Francis Poulenc — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Francis Poulenc — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Composer

Francis Poulenc

23 episodes

Chosen over the decades

23

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

5

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Barry Humphries
Christopher Lloyd
Claire Bloom
Cormac Murphy O'Connor
David Hockney
David Wall
Deborah Bull
Eileen Atkins
Felix Aprahamian
John Gunter
John Piper
Ken Follett
Kenneth Macmillan
Norman Painting
Professor Glyn Daniel
Robert Hardy
Sir Alec Guinness
Sir Anthony Dowell
Sir Cecil Beaton
Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
Sir Frederick Ashton
Sir Osbert Lancaster
Stephen Hawking

Deborah Bull
How a night at the Oxford Union changed Deborah Bull's life
Castaway · 26 May 2013Kirsty Young
Robert Hardy
Robert Hardy on how dissatisfaction with himself led him to acting
Castaway · 20 November 2011Kirsty Young

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Barry Humphries

How a slip on a frozen stream nearly killed Barry Humphries

Castaway · 24 May 2009Kirsty Young

11°34′S 080°54′W

Ken Follett

Ken Follett on reading his first James Bond story at age 12

Castaway · 25 November 2001Sue Lawley

Cormac Murphy O'Connor

02°33′S 028°46′W

Cormac Murphy O'Connor

Cormac Murphy O'Connor on waking up at three in the morning and wondering if it's all true

Castaway · 22 July 2001Sue Lawley

Norman Painting

13°23′S 023°53′W

Norman Painting

Norman Painting on resigning from The Archers after three months

Castaway · 26 December 2000Sue Lawley

Christopher Lloyd

20°31′S 039°26′W

Christopher Lloyd

How Christopher Lloyd replaced a Lutyens rose garden with bananas and palms

Castaway · 20 August 2000Sue Lawley

23°59′S 168°52′W

Eileen Atkins

Eileen Atkins on the gipsy who predicted she would be a great dancer

Castaway · 29 November 1998Sue Lawley

Sir Anthony Dowell

08°43′S 051°21′W

Sir Anthony Dowell

Anthony Dowell on having his knees inspected by Dame Ninette de Valois

Castaway · 8 March 1998Sue Lawley

Felix Aprahamian

06°18′S 072°41′W

Felix Aprahamian

Felix Aprahamian on the piano blunder that taught him critical wisdom

Castaway · 19 March 1995Sue Lawley

Stephen Hawking

05°13′S 128°02′W

Stephen Hawking

How a tracheostomy saved Stephen Hawking's life but took his voice

Castaway · 25 December 1992Sue Lawley

Sir Eduardo Paolozzi

02°06′S 116°35′W

Sir Eduardo Paolozzi

Eduardo Paolozzi on the night his father was taken away and never seen again

Castaway · 2 December 1990Sue Lawley

01°08′S 019°46′W

John Piper

How the King told John Piper he was 'very unlucky with the weather'

Castaway · 10 December 1983Roy Plomley

12°04′S 142°46′W

John Gunter

John Gunter on designing a show for his mother that never happened

Castaway · 23 July 1983Roy Plomley

Kenneth Macmillan

14°10′S 041°49′W

Kenneth Macmillan

How a schoolboy letter helped Kenneth Macmillan get into ballet school

Castaway · 5 March 1983Roy Plomley

00°07′S 157°58′W

Claire Bloom

How an invitation to Florida went wrong for Claire Bloom

Castaway · 4 September 1982Roy Plomley

Professor Glyn Daniel

18°03′S 041°15′W

Professor Glyn Daniel

Glyn Daniel on visiting every megalithic monument in southern Britain

Castaway · 7 November 1981Roy Plomley

Sir Frederick Ashton

15°38′S 002°40′W

Sir Frederick Ashton

Frederick Ashton on being riveted by Anna Pavlova's performance aged 13

Castaway · 2 May 1981Roy Plomley

Sir Cecil Beaton

22°31′S 013°52′W

Sir Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton on first hearing the Merry Widow from a hurdy gurdy man aged five

Castaway · 26 January 1980Roy Plomley

Sir Osbert Lancaster

04°51′S 164°33′W

Sir Osbert Lancaster

How Osbert Lancaster timed his daily cartoons to the evening paper editions

Castaway · 22 December 1979Roy Plomley

23°02′S 078°05′W

David Wall

How David Wall helped a Japanese ballet company understand Swan Lake

Castaway · 25 March 1978Roy Plomley

Sir Alec Guinness

17°43′S 107°24′W

Sir Alec Guinness

How Nellie Wallace's rude noises inspired Alec Guinness to become an actor

Castaway · 24 December 1977Roy Plomley

13°07′S 097°57′W

David Hockney

David Hockney on being asked if he had a private income at art school

Castaway · 5 February 1972Roy Plomley