Jean Sibelius — 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

Jean Sibelius

66 episodes

Chosen over the decades

66

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

7

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Anne-Sophie Mutter
Armando Iannucci
Arthur C Clarke
Barry Tuckwell
Bernice Rubens
Brian Blessed
Dame Beryl Grey
Dame Gladys Cooper
Daniel Massey
David Shepherd
David Wall
Diana Athill
Diana Dors
Dinsdale Landen
Dorothy Edwards
George Cole
Gerald Priestland
Glynis Johns
Jack Brymer
James Burke
James Ellroy
Jared Diamond
Jeffrey Bernard
Joanna Lumley
more

Joan Plowright
Joan Plowright on turning down a seven-year film contract
Castaway · 24 January 1981Roy Plomley
Jack Brymer
Jack Brymer on the phone call that opened with ‘Mister Brimer, I believe you play the clarionet’
Castaway · 26 May 1979Roy Plomley

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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

Sir Robert Helpmann

Robert Helpmann on seeing his mother in Katherine Hepburn's Portia

Castaway · 23 December 1978Roy Plomley

Dinsdale Landen

17°36′S 171°38′W

Dinsdale Landen

Dinsdale Landen on seeing Paul Schofield play Alexander the Great

Castaway · 16 December 1978Roy Plomley

Vladimir Ashkenazy

15°17′S 008°54′W

Vladimir Ashkenazy

How Vladimir Ashkenazy was told to compete or forget his career

Castaway · 2 December 1978Roy Plomley

Patricia Batty Shaw

14°58′S 074°40′W

Patricia Batty Shaw

How 'Can't we try a little longer?' made Patricia Batty Shaw WI secretary

Castaway · 22 July 1978Roy Plomley

10°58′S 086°42′W

Robert Hardy

How 13 episodes of a television series made Robert Hardy wish for a desert island

Castaway · 22 April 1978Roy 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

Dorothy Edwards

04°03′S 116°32′W

Dorothy Edwards

Dorothy Edwards on writing her first story aged four and finding it after her grandmother's death

Castaway · 31 December 1977Roy Plomley

Professor Alan Gemmell

11°58′S 044°52′W

Professor Alan Gemmell

Alan Gemmell on how his mother declared him a botanist after a neighbour's suggestion

Castaway · 12 November 1977Roy Plomley

Arthur C Clarke

08°50′S 115°54′W

Arthur C Clarke

Arthur C Clarke on building his own crystal set to listen to music as a youth

Castaway · 23 July 1977Roy Plomley

05°23′S 065°38′W

Merle Park

How coffee and cakes helped Merle Park afford her fare to Britain

Castaway · 26 February 1977Roy Plomley

15°06′S 150°35′W

Barry Tuckwell

How Barry Tuckwell joined the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as third horn at 15

Castaway · 5 February 1977Roy Plomley

07°00′S 007°12′W

George Cole

How shoveling coal made a man of George Cole

Castaway · 4 September 1976Roy Plomley

08°31′S 095°26′W

Glynis Johns

Glynis Johns on making her first stage appearance at a few days old

Castaway · 24 April 1976Roy Plomley

Dame Gladys Cooper

23°17′S 091°19′W

Dame Gladys Cooper

Gladys Cooper on pretending to be Mary Hennessy to get her first stage role

Castaway · 23 December 1967Roy Plomley