Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Canadian tenor, renowned for his powerful and dramatic opera performances.
On the island
Eight records
I've chosen it because ... the first thing that would happen if a person was marooned is he would if he was a married man and the family man, like I am, his first thoughts would probably be of his wife. ... Welcome to my dreams is a ... sentimental song. ... I like to think of that that my wife and my own relationship is one that is still full of lots of romance. ... I had nothing else to welcome her with, because my dreams were all that I had.
I've chosen it because I think if one was marooned... One would tend to think of the missed opportunities. and things that they wish they could have done better. And when I listen, every time I hear this wonderful melody of Cole Porter's ... I feel that it it somehow is a a lesson. in something that's misfired.
I choose it because ... the greatness of [Caruso] ... was this fantastic ability to ... show the people ... What he was saying and what he was feeling ... was really motivated by experiences in his life. ... Caruzzo made this recording shortly before his death. ... his own daughter Victoria was very much in his thoughts. when he sings here about ... who when he says in the words of this song, that when he picked her up out of the cradle, that he promised God that no harm would come to her. And now because of his incapacity, She is going to suffer. ... It comes through in his scene.
I have chosen this recording because ... I don't think that [Caruso] ever had the vocal technique ... Perhaps [Jussi Björling] can be accused ... of having been more cold in his singing. But I think technically ... the ability of this man to sustain a legato line and and the the the way he handled the extremities of his range of voice. to me is absolutely exemplary as a tenor, and I in my studies I've always tried ... control my sentimental heart, which I love Carooza for, and learn a great deal from [Björling].
The Twenty-Third Psalm (tune Crimond)
Because of my whole life and background of in the church and everything, I would like very much to hear the Sir Hugh Roberton choir singing ... the twenty third psalm to the tune Crimend.
I choose it ... Because it has ... Very special ... Remembrances for me. When I was a ... Young married man living in a garret ... The people down below had a tape recorder or record player and we didn't have one. ... Every once in a while we'd hear [Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring] ... And it had a very special sort of quality to it ... of spirituality ... that my wife and I were compelled many times to stop and just sit on the stairs and listen to it ... Afterwards we discovered that it was played by a man who ... was really a dying man. He died at thirty three. ... And somehow there must be ... a knowledge ... In this man ... Half of ... The end of his life as he plays this record.
Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick
The reason I choose this work is because of ... a really remarkable experience. ... a personal experience of the death of my mother. ... But the death of my mother for me was a really quite a marvellous experience. Certainly it was not a sad experience. sad only in that I was saying goodbye. But it was a ... marvelous ... experience because ... Here was a woman who, with complete happiness, Complete contentment ... No resentments, no bitterness, no fears, faced her death, and died. ... I feel ... the mood of ... Sheep may safely graze is that? ... one of ... an expression of one's complete faith In eternity.
Final chorale (from St Matthew Passion)Favourite
Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
my last record is really the summing up of everything that I ... have said as far as m my faith is concerned. ... It is summed up in ... the f final chorale of the box at Matthew Passion. ... In in this corral is the whole purpose of ... The whole point of Christianity is summed up in it.
In conversation
Presenter asks
4:11What was it your ambition to be when you were at school?
A doctor. A medical doctor.
Presenter asks
6:26How did professional singing come into your life?
Well, it it's the same thing. Uh doors just opened and um ... I walked through them, that was all. I never had any ambitions to be a professional singer, none whatsoever... It was a traumatic experience in a way for me to become a professional singer because my whole background had been one that I must never charge for singing.
Presenter asks
10:55What was your first engagement outside Canada?
Well, I did go down to the town of Buffalo, city of Buffalo, to do some performances of Handel's Messiah, but I always considered that virtually a Canadian engagement because it's right on the Canadian border.
Presenter asks
16:49Which is your favorite role? Which do you look forward to most?
The keepsakes
The book
The luxury
I think I would take a large child's ball. ... I would take it because when I was a little boy, about four Five, somewhere around there. It was in the depression, and I was the sixth child. I'm sure it was a very limited Christmas. I don't know, but I'm sure it was. And I know that I was given one of those beautiful balls. And I bounced it on a nail. And it was destroyed. and my father thought that I had broken it on purpose. And somehow I could not. even have the courage to try to persuade him that I hadn't. I just accepted it. Now I take it with me because I'm still starry-eyed about a child's ball. I still Yeah. My children have lots of them. And I take it along because it reminds me of a whole lot of things. Um Carefreeness of a child. precious things that sometimes we can destroy. without even thinking that we've destroyed'em. Because I remember how sick this thing went in my hands. And Power that we should in the simple, beautiful things of life, no matter how sort of ordinary they may seem. to us if they are very, very beautiful, that We should keep this childlike Love of them wonder of them And as an adult. Protect and shield those things because they're rewarding.
I don't think there is a real favorite role. ... You look forward more to ... Something that is that is idealistic as far as working conditions are concerned. Conductor, colleagues, producer, etc.
Presenter asks
17:26Do you have an unfavorite role?
Well, I have some that I will say are not my favorite roles. I don't think that André Chenier, for instance, or even Radames in Aida, or you know, I don't think even Siegmund, which they say I'm famous for ... they're not my favorite parts because I don't think they're very ... I don't think they say a great deal. in comparison with ... the social message that can be given by uh Otello and Peter Grimes and ... Even Pagliacci ... that touches on universal feelings and and can can really give a message to people if they're interested in it.
“I've always wanted to ... sort of do what ... what I should do with my life, and I've always walked through doors that have opened and not tried to force ones that were closed.”
“singing is a need, I think, for the individual at the beginning. And the ones that don't become ... Professional, the ones that don't make the grade, as they say, I think are the ones who are incapable of ... Turning it round ... And using it ... to give to someone else.”
“It was a traumatic experience in a way for me to become a professional singer because my whole background had been one that I must never charge for singing.”
“The death of my mother for me was a really quite a marvellous experience. Certainly it was not a sad experience. sad only in that I was saying goodbye.”
“I was given one of those beautiful balls. ... I bounced it on a nail. And it was destroyed. and my father thought that I had broken it on purpose. And somehow I could not ... even have the courage to try to persuade him that I hadn't. I just accepted it. ... I take it [the ball] with me because ... I'm still starry-eyed about a child's ball. ... I take it along because it reminds me of a whole lot of things. ... Carefreeness of a child. ... precious things that sometimes we can destroy. without even thinking that we've destroyed'em.”