Desert Island Discs

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Robert Macfarlane, writer Jul 25, 2021

Show notes

Robert Macfarlane is a writer whose books about the natural world, including The Wild Places and The Old Ways, have won many prizes and taken root in the best-seller charts.

He was born into a family of enthusiastic amateur climbers and his early memories include being carried up the Cairngorms on his father's back. This childhood experience led to a lifelong passion, and inspired his first book, Mountains of the Mind, about the complex human fascination with mountains.

His interest in the wider natural world also developed from a young age, and much of his writing focuses on the environments around us and how we relate to them. In The Wild Places, he travelled to marshes and moors, cliff-tops and beaches, in search of remaining areas of wilderness in the British Isles. In The Old Ways, he headed out on foot, following often ancient pathways through a range of landscapes, both in Britain and beyond.

His book The Lost Words, created with the artist Jackie Morris and published in 2017, became a phenomenon. It highlighted how words such as bluebell, conker, heron and kingfisher were disappearing from modern British childhoods. It's been adapted for performance and widely distributed in schools and care homes.

Robert is Director of Studies in English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He is married to Professor Julia Lovell and they have three children.

DISC ONE: Nature Boy by Nat King Cole DISC TWO: The Ghost of O'Donahue by Johnny Flynn DISC THREE: California Dreamin by The Mamas And The Papas DISC FOUR: Birdhouse In Your Soul by They Might Be Giants DISC FIVE: Blessing by The Lost Words DISC SIX: Four Ethers by Serpentwithfeet DISC SEVEN: The Swimming Song by Loudon Wainwright III DISC EIGHT: Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time (third movement) performed by Claude Desurmont (clarinet)

BOOK CHOICE: Collected works of Gerard Manley Hopkins LUXURY ITEM: A chilli plant CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Ghost of O'Donahue by Johnny Flynn

Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, athlete Jul 18, 2021

Show notes

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is an Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion heptathlete, and is one of the most successful women in British sporting history. She was the face of Team GB during the 2012 London Olympics, and her image adorned billboards and hoardings across the country in the run up to the Games.

Born in Sheffield, Jessica discovered sport as a youngster after attending a local athletics camp during the school holidays. By the time she was 13 she was working with a coach and had joined the City of Sheffield Athletics Club.

In 2006 she won bronze at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games but in 2008 she suffered an injury to her right foot which dashed her hopes of competing in the Beijing Olympics.

She spent the next year working her way back to fitness and by the 2012 London Olympics she was at the peak of her powers. When she crossed the finish line on 4 August – known as Super Saturday when Team GB won three athletics gold medals in less than an hour – she took the gold medal with a British and Commonwealth record score which remained unbeaten for seven years. Just 15 months after the birth of her first child, Jessica won the heptathlon world title in Beijing – her third World Championship gold medal in a row. She won silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016. In October of that year, at the age of 30, she retired from competitive athletics.

DISC ONE: Moment 4 Life by Nicki Minaj DISC TWO: Street Life by Randy Crawford DISC THREE: Westside by TQ DISC FOUR: Foolish by Ashanti DISC FIVE: Mo Money Mo Problems by The Notorious BIG Featuring Mase And Puff Daddy DISC SIX: Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack DISC SEVEN: Public Service Announcement by Jay-Z DISC EIGHT: Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding

BOOK CHOICE: The Wonders of Life by Professor Brian Cox LUXURY ITEM: A photo album CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, veterinary surgeon Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick is a veterinary surgeon who presents the television series The Supervet. He has pushed the boundaries of treatment available to animals and has developed ground breaking surgery including fitting the world’s first bionic leg on a dog.

Noel was born in Ballyfin in Ireland where his father Sean was a farmer. As a very small boy Noel’s job was to count the sheep at night which he credits as the catalyst for his enduring love of animals.

He completed his training in Ireland where he worked as a country vet looking after livestock. He moved to England in the 1990s and set up his referral practice in Surrey in 1997.

Some of his famous clients include Meghan Markle’s dog Guy and Russell Brand’s cat Morrissey. He has also written two best-selling books based on his experiences of working with animals.

DISC ONE: One by U2 DISC TWO: Love of My Life by Queen DISC THREE: Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin DISC FOUR: Do Anything You Want To by Thin Lizzy DISC FIVE: Walking in My Shoes by Depeche Mode DISC SIX: Ruby Tuesday by The Rolling Stones DISC SEVEN: Uprising by Muse DISC EIGHT: Nothing Else Matters (Live) by Metallica And San Francisco Symphony

BOOK CHOICE: Oscar Wilde: Essays and Letters, Plays and Poems, Stories LUXURY ITEM: A guitar CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: One by U2

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Paul Costelloe, fashion designer Jul 04, 2021

Show notes

Paul Costelloe is a fashion designer who recently celebrated his 36th year showing at London Fashion Week, making him the event’s longest-standing designer.

Paul was born in Dublin where his father ran a successful company making raincoats. He studied at the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design and then moved to Paris where he started a fashion course at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture but felt out of his depth and soon dropped out.

He talked his way into a job with the eccentric French designer and performer Jacques Esterel, who designed Brigitte Bardot’s wedding dress, and then spent time in Milan and New York before returning to Ireland where he set up his own label.

In 1983 Paul started designing clothes for Diana, Princess of Wales – a collaboration that lasted until her death in 1997. He created a range of memorable outfits for the Princess of Wales including the tuxedo suit she wore to the Pavarotti in the Park concert at Hyde Park in 1991 where the Italian tenor serenaded her in front of 125,000 people during a torrential downpour.

DISC ONE: Don't Be Cruel by Elvis Presley DISC TWO: Raglan Road by Luke Kelly And The Dubliners DISC THREE: Save the Last Dance For Me by The Drifters DISC FOUR: Les Champs-Elysees by Joe Dassin DISC FIVE: Ol Man River by Paul Robeson DISC SIX: Did You Not Hear My Lady by Aled Jones DISC SEVEN: Di Capua, Capurro: O Sole Mio! performed by Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) and National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Giancarlo Chiaramello DISC EIGHT: Grace by Rod Stewart

BOOK CHOICE: Reynard the Fox by Anne Louise Avery LUXURY ITEM: A painting kit CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Grace by Rod Stewart

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Margaret Busby, publisher Jun 27, 2021

Show notes

Margaret Busby is a publisher and editor who was the chair of the Booker Prize jury in 2020.

She has spent a life time in the literary world and was the youngest person and first black woman to set up a publishing house when she was twenty three years old. Together with Clive Allison, she created Allison and Busby based in Soho, London.

Margaret was born in Ghana in the 1940s and spent her childhood at a boarding school in the UK whilst her parents ran a medical practice in rural Ghana. She studied English at Bedford College, University of London before embarking on her career in publishing.

Margaret’s love of poetry was the catalyst for setting up Allison and Busby. They were both totally new to publishing and did not know the usual industry rules. She and her business partner had fifteen thousand, five shilling poetry magazines printed without any means of distributing them . They went on to be an eclectic publishing house championing new work and also reprinting classic texts from writers of all backgrounds.

In recent years, Margaret has made time to be a literary judge and has compiled two landmark anthologies Daughters of Africa and New Daughters of Africa which pull together writings by women of African descent from Ancient Egypt to the present day.

DISC ONE: 7 Seconds by Youssou N’dour with Neneh Cherry DISC TWO: Haiti by David Rudder DISC THREE: Ave Maria – Gounod by Kathleen Battle (soprano) and Orchestra of St. Lukes, conducted by Leonard Slatkin DISC FOUR: Visions by Stevie Wonder DISC FIVE: My Baby Just Cares For Me by Nina Simone DISC SIX: Masanga by Jean Bosco Mwenda DISC SEVEN: Soweto Blues by Miriam Makeba DISC EIGHT: On The Sunny Side Of The Street by Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins And Sonny Stitt

BOOK CHOICE: Return to My Native Land by Aimé Césaire LUXURY ITEM: An endless supply of Ghanaian chocolate CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Visions by Stevie Wonder

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Sarah Taylor

Richard Wilson, actor and director Jun 20, 2021

Show notes

Richard Wilson is an actor and director who became a household name when he played the part of Victor Meldrew in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave.

Richard was born in Greenock in Scotland in 1936. As a child he performed in amateur drama productions and harboured a secret desire to become an actor. He left school at 17 and trained as a laboratory technician at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow.

Following National Service in Singapore, he moved to London and at the age of 27 successfully auditioned for a place at RADA. His first role was as a stonemason in Dr Finlay’s Casebook and he later reached a wider audience playing snooty Jeremy Parsons QC in the television series Crown Court. Richard went on to carve out a successful theatre and television career as both an actor and director. He starred in the comedy Only When I Laugh and later in the series Tutti Frutti alongside Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane.

In 1990 he delighted audiences with his portrayal of the grumpy pensioner Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave, with his catchphrase ‘I don’t believe it!’ – a phrase which has haunted Richard ever since. The series regularly attracted an audience of 17 million viewers and Richard won two BAFTAs for his performance.

Richard received an award for his outstanding contribution to film and television at the Scottish BAFTAs in 2013.

DISC ONE: Symphony No. 6 in D Minor (4th movement) composed by Jean Sibelius, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan DISC TWO: Farewell to Stromness by Peter Maxwell Davies DISC THREE: Im Abendrot from Four Last Songs, composed by Richard Strauss, performed by Renee Fleming and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach DISC FOUR: The Rite of Spring, composed by Igor Stravinsky, performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Simon Rattle DISC FIVE: Cucurrucucu Paloma by Caetano Veloso DISC SIX: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack DISC SEVEN: Hammond Song by The Roches DISC EIGHT: Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor (first movement) by Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello)

BOOK CHOICE: The poetry of Robert Burns LUXURY ITEM: A subscription to The Guardian newspaper CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Im Abendrot from Four Last Songs, composed by Richard Strauss, performed by Renee Fleming and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Yo-Yo Ma, musician Jun 13, 2021

Show notes

Yo-Yo Ma is a cellist and one of the world's most high-profile classical musicians. He has performed for eight US Presidents, appeared in concert halls across the globe and reached new audiences through film soundtracks and TV shows including The Simpsons and Sesame Street.

Yo-Yo Ma was born in Paris in 1955. His Chinese-born parents were both musicians and his father was his first cello teacher. The family moved to the USA when Yo-Yo was seven, and a noted child prodigy, playing for John F Kennedy and Leonard Bernstein. He went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York and at Harvard University.

He has recorded more than 100 albums, and his many Grammy awards reveal the range of his musical interests. Along with prize-winning concerto and chamber music discs, and an acclaimed recording of Bach's Suites from unaccompanied cello, he's won awards for folk and tango albums. He is also the driving force behind the Silk Road Ensemble, creating music inspired by the cultures found along the historic trade route linking China and the West.

His high-profile appearances in America include the first performance on the site of the World Trade Centre, a year after the 9/11 attacks, and contributions to the inaugurations of Presidents Obama and Biden. A more recent informal solo performance took place at his local Covid vaccination centre in Massachusetts.

Yo-Yo Ma has been married to Jill Hornor for more than 40 years, and they have two children.

DISC ONE: Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen DISC TWO: Erbame Dich composed by J.S Bach, conducted by Ton Koopman, performed by Kai Wessel (alto vocals), accompanied by Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra DISC THREE: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15: Maestoso, composed by Johannes Brahms, conducted by George Szell, performed by The Cleveland Orchestra DISC FOUR: Elgar: 1st movement Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op 85, composed by Edward Elgar, conducted by Jacqueline du Pré (cello) and London Symphony Orchestra DISC FIVE: Tin Tin Deo (Live) by The Oscar Peterson Trio DISC SIX: M4 Lieder, Op.27: Morgen! Composed by Richard Strauss, performed by Janet Baker (mezzo-soprano) and Gerald Moore (piano) DISC SEVEN: Podmoskovnye Vechera - Moscow Nights, composed by Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi, conducted by Constantine Orbelian and performed by Dimitri Hvorostovsky (baritone) and Moscow Chamber Orchestra DISC EIGHT: Schubert- Piano Trio #2 In E Flat, Op. 100, D 929 - 4. Allegro Moderato, composed by Franz Schubert, performed by Alexander Schneider (violin) and Mieczysław Horszowski (piano) BOOK CHOICE: Encyclopedia Britannica LUXURY ITEM: A Swiss Army knife CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Schubert- Piano Trio #2 In E Flat, Op. 100, D 929 - 4. Allegro Moderato, composed by Franz Schubert, performed by Alexander Schneider (violin) and Mieczysław Horszowski (piano)

Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

Heather Hallett, former judge and crossbench peer Jun 06, 2021

Show notes

Heather Hallett, Baroness Hallett of Rye, is a former judge and a cross-bench peer.

Called to the Bar in 1972, Heather practised family, civil and criminal law, eventually specialising in criminal law. In 1989 she became a QC and was the first woman to chair the Bar Council in 1998. She was only the fifth woman to be appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2005 and was appointed vice president of the Court of Appeal Criminal Division in 2013.

Heather was born in Eastleigh in Hampshire. Her father Hugh was a policeman who worked his way up to the rank of assistant chief constable. With each promotion the family moved house and Heather’s education was disrupted, leading her teachers to conclude that she was unlikely to secure a place at university. Heather proved them wrong and studied law at the University of Oxford.

In 2009 she acted as coroner at the inquest into the deaths of the 52 victims of the July 7th London bombings in 2005 and she has taken over the inquest of Dawn Sturgess who died in the Salisbury Novichok poisonings.

Heather retired as a judge in 2019 and currently sits as a life peer.

DISC ONE: Caroline (Live) by Status Quo DISC TWO: Climb Ev’ry Mountain by Peggy Wood (Mother Abbess) DISC THREE: Wing Commander Hancock by Tony Hancock and Kenneth Williams DISC FOUR: Invisible Touch by Genesis DISC FIVE: The Best by Tina Turner DISC SIX: I Heard it Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye DISC SEVEN: Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by Temple Church Choir DISC EIGHT: Vissi d’Arte by Maria Callas (soprano) and Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala, conducted by Victor De Sabata BOOK CHOICE: Inspector Morse Mysteries Series Collection by Colin Dexter LUXURY ITEM: A solar-powered iPad CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Caroline (Live) by Status Quo

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, charity CEO May 30, 2021

Show notes

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi is the chief executive of Christian Aid, leading development and humanitarian work in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Amanda was born in Twickenham and grew up in Zambia and Rome where her stepfather worked in the diplomatic service. She studied international trade and investment law at the University of Zambia in Lusaka and during this time she began to develop her political outlook and commitment to the issue of social justice.

She moved to the UK in 1996 where she took a master’s degree at the University of Warwick. But even with two degrees and considerable work experience she was unable to find a job and retrained as a care worker. She says her time working in nursing homes “reshaped” and “humbled” her.

Later she worked for the VSO and served with the United Nations Volunteer programme in Germany before landing what she calls her “dream job” at Christian Aid in 2018.

DISC ONE: Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba DISC TWO: Ave Maria (after Arcadelt) Composed by Jacques Arcadelt, performed by Choeur de Chambre de Namur, conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón DISC THREE: My Hometown by Bruce Springsteen DISC FOUR: Jerusalema by Master Kg Featuring Nomcebo Zikode DISC FIVE: You Know My Name by Tasha Cobbs Leonard Featuring Jimi Cravity DISC SIX: (Red)emption Song by John Legend DISC SEVEN: I Believe by Fantasia DISC EIGHT: It Is Well With My Soul by Wintley Phipps

BOOK CHOICE: Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson LUXURY ITEM: Quality Street chocolates CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: It Is Well With My Soul by Wintley Phipps

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Alexei Sayle, comedian May 23, 2021

Show notes

Alexei Sayle is a comedian and writer, who began his career just over 40 years ago at the small Comedy Store venue in London, which proved a launch-pad for a new generation of comic stars.

Alexei was born in Liverpool, where his parents were loyal members of the Communist Party: their politics informed almost every aspect of the family’s life, including holidays by train to eastern European countries that were then part of the Soviet bloc.

He won a place at Chelsea School of Art but didn’t thrive as a painter. He began performing with a theatre troupe and - after answering an advertisement - became the compere on the opening night of the Comedy Store. He soon found himself at the centre of a new wave of British comedy. With his tight suits and often abrasive stage presence, he enjoyed successful stand-up tours, appearances on numerous TV shows including The Young Ones, and even a novelty pop hit.

He attempted to launch a career in America, but was fired from a TV series on his 40th birthday. He stepped back from stand-up and devoted himself to writing novels and short stories. More recently, he has returned to live performance, and has also created a number of comedy series for Radio 4. He lives in London with his wife Linda: they have been married for almost 50 years.

DISC ONE: Volver by Carlos Gardel DISC TWO: Joe Hill by Joan Baez DISC THREE: Aviator’s March by Yevgeny Kibkalo (baritone), conducted by Alexei Kovalev DISC FOUR: Seeräuber Jenny (Pirate Jenny) by Lotte Lenya DISC FIVE: Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin DISC SIX: Shipbuilding by Robert Wyatt DISC SEVEN: It Was a Good Day by Ice Cube DISC EIGHT: Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal BOOK CHOICE: The Sword of Honour Trilogy by Evelyn Waugh LUXURY ITEM: A Chinese Broadsword CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin

Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

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