George Frideric Handel — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Tuning in…

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

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

George Frideric Handel

189 episodes

Chosen over the decades

188

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

8

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Agnes Nicholls
Al Alvarez
Alan Clark
Alan Pegler
Alan Sillitoe
Alfred Brendel
Anne Fine
Anthony Andrews
Anthony Grey
Anthony Howard
Anton Edelmann
A S Byatt
Barbara Mills QC
Baroness Hale of Richmond
Bernard Levin
Beryl Reid
Beverly Sills
Bishop John Sentamu
Bransby Williams
Brian Glover
Brigadier Peter Young
Burl Ives
Celia Birtwell
Chad Varah
more

David Starkey
David Starkey on his mother's fear that he was born disabled
Castaway · 6 February 2005Sue Lawley
U A Fanthorpe
U A Fanthorpe on re-baptising herself from Ursula
Castaway · 9 May 2004Sue Lawley
Paul Dacre

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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

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

Paul Dacre on being pinned against a wall with guns in Belfast

Castaway · 25 January 2004Sue Lawley

Bishop John Sentamu

16°50′S 134°18′W

Bishop John Sentamu

John Sentamu on reciting Psalms as guards went for lunch

Castaway · 22 June 2003Sue Lawley

12°13′S 169°50′W

Derek Brown

Derek Brown on his first taste of hot foie gras

Castaway · 25 May 2003Sue Lawley

01°29′S 136°13′W

George Fenton

George Fenton on the Daily Telegraph advert that got him a part in Forty Years On

Castaway · 11 May 2003Sue Lawley

Paul Gambaccini

19°11′S 131°04′W

Paul Gambaccini

Paul Gambaccini on realizing he was a 'freak' for his music knowledge

Castaway · 13 October 2002Sue Lawley

01°39′S 122°46′W

Timothy Spall

Timothy Spall on his drama teacher's extraordinary praise after playing the lion in The Wizard of Oz

Castaway · 22 September 2002Sue Lawley

21°59′S 179°17′W

Sir Paul Nurse

Paul Nurse on failing O-level French six times

Castaway · 10 February 2002Sue Lawley

22°55′S 089°02′W

Anne Fine

How the tabloid response to child murders inspired Anne Fine's The Tulip Touch

Castaway · 16 December 2001Sue Lawley

Margaret Drabble

10°12′S 162°11′W

Margaret Drabble

Margaret Drabble on swallowing paracetamol out of bad temper

Castaway · 6 May 2001Sue Lawley

Sir Alec Broers

01°10′S 135°47′W

Sir Alec Broers

Alec Broers on being thought lonely at university for enjoying ice skating and music

Castaway · 1 April 2001Sue Lawley

15°42′S 006°37′W

Richard Briers

Richard Briers on being fired from amateur dramatics at 14 for speaking too fast

Castaway · 17 December 2000Sue Lawley

Sir Peter Bonfield

03°51′S 059°37′W

Sir Peter Bonfield

Peter Bonfield on his phobia of being late after discipline from nuns

Castaway · 30 April 2000Sue Lawley

Sir Anthony Caro

04°59′S 052°04′W

Sir Anthony Caro

Anthony Caro on being stuck in a garage

Castaway · 16 April 2000Sue Lawley

00°21′S 087°36′W

Al Alvarez

Al Alvarez on ducking out when Sylvia Plath begged him to stay

Castaway · 19 March 2000Sue Lawley

Sir Richard Sykes

14°24′S 151°27′W

Sir Richard Sykes

Richard Sykes on his failed dream to become a naturalist

Castaway · 5 December 1999Sue Lawley

23°28′S 155°52′W

Anthony Howard

Anthony Howard on how friendship with Charles Straitshey changed his politics

Castaway · 30 May 1999Sue Lawley

David Attenborough

18°58′S 131°25′W

David Attenborough

David Attenborough on the gorilla that cradled his face in her hands

Castaway · 25 December 1998Sue Lawley

12°38′S 159°44′W

John Keegan

John Keegan on being lucky to be slightly disabled

Castaway · 6 December 1998Sue Lawley

02°41′S 043°35′W

Chris De Burgh

Chris De Burgh on not wanting to be a grandfather saying he could have been a great singer

Castaway · 26 July 1998Sue Lawley

Rt Hon Jack Straw MP

04°00′S 026°19′W

Rt Hon Jack Straw MP

Jack Straw on sitting on a suspect until the police arrived

Castaway · 12 July 1998Sue Lawley

Sir David Willcocks

09°07′S 124°19′W

Sir David Willcocks

David Willcocks on being conducted by Elgar as a ten-year-old choir boy

Castaway · 17 May 1998Sue Lawley

02°47′S 104°09′W

John Tomlinson

John Tomlinson on suggesting James Morris for the role of Wotan

Castaway · 18 January 1998Sue Lawley

John Julius Norwich

13°46′S 145°19′W

John Julius Norwich

John Julius Norwich on leaving Venice with a haunting sense of regret

Castaway · 2 November 1997Sue Lawley

Sir Frank Kermode

14°16′S 001°48′W

Sir Frank Kermode

Frank Kermode on dealing with the madness of captains during the war

Castaway · 7 September 1997Sue Lawley

03°55′S 172°40′W

Eric Sykes

Eric Sykes on crying from homesickness on his first night in the RAF

Castaway · 22 June 1997Sue Lawley

17°28′S 095°16′W

Martin Amis

Martin Amis on attending more than a dozen schools as a child

Castaway · 29 December 1996Sue Lawley

Jancis Robinson

22°52′S 157°12′W

Jancis Robinson

How a 1959 Burgundy took Jancis Robinson to another place

Castaway · 27 October 1996Sue Lawley

Sir Terence Conran

13°13′S 154°17′W

Sir Terence Conran

How a grocery queue helped Terence Conran accept a knighthood

Castaway · 1 September 1996Sue Lawley

Professor George Steiner

04°14′S 105°54′W

Professor George Steiner

George Steiner on the moment his father called a mob 'history'

Castaway · 18 February 1996Sue Lawley

Sir Bernard Ingham

01°17′S 034°14′W

Sir Bernard Ingham

How Bernard Ingham blamed 'knifing Tories' for Thatcher's fall

Castaway · 21 May 1995Sue Lawley

20°44′S 160°01′W

James Bowman

James Bowman on his voice packing up in the studio

Castaway · 9 April 1995Sue Lawley

Christopher Lee

13°01′S 116°21′W

Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee on being told he was playing all the parts in the play

Castaway · 26 February 1995Sue Lawley

Sir Adrian Cadbury

15°19′S 098°05′W

Sir Adrian Cadbury

Adrian Cadbury on losing the Olympic rowing final by twelve feet

Castaway · 29 January 1995Sue Lawley

14°54′S 048°05′W

Alan Clark

How Alan Clark nearly became Defence Secretary until Saddam invaded Kuwait

Castaway · 1 January 1995Sue Lawley

Jeanette Winterson

12°01′S 067°52′W

Jeanette Winterson

Jeanette Winterson on deciding never to read reviews

Castaway · 9 October 1994Sue Lawley

Professor James Fenton

21°02′S 093°16′W

Professor James Fenton

James Fenton on the Les Misérables song that made him a millionaire

Castaway · 2 October 1994Sue Lawley

18°02′S 153°48′W

Ian Hislop

How Ian Hislop's lawyer passed a note doubting Robert Maxwell's tears

Castaway · 9 January 1994Sue Lawley

20°20′S 136°32′W

Lord Ashley

Jack Ashley on hearing his grandson say 'They're not flies, grandad'

Castaway · 26 December 1993Sue Lawley

16°46′S 021°51′W

Lesley Garrett

Lesley Garrett on baring her bottom to dodge a Top C

Castaway · 10 October 1993Sue Lawley

06°58′S 097°00′W

Joan Baez

Joan Baez on first seeing Bob Dylan at Gertie's Folk City

Castaway · 20 June 1993Sue Lawley

18°05′S 022°36′W

Lord Weinstock

Arnold Weinstock on being sent with a label and gas mask to the wilds of Warwickshire

Castaway · 23 May 1993Sue Lawley

11°22′S 158°56′W

Eva Burrows

Eva Burrows on her teenage rebellion against the Salvation Army

Castaway · 16 May 1993Sue Lawley

00°02′S 150°48′W

John Cole

John Cole on scooping the appointment of Alf Robens

Castaway · 9 May 1993Sue Lawley

12°18′S 068°41′W

Anton Edelmann

Anton Edelmann on the pigeon in red wine sauce that changed his life

Castaway · 18 April 1993Sue Lawley

Sir Robin Butler

02°44′S 156°01′W

Sir Robin Butler

Robin Butler on why he couldn't bring himself to become a lawyer

Castaway · 21 February 1993Sue Lawley

Barbara Mills QC

03°54′S 145°18′W

Barbara Mills QC

Barbara Mills on being told women can't be barristers

Castaway · 10 January 1993Sue Lawley

John Eliot Gardiner

22°30′S 084°22′W

John Eliot Gardiner

John Eliot Gardiner on his zany pilgrimage route from Samarkand to Seville

Castaway · 22 November 1992Sue Lawley

02°31′S 073°19′W

Chad Varah

Chad Varah on the child whose suicide inspired his sex education teaching

Castaway · 27 September 1992Sue Lawley