|
Desert Island Discs is
a long-running BBC
Radio 4 programme devised by the late Roy Plomley and first
broadcast in 1942. A guest ("castaway") is asked to choose eight pieces
of music, a book and a luxury item for their imaginary stay on the
island, while discussing their lives and the reasons for their choices.
I thought I would try it for myself. It is very difficult!
The first 3 to 5 were easily chosen, but after that it' wa difficult to
keep to 8 choices. I have eclectic musical tastes and that is reflected
in the choices.
Anyway, here are mine................with some rationale below |
|
 |
| |
Track (click to find why it was
chosen) |
Artist/Composer |
Performance |
| 1 |
Bridge Over
Troubled Water (Live at Central Park) |
Simon & Garfunkel |
 |
| 2 |
Cello Concerto
[First Movement (Adagio - Moderato)] |
Sir Edward Elgar
Cello: Jacqueline Du Pré
Conductor:
Daniel Barenboim |
|
| 3 |
Telegraph
Road |
Dire Straits |
|
| 4 |
Planets
Suite: Jupiter |
Gustav Holst |
|
| 5 |
Gaudete |
Steeleye Span |
|
| 6 |
My Heart Will Go
On |
Celine Dion |
|
| 7 |
Largo from New
World Symphony No 9 |
Antonín Dvorák |
|
| 8 |
In My Life |
Sean Connery |
|
|
Notes on why each track was
chosen |
| 1 |
Bridge Over
Troubled Water (Live at Central Park) |
Simon & Garfunkel |
|
| Paul Simon is my
favourite singer/songwriter and has been since the 1960s.
I have seen him live several times:
- At Pine Knob in Michigan (now DTE Music
Theatre) in 1998 where he shared the bill with Bob Dylan. I have to
admit that Dylan was far the better performer on the night.
- In Hyde Park, London in 2004 where he
appeared with Art Garfunkel (and the Everley Bothers)
- At the
NIA in Birmingham on June
30, 2011
So a Paul Simon song is a must. The first song
I play/sing at a new venue is always "Sounds of Silence", I often sing
"50 Ways" and "Slip Sliding Away" but for an extended period on my own
the words of "Bridge" have so much depth. And then there are the
associations it would conjure up...................
|
| 2 |
Cello Concerto
[First Movement (Adagio - Moderato)] |
Sir Edward Elgar
Cello: Jacqueline Du Pré
Conductor:
Daniel Barenboim |
|
| Elgar is a very
English composer. This movement is for those times of sadness that would
inevitably come. I was introduced to it by my friend Ann McMinnes. I saw
it performed by Julian LLoyd Webber in the Royal Albert Hall in 2009. |
| 3 |
Telegraph
Road |
Dire Straits |
|
| Dire Straits were
definitely my favourite group in the 1980s. Again I was introduced to
them by my friend Ann McMinnes. I sing "Money for Nothing" and really
enjoy "Brothers in Arms", but for long lasting meaning I had to choose
"Telegraph Road". I'd always associated it with Telegraph Road in Metro
Detroit, Michigan and then discovered that, indeed, that was the
inspiration for Mark Knopfler.[see].
I saw them perform at an open air concert at Woburn Abbey. |
| 4 |
Planets
Suite: Jupiter |
Gustav Holst |
|
| |
| Holst
is another English composer and The Planets Suite one of my favourite
pieces. Of the 8 pieces I would have to have to choose "Jupiter --
Bringer of Jollity". |
|
I remember in the 1950s one of its themes was used
for a BBC TV program about inventions/business ideas. |
| But the reason for choosing it is
the other theme known as "Thaxted" and used as a hymn "I Vow to
Thee My Country" |
|
Holst was organist at
the church at Thaxted in Essex. I actually looked at buying a home in
the town (I viewed 6 properties there). So "Jupiter" would remind me of
Essex, (a county I lived in for much of my life) as well as all the
places I visited during my "house hunt" |
| The melody is
also used as "World in Union" the theme of the Rugby Union World Cup |
|
| |
| 5 |
Gaudete |
Steeleye Span |
|
| Steeleye Span are my
favourite group of al time. I must have seen them live nearly 20 times
since the early 1970s (in such venus as Royal Albert Hall and The
Rainbow) to April 4, 2011
(Dartford). For my 18th birthday (and in
anticipation of passing my A Levels) my parents bought me an electric
guitar. We went to Charing Cross Road to buy it. I chose a Hofner
Presdent which was an acoustic electric in a "cello" style used by dace
bands (and Bert Weedon). Immediately my musical tastes changed to
folk music -- for which it was not really suitable. However, Steeleye
Span (and others) changed tat with their folk played with electric
instruments.
My first "contact" was long before I saw them
(and in fact the group's formation). In about 1968, founder members
Maddy Prior and Tim Hart visited Reading University to play and were
hosted by Roger Watson (?) who was in my corridor in Whiteknights Hall
of residence. It was only years later that I realised that the couple
sitting having coffee in his room would become part of my favourite
group).
From all their tracks I had to choose Gaudete
for long term listening.
|
| 6 |
My Heart Will
Go On |
Celine Dion |
|
| The movie "Titanic"
was released at the time when I was working (and living) in the US and
getting in to Karaoke.. This song was made popular by the movie and sung
often at the time by my favourite Karaoke Host,
"Patty
Kaye".
I saw Celine Dion sing it at the old Wembley
Stadium.
The words
"Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on"
would take on a new meaning when sat on a
Desert Island and remind me of so many friends "Far Across the
distance".
|
| 7 |
Largo from New
World Symphony No 9 |
Antonín Dvorák |
|
| Known popularly as
"the tune from the
Hovis advert" this would remind me not only of several visits
to Gold Hill in Shaftsbury
(where the ad was filmed) but of so many other towns in the UK. A
bit ironic when this was written about "The New World" |
| 8 |
In My Life |
Sean Connery |
|
| As a teenager in the
1960s I couldn't complete the disc without a Beatles song. So many to
choose from but one with a lot of meaning is "In My Life". I was
introduced to this version by my college friend William Smith. It's on
the album "In My Life" produced by Sir George Martin with versions of
Beatle songs sung by other artists --some very unusual which has made a
great "after dinner" quiz as guests try and work out who is singing.
This version was inspired by Peter Seller's "Hard Day's Night" in the
style of Richard III. |
