Jill Balcon

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Jill Balcon. She has the voice of an old friend - and it's not surprising, she was a BBC radio announcer during the war and has been acting and performing poetry consistently since. Poetry has always played a central role in her life. She was only 12 years old when she first saw the poet Cecil Day Lewis. He had come to judge a poetry-reading competition at her school and although he was more than 20 years her senior, he was, she says, the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

They were married for more than 20 years. Since his death in 1972, she has maintained her own acting career, continued raising their children - the acclaimed cookery writer Tamasin and Oscar-winning actor Daniel - and also worked hard to preserve his legacy.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Choices

1.

Franz Schubert

Auf dem Wasser zu singen (To be Sung upon the Water), D774

Soloist: Felicity Lott accompanied by Graham Johnson

Others who chose this artist

2.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Piano Concerto in B flat major - 3rd movement

Soloist: Clifford Curzon Orchestra: The English Chamber Orchestra Conductor: Benjamin Britten

Others who chose this artist

3.

Castaway's favourite

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Symphony No. 5 in D major - 3rd movement

Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington

Others who chose this artist

4.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 - 3rd movement

Soloist: Paul Lewis

Others who chose this artist

5.

Peter Cook

Sitting on the Bench

Others who chose this artist

6.

Charles Trenet

La Mer

Others who chose this artist

7.

Leos Janacek

String Quartet No. 2 'Intimate Letters'

Orchestra: Medici String Quartet

Others who chose this artist

8.

Ella Fitzgerald

Let's Do It

Others who chose this artist

Book

The collected works by Thomas Hardy

Others who chose this author

Luxury item

A barrel of Guerlain Jicky perfume

Others who chose a similar luxury

Roy Plomley's castaway is actress Jill Balcon.

Choices

1.

Dennis Cox

My Lagen Love

2.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

The Wasps Overture

Orchestra: Hallé Orchestra

Others who chose this artist

3.

Franz Schubert

Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major

Soloist: Alfred Cortot, Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casa

Others who chose this artist

4.

Jean Sablon

Sur le Pont D'Avignon

Others who chose this artist

5.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony No. 39 in E flat major

Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Bruno Walter

Others who chose this artist

6.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Cantata No. 68: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt

Soloist: Isobel Baillie, Anthony Pini

Others who chose this artist

7.

Maurice Ravel

Jeux d'eau

Soloist: Eileen Joyce

Others who chose this artist

8.

Giuseppe Verdi

Bella figlia dell'amore (from Rigoletto)

Soloist: Nellie Melba/Edna Thornton/John McCormack

Others who chose this artist