Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Old Bailey judge for nearly sixteen years, presided over many celebrated cases and acquired a reputation for toughness.
On the island
Eight records
The Yeomen of the Guard: Act I Finale
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Sir Malcolm Sargent
My first Gilbert and Sullivan opera was uh in fact Iolanthe. It represents the days when Sir Henry Lytton and Bertha Lewis were at the peak of their performances. And I've been a fan ever since, and could recite all the Pattersongs if you asked me to, some time ago, not now. But I've chosen, as I want to confine it to one, I'm rashing myself to one, because although I'm a fan of Gilbert and Zolivan, not to the exclusion of all other music, I've chosen at the end of Act One of The Omen of the God.
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16: Second Movement
Clifford Curzon, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Øivin Fjeldstad
I first went to a promenade concert as long ago as a time when Sir Henry Wood was conducting in the old Queen's Hall. It was the last night of the proms of that year in about nineteen thirty, and it was terribly hot, and I've never forgotten standing all the time in that great heat. But Mara Hess played the Grieg Pianofort Concerto. I fell in love with it then and have been in love with it ever since, and I would like to hear that piece.
I've had great difficulty in deciding between two pieces from Madam Butterfly. One is One Fine Day, and the other is The Humming Chorus. I like both. ... I think One Fine Day, sung by Vittoria Los Los Angeles.
Symphony No. 5, Op. 42, No. 1: V. Toccata
I've chosen it For two reasons. One, because it thrills me. I think it's most exciting music. And uh It was played at the wedding of um one of my daughters, and it'll help to remind me of that.
The Sound of Music: The Lonely Goatherd
I like as a change musical comedy. I'm not sure that the sound of music qualifies to be called a musical comedy. I would rather call it a musical play. But the sound of music is the loveliest one I can recall. I could hear it again and again and again. I've had great difficulty in choosing which piece to choose from it, and I've eventually come down on The Lonely Goatherd, sung by Julie Andrews.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: Opening
Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn
The piano concerto number two, the popular one, by um Rafmaninov.
Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
I think it's one of the most lovely pieces of music I've ever heard at any time.
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67: IV. AllegroFavourite
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
Why? Because I love it. I think it's magnificent absolutely magnificent.
In conversation
Presenter asks
3:48Was the idea that you should follow into law your father's or yours?
My father's. And to be an advocate rather than a solicitor. Well, that was his idea. I didn't know which. I hadn't enough knowledge or experience. But he was very shrewd and, I think, realised that I wouldn't have been much good as a solicitor. I don't think I had the patience, and he probably saw that. And he suggested I went to the bar, and when I realised what was involved, I was all for it. I agreed.
Presenter asks
12:12What was your first [brief]?
It was the day after I was called to the bar. It was to go to a magistrate's court, I cannot remember now what the what the trouble was, but I do remember that my opponent was a barrister who had won the VC in World War One. and looking out of the corner of my eye to see what his name was, it was Brett Cloutman, V C. In my nervousness I thought it was K C and I nearly swooned.
Presenter asks
12:51What did it mean [to be a press censor]?
No, it didn't work quite like that. Uh one worked all round the clock uh in shifts if you were in that section as I was uh when I began. But there were defence notices, D notices, which we all had. Any newspaper which had anything doubtful sent it in to be censored. If he had no doubt about it, he didn't trouble. He sent it in to us, and there was at large about twenty or thirty of us, working all round the clock. A piece would be put in front of us, and if it was all right, we passed it, stamped it if it wasn't, we altered it as we thought fit, with the blue pencil, the famous blue pencil, making suggested alterations.
The keepsakes
The book
E. W. Swanton and John Woodcock
Cricket, as you may have gathered from what I have just said, is one of the passions of my life, and the book I want is Barclay's World of Cricket. It has over five hundred and fifty pages, and it's rather like the fourth bridge. By the time I got to the end of it I'd be quite ready to start again.
Presenter asks
20:02How do you defend a man who says "I done it"?
Well, up to a point. You can't put him in the witness box. If he says to you, I done it, it's a fair cop gov, I done it, then you can't put him in the witness box to say on oath that he hadn't done it. All you can do is to try to destroy the prosecution case, and at the end of the prosecution case make a speech to the jury. It may be you have one or two other witnesses on different aspects of the matter. But then make a speech to the jury to try to satisfy them the prosecution hasn't proved his case. You can't put him in the witness box to say he hasn't done it. No.
Presenter asks
24:16Do you think your reputation for toughness was justified?
No, I don't. I'm surprised that I have that reputation, because in more cases have I passed a sentence which, on reflection, I have thought was much too lenient. And I've said to myself afterwards, you were weak, you should have passed a a heavier sentence. That's happened far more frequently than the other way about. I can only remember two cases offhand where I passed a sentence which I thought was too heavy, and on reflection I had the defendant back into court and reduced it. I can only recall that having happened twice.
Presenter asks
27:47Are there drawbacks to the jury system?
Yes, in some cases, particularly in long commercial fraud cases. I don't think it's fair on the jurors that they should be kept away from their avocations, whatever they are, for three, four or five months or more. They may be missing the chance of Promotion? and their employers are are missing their services. In such cases, particularly in fraud cases, I think a judge and two lay assessors, an accountant may be, and somebody from a Chamber of Commerce would be. Ideal, it would save an awful lot of time.
“But once you're on the bench, you're on your own.”
“I was sandwiched between Pat Devlin and Sylvan Lloyd. It was an inverse sandwich. I was the uninteresting piece of bread with the interesting bits of material on both sides.”
“I used to regard it as an exercise in advocacy when I knew he was guilty. It didn't worry me. I just did my best as an exercise in advocacy. When I thought he was innocent, I was very, very worried.”
“I met the judge once. It was on the occasion when he sent me down for a long stretch.”