Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A baritone singer, known for his opera and concert performances.
On the island
Eight records
Choir of King's College, Cambridge, conducted by Philip Ledger
This brings back, I suppose, early days of being in church choir and that kind of background that I had and being English as well, I suppose, there seems nothing more English than the rousing sound of the start of this anthem.
Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor: IV. Adagietto
Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Haitink
Probably as a result of my arriving at college. I I had never heard of a guy called Mahler until I got there, and then I was confronted in the, I think, practically the first term I was at college, the Royal College in London, with uh the Symphony of a Thousand, the Eighth Symphony, which was a memorable experience. Anyhow, this particular record is the Fifth Symphony.
The Dream of Gerontius: The Angel's Farewell
I have to have some L Gar. And out of all the Elgar, this has to be the representative piece. It's the dream of Garantius, and I particularly want to hear Helen Watts singing The Angels' Farewell.
Vier ernste Gesänge, Op. 121: No. 3, O Tod, wie bitter bist du
Alexander Kipnis, with Gerald Moore
Fourth record is a wonderful voice. I just have to hear this voice. It's a recording of the four serious songs of Brahms, and I want to hear the third song, O tot, O Tot, Vi Bita Bistu, sung by Alexander Kipnis.
Triple Concerto in C major, Op. 56Favourite
Beethoven has to be with me, and as a small token of representation for him I've chosen the triple concerto, with a formidable line up of Oestrak, Rostropovich, Richter, and conducted by Karian.
Henry V: The St Crispin's Day Speech
I'm fascinated by the quality of the human voice at any time and uh this particular human voice and this particular person. Laurence Olivier means rather a lot, and uh it's old hat, I know, and rather hackneyed, but I want to hear a section of Henry the Fifth, and particularly the Crispian speech.
A Village Romeo and Juliet: The Walk to the Paradise Garden
London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli
I would like to hear um an old recording of Barbara Ollie's of the Walk to the Paradise Garden.
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622
Jack Brymer, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham
I have to have some Mozart, I suppose. Why do I say I suppose? Uh he's everywhere in my life, is Mozart, so and is a very important part of it. But I don't want to hear any um any singing, I just want to hear Jack Primer playing uh the clarinet concerto under Beecham.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:30How well do you think you could endure loneliness?
Reasonably well. I've had a fair amount of experience of it, although it it's for a timed duration generally of going away and spending time abroad in small hotel rooms and uh being on one's own is is very much a part of of a singer's life, but rather different from uh sitting all day on a desert island beach under a palm tree.
Presenter asks
5:58What gave you that change of heart [to pursue singing instead of science]?
I wish I could tell you. I I don't know. Probably success in uh music competitions, I don't know. I just had a desire to sing, and uh investigated the possibility of of doing that, and found out it might well be possible.
Presenter asks
9:45What did [Dennis Arundel] say?
I can't remember how many performances we did, but I know at the end of it he said, If you don't take up opera more seriously, you'll be a bloody fool.
Presenter asks
The keepsakes
The book
Charlotte Brontë
They're wonderful to have. I'm I'd be very happy to have those. And uh the other thing this just goes to show how English bound I am is uh Charlotte Bronte Jane Hare.
The luxury
Could I have a bag of golf clubs? Yes, of course. And uh some balls. Yes. And then if nothing else, I mean if I was there a long time I thought I could hack down a few trees and make a small course. And the way the golf business is developing now, I could probably become a millionaire on that little island in a few years. Yes, yes. You never know. Right, yeah. Well. And I could practice with my wedge on the beach and things like that.
How long were you with the Welsh National Opera?
I spent three years there uh three very lucrative seasons. They were very beneficial to me.
Presenter asks
23:59Do you think the concert platform is equally important [to the operatic side of your career]?
It's very difficult to say that it's equally important because the very nature of opera is is a time consuming business. You have to be in a place for three, four weeks rehearsing and then for another two weeks, three weeks, whatever it is, giving those performances that you've been working towards. And so it does eat up an awful lot of time. And I do love being on stage and so you just have to accept that that is the condition by which you work. But I I think I've overdone it really in in past years to the uh detriment of my concert career and I do enjoy giving concerts very much and uh we're in the process of putting that to right now.
“I've always taken a uh a fairly Careful approach, a wary approach to overdevelopment too soon. Good. I could have allowed myself to be ruined totally by now if some of the offers had that had been made to me I'd accepted some years ago. But I've I've treaded fairly warily, and I think it's proved worth while.”
“I'm fascinated by the quality of the human voice at any time and uh this particular human voice and this particular person.”
“I think I've chosen eight entirely wrong records.”