Speaker 224:05

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk slash radio four.