Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Cricket commentator and writer, best known for his cricket commentary.
On the island
Eight records
And it was Rubenstein's melody in F that he used to play and in a way it speaks to me about that very kind man.
A very fine actor and one of the most moving singers I've ever known in my life. And I thought he did something with the Negro spiritual, which I don't believe anybody else ever did better.
I think this is a quite outstanding example of discipline. Balance, poise, timing, singing, culling cat.
Fern HillFavourite
It was the voice of a man who wrote his poetry, almost engraved it, so that every word had to have its true value.
An important poem because it's supposed to indicate a lost love in Hardy's life.
I think if I'm on a desert island I want a laugh. I'm sure the Yetis would infallibly give me one.
since I'm hoping to be rescued, we might as well have a sea shanty, I suppose, and again, ain't there some splendid discipline, he a voice discipline.
My last disc I think would be the boar's head carol sung by the Elizabethan singers.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:31How would you feel about being on a desert island for a while?
I think I wouldn't mind a desert island for a while. I couldn't endure it forever, but uh... Yes, I think time to contemplate one's toenails without interruption.
Presenter asks
0:46What would you be happiest to have got away from on this island?
Noise. ... traffic noise, the noise above all of the juggernauts which really fill me with an illogical and for me fairly unusual hate. I just abominate the things that I've been doing.
Presenter asks
8:40When did you start commentating on cricket?
Quite by accident, and it was sheer accident, I was in the Eastern service broadcasting, that is, to India, Malaya, Southeast Asia, the Eastern Service to the PBC. And they decided to let India know that they realized an Indian cricket team had come here. They sent me off to do ten minutes a day on each of the first two matches, intending not to do any more. They sent me solely for the reason that since I worked in that section, I was presumed to know how to pronounce the Indian names. That's the only reason I was set. That was the beginning of a very distinguished commentating career.
The keepsakes
The book
Laurence Sterne
Handsomely bound. And the first edition. And a first edition, of which, of course, volumes 5, 7, and 9 were all signed by Stern himself. Yes, he didn't trust his publisher. So announced, they came at in twos, you see. They announced that the only genuine copies had been signed by him. A cautious author.
The luxury
Perpetually renewed case of champagne
It was Alec Waugh, wasn't it? He said one of the compensations of cryole is that you're learning to appreciate champagne.
Presenter asks
11:38Are there sometimes days when you pray for rain?
No, rain at a cricket match is a contradiction in terms and a cricket ground in the rain to my mind is the most depressing place on earth.
Presenter asks
17:00How resourceful would you be on this island?
I'm not very good at this. And when my middle son Timothy left his junior school and had his valedictory report. Under handicrafts, the master wrote, cheerfully hopeless. And I'm afraid this does rather run in the family.
“I think I wouldn't mind a desert island for a while. I couldn't endure it forever, but uh... Yes, I think time to contemplate one's toenails without interruption.”
“traffic noise, the noise above all of the juggernauts which really fill me with an illogical and for me fairly unusual hate. I just abominate the things that I've been doing.”
“It was the voice of a man who wrote his poetry, almost engraved it, so that every word had to have its true value. It used to seem almost to sting it out, spit it out, its utter clarity of isolation of each word as well as each idea.”
“Under handicrafts, the master wrote, cheerfully hopeless. And I'm afraid this does rather run in the family.”
“I'd take the Dylan Thomas reading of Fernhill. It moves me very deeply indeed.”