Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Organist and pianist, best known for performing the first London performance of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto.
On the island
Eight records
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (Finale)
Cyril Smith (piano), City of Birmingham Orchestra, George Weldon (conductor)
I am very proud to have played the concerto at its first performance in London.
Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043 (Second movement)
David Oistrakh and Igor Oistrakh (violins)
if I were on a desert island… I would without doubt choose Bach.
I Waited for the Lord (from Hymn of Praise)
Choir of Temple Church, soloists Masters Luff and Mallet
I should like a temple record to remind me of the many temple friends and choristers.
Piece for two trombones (unidentified)
I have a great admiration… for fine technique… I must obviously have at least one rhythm record which in emergency I could rush and put on whenever I saw these people stealthily approaching.
Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 'Trout' (Theme and Variations)
Clifford Curzon (piano), members of the Vienna Octet
I think chamber music would be most soothing.
The One-Man Les Art Opera (comedy routine)
because we haven't had the opera, and opera is very often exciting.
A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1) (excerpt)Favourite
London Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult (conductor)
the appropriateness of its emotions for this programme, it's might call it its salt sea emotions.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:59How do you feel about being cast away?
I should hate it, you know. I should know what to do. And I'm sure I shouldn't last very long. I should either, I'm sure, be eaten by animals. On the very dark night or be drowned while trying to catch fish. Or, uh, I suppose poisoned by eating the wrong kind of berries. I should be hopeless, in fact.
Presenter asks
1:37Did you find it a difficult job to choose these eight records to take into exile?
Yes, indeed. I thought about it quite a lot and came to the conclusion that it would be a a good plan to have records of different qualities. of instruments That's all. A vocal record. But certainly not uh uh a duplication of records.
Presenter asks
5:50How old were you when you decided that music was going to be your career?
Well, I don't know what I ever did decide. Uh I I suppose having been brought up in a musical family and hearing my parents playing regularly uh infused me to do uh the same thing. And um I think at a very early age, about four or five, something like that, I began a liking for music which um continued.
The keepsakes
The book
Jerome K. Jerome
I think I'd better have a book that might help me in my unfortunate plight… I'll plump the Three Men in a Boat and see how they got on.
The luxury
A white rug. Because it kept me warm at night and I could hoist it to the top of a long pole so the passing ship could see it and rescue me from this wretched island.
Presenter asks
6:39What was your first engagement when you left the college?
August The Footfield Sabernacle. The clergyman was Sylvester Horne, who was uh who was very well known in those days. Uh just as uh Kenneth, his founder is Well, only these days. Yes, indeed. You were very young when you took that. Uh about fifteen. Yes. I lived there for about um two years, something like that. And then um after that I went to a church in Barnes and from there to Paddington Parish Church. And from there to the temple.
Presenter asks
7:12Why did you decide to change from the piano to the organ?
It was really the appointment of the temple which decided me. Become an organism.
Presenter asks
17:13Have you any ideas on how you're going to live? Would you build a hut, for instance?
I shouldn't think I could uh build anything. Uh There's so many things I feel I ought to do that I shouldn't know where to start. I reminded of A. E. Mill Shipwrecked Sailor. Do you remember the words? There was once an old sailor my grandfather knew who had so many things which he wanted to do that whenever he thought it was time to begin he couldn't because of the state he was in. And so in the end he did nothing at all, but basked on the shingle wrapped up in a shawl. And I think it was dreadful the way he behaved, he did nothing but basking until he was saved. Well, that was exactly what I should do.
“I should hate it, you know. I should know what to do. And I'm sure I shouldn't last very long. I should either, I'm sure, be eaten by animals. On the very dark night or be drowned while trying to catch fish. Or, uh, I suppose poisoned by eating the wrong kind of berries. I should be hopeless, in fact.”
“if I were on a desert island. And I'll ask to live with the music of one composer only. I would without doubt choose Bach.”
“I was once invited to go to an opening of a cinema organ. And um they asked me if I'd play the national anthem. at the beginning of the Entertainment. Well, uh I agree. And uh just as I was coming up on the lift Uh I said to the open builder Have you got in a good drum roll? He said, Yes, you press that pedal. And so I did, but he didn't tell me that if I pressed it lightly, I'd get one effect. If I pressed it right down, I'd get something quite different. Well, in a not business way, I pressed this down. And um Every kitchen effect in the organ went off with a bang. We had motorhorns, bicycle bells. And I remember them beginning the national anthem, started with something in the corner going, coo-hoo, coo-hoo.”
“I reminded of A. E. Mill Shipwrecked Sailor. Do you remember the words? There was once an old sailor my grandfather knew who had so many things which he wanted to do that whenever he thought it was time to begin he couldn't because of the state he was in. And so in the end he did nothing at all, but basked on the shingle wrapped up in a shawl. And I think it was dreadful the way he behaved, he did nothing but basking until he was saved. Well, that was exactly what I should do.”