Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Composer celebrated for intense, imaginative modern classical works; Ivan Novello and Olivier Award winner, Mercury Prize nominee.
On the island
Eight records
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125: II. Molto vivace
Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle
It moves me hugely. It's the intensity of Beethoven's music, the rhythmic drive.
St Matthew Passion, BWV 244: Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen (opening)Favourite
Bach Collegium Japan conducted by Masaaki Suzuki
I feel that the opening of St Matthew Passion even before the chorus comes in is perfect and it always just gets me every time.
London Sinfonietta conducted by Oliver Knussen
He believed in me. He told me I could do it.
I just love the melancholia of it. It's so sad, but it just hits you.
Stevie Wonder is probably the only living genius at the moment. I couldn't be without it.
Un bel dì, vedremo (One Fine Day) from Madama Butterfly
Mirella Freni, Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan
My brother really liked this and it was played at his funeral so this means a lot to me.
Symphony of Psalms (final movement)
English Bach Festival Choir, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein
There is something that happens at the end ... the chords move in a unique way. I love being enveloped in this sound world.
This tune is so beautiful, and John is such a beautiful person.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:46Is listening to music an active experience for you as a composer and music lover?
I need to be challenged. I know a lot of people don't, and they want to just fall asleep to music. I like things that are complicated, and that's unusual. I mean, not unusual amongst sort of musician friends. So, the idea of easy listening, when I was a kid, I used to find that department or that compartment in a record store. I used to like, you know, think, oh, easy listening, come on.
Presenter asks
2:14How old were you when music became an obsession and how did it manifest?
Initially it was football, strangely, but I wasn't any good. All my mates were much better than me. So I had piano lessons from the age of six. ... Something must have clicked about the age of nine. Something happened and it was all classical music in my household ... Something like a light bulb moment, it just clicked.
Presenter asks
9:45What was your parents' faith and how much did it shape family life?
They were Pentecostal, which I've always struggled with because it was the sort of form in actually you see in America. ... I saw Billy Graham five times when I was a kid. ... I went to church a lot, three times on a Sunday and sometimes Sunday school in the middle of the week, but I did find it very hard and I really well even to this day rejected it.
The keepsakes
The book
Daphne du Maurier
I just love it. I think she's a really underrated writer and I love all her work... I was really struck by this book.
The luxury
I've never owned a grand piano, but I always thought if I'd had less to do, as I probably would have on a desert island, I'd like to practise more because my technique as a pianist has really sort of gone down the drain... to have a piano... I'd love to practise the piano like six hours a day like I did when I was thirteen.
Presenter asks
29:01Why is it important to you to do those things [volunteering at food bank and prison projects]?
They're important because of meetings people that I'd never usually meet. ... I believe in prison reform. The idea that you just let people rot in a prison, it's just so against what I believe in. ... I really found them very emotional.
Presenter asks
31:44How did you cope with your brother's death and what do you remember?
It was a real surprise because he was a gentle soul, barely drank. ... I still to this day don't really know what happened. ... I still can't believe it happened. ... I still think maybe he's still alright. I don't know why, isn't that ridiculous? I know he's dead.
Presenter asks
45:51What will you miss the most on the island?
Family, that would be very hard. I'd probably miss Arsenal as well.
“I need to be challenged. I know a lot of people don't, and they want to just fall asleep to music. I like things that are complicated.”
“The music is almost like a religion to me.”
“He told me I could, he said, you are a composer.”
“I miss him every day. He died in July 18. And he was just somebody who was kind.”
“I still think maybe he's still alright. I don't know why, isn't that ridiculous? I know he's dead.”