|
An
afternoon of poetry and music
Holywell Music Room, Oxford
Sunday 30 November - 5pm
|
Louis
de Bernieres achieved worldwide fame and fortune as author of the
acclaimed novel, Captain Corelli's Mandolin. His performing talents
are less well-known.
|
INTERVIEW
|
 |
|
Click
to hear Louis de Bernieres tell Jonathan Hancock about his
hopes - and his disappointment over the Corelli movie.
|
|
|
|
|
He's
a "sort of" member of the Antonius Players - and
yes, he does play the mandolin, as well as clarinet and classical
guitar.
"I
always did play the mandolin," he said, "but when I was
writing Captain Corelli I started playing it quite a lot, just to
get myself in the mood, and I've never really stopped since.
"I've
become my own stereotype."
He
spoke to Jonathan Hancock on BBC Radio Oxford to promote an afternoon
poetry readings and music by the Antonius Players.
"I'm
a sort of member of the Antonius Players," he said. "I'm
their weakest link but I can play to a medium level.
"But
mainly I'm reading poetry."
He
said he had tried to match the poems for the Holywell Room concert
to the music being played - including the medieval Packington's
Pound and two traditional Irish sets.
"We
are raising money for cancer research, so a couple of poems will
be about loss, but not too depressingly so.
"The
sister-in-law of one of the players - Ilona Antonius, our flautist
- died recently.
"She
was hoping to live long enough to come to this concert but she didn't
make it, so we are dedicating it to her and giving the money away."
The
concert has been a welcome distraction from wondering how his next
book - just finished - will be received.
"There's
something odd about a big success," he said. "It knocks
your confidence.
"You
start to wonder if you are a fraud and you can't keep it up. So
I'm going to close my eyes and block my ears."
|
An
afternoon of poetry and music
Holywell Music Room, Oxford
Sunday 30 November
17:00
Tickets £10
Available from the Book House, Summertown or on the door.
Phone 01865 510887
|
|
