Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A Cornish baritone who trained at the Guildhall School of Music and is best known for his opera and concert singing.
On the island
Eight records
Holman Climax Male Voice Choir
I would go back to be reminded of my childhood and the endless concerts that I went to as a child and took part in, and I would choose a piece of male voice singing.
The second record would be a piece which reminds me of all that sort of small village life and sort of country life
London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by André Previn
music that always reminds me some of his music that reminds me so much of the the sort of whole Suffolk scene of the sea, the coastline, um, that it's very evocative of that.
String Quintet in C major, D. 956: Adagio
Amadeus Quartet with William Pleeth
From my earliest days of study, Schubert probably has emerged as my own particular musical god. That's a very sweeping statement, but he has a very special place for me.
Lawrence Tibbett, Giovanni Martinelli, Rose Bampton, and Robert Nicholson
Well, now I would like to hear one of my favourite singers, and that is Laurence Tibbett.
The Dream of Gerontius: Proficiscere, anima Christiana
Benjamin Luxon, conducted by Alexander Gibson
If I'm going to be on my island, I would like to have one piece of music ... of myself singing. I've chosen the next piece for a dual purpose really, not just because I think it's the most wonderful thing I've I've recorded, but because I can also hear some Elgar.
Cambridge University Musical Society Chorus
This is a sort of um, in a way, a non-personal record that I would like to have some music that reminded me very specifically of an age. And not only an age just in music, but an age in history and an age in architecture.
I would also like to have a little humour on my island as well, and I would then choose this Peter Yusinoff version of a Mozart opera.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:42What part of Cornwall [are you from]?
My home town is Camborne, really, you know, right down in between sort of Truh and Penzance.
Presenter asks
4:50How did [your decision to have your voice trained] come about?
Well, Marion Studtholm came to give a recital at the training college and the people running the the concert asked me to sing a few songs in between and and she then asked to see me afterwards and said wanted to know all about me and out of that you know she really said look you must have your voice trained um you should do something about it and that sort of really that was the first thing that really made me think so then I went to the Guild Hall.
Presenter asks
7:04How did you see yourself as a singer, as an operatic baritone, a lieder singer?
First of all, I went to a man called Walter Gruner. I was sent to him quite by chance. And his great love and great speciality was the German lead. And he immediately heard in me the leader singer, the sort of natural leader singer. And therefore, all my early training was done as a leader singer. And he very wisely gauged my personality. And instead of trying to teach me how to sing, which I actually did quite a good job with naturally, he fed me music. And so therefore, suddenly I was introduced to Hugo Wolf and Brahms and Richard Strauss, Schumann, Beethoven, Schubert, of course.
The keepsakes
The book
Idries Shah
They're sort of stories. I would say there were all sorts of stories which originate from the East ... and they're sort of teaching stories. ... with lots of humour and princes and princesses.
The luxury
I would take a piano because I would love and providing I could have a large selection of all sorts of music.
Presenter asks
7:13What was the first break? What was the first big thing that happened?
I think probably a very important break for me was going to Morley College. They used to do operas at Morley College ... And they did a performance of Benjamin Britton's Rapa Lucretia, and it received a lot of attention ... And then in 1963, the English Opera Group was about to go off on a tour of Russia ... and they had to find a baritone very quickly ... And that sort of came up for me, and I was given that job.
Presenter asks
19:06Where do you find all the stuff [for your Victorian evenings]?
Well, you know, I have a legacy of it. Again, you know, going back to that wonderful childhood in Cornwall, you know, this is my legacy. I mean, I heard so many of these songs ... And now, of course, a lot of people actually send me music. Or at least they suggest.
“That's my big sort of memory. That's my main memory from my childhood, is of taking part in endless concerts.”
“I've always longed to be able to get up on a platform and to be able to talk freely, to be able to sing at any pitch I wanted to. If I felt tired, I could sing low, and if I wanted to, I could sing high, and if I wanted to, I could change the damn rhythms, and if I wanted to, I could change the words.”
“I could do with the piece and and being alone, I think, for a good deal of time. I don't know how long. I think eventually I would start to want to escape.”