Flowers and farming - Anna Hill explores the agricultural side of Chelsea Flower Show. 
1.
Castaway's favourite
The monks of the Benedictine Monastry of Santo Domingo de Silos
Victimae Paschali Laudes
Peter Maxwell Davies
Broadcast
First broadcast: Sun 30 Jan 2005
Composer
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Peter Maxwell Davies.
He is one of Britain's greatest living composers. His career has seen him go from enfant terrible and champion of new music, writing pieces such as Worldes Blis and Eight Songs for a Mad King, to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen's Music. Peter Maxwell Davies was born in Salford, near Manchester, in 1934. Whilst studying at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music he formed the key friendships which were to influence his musical career - with Harrison Birtwhistle, Elgar Howarth, Alexander Goehr and John Ogdon. It was during the 60s that Peter composed some of his most influential works - including often cacophonous, expressionist pieces like Vesalii Icones, St. Thomas Wake and Worldes Blis. Music-theatre pieces like Eight Songs were groundbreaking in their use of drama, as well as music. He is fascinated by the mathematical structures and patterns that exist in nature - and tries to replicate them in his music. For more than 30 years he has lived on and been inspired by the Isles of Orkney where, he says, the sounds that surround him creep into his music almost without him knowing it.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Choices
2.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 38 in D major 'Prague' - 1st movement
Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden Conductor: Sir Colin Davis
3.
John Dowland
Lachrimae Antiquae
Orchestra: Parley of Instruments Renaissance Violin Consort Conductor: Peter Holman
5.
Alexander Goehr
Little Symphony, Op 15
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Colin Davis
6.
George Mackay Brown
The Old Woman
7.
The Band of the Royal Engineers
Stafford Yeomanry
8.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 9 in E flat major
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Vladimir Ashkenazy
Religious text
Bhagavad-Gita
Broadcast
First broadcast: Sat 25 Jun 1983
Composer
Peter Maxwell Davies is not only a prolific composer, he is also Director of Music at Dartington Hall Summer School and Director of the Fires of London, a group specialising in twentieth-century music which he conducts on their many concert tours. Most of his composing is done in the tranquillity and isolation of his home in the Orkneys.
In conversation with Roy Plomley, he talks about the various facets of his life and chooses the eight records he would take to the mythical island.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Choices
2.
Maurice Ravel
The frogs (from L'enfant et les sortilèges)
Soloist: Yvon Le Marc'Hadour, Nadine Sautereau Orchestra: French National Radio Orchestra
3.
Arnold Schoenberg
Five Orchestral Pieces - No. 3
Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Conductor: Pierre Boulez
4.
Elliott Carter
Concerto For Orchestra
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
6.
Claudio Monteverdi
Pur ti miro (from The Coronation of Poppea )
Soloist: Elisabeth Soderstrom, Concentus Musicus, Helen Donath Orchestra: Vienna Harnoncourt
7.
Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 7 in C Major
Orchestra: Hallé Orchestra Conductor: Sir John Barbirolli
8.
Castaway's favourite
William Byrd
Agnes Dei
Soloist: Billy Preston Choir: Christchurch Cathedral Choir
Find castaways & choices
Search the whole archive by typing into the box below. To find out who has picked particular music, books or luxuries on the programme use the buttons to refine your search.
Occupations
Related episodes
Stanley Black
Broadcast | 08 Dec 1958
Paul Tortelier
Broadcast | 31 Mar 1984
Ravi Shankar
Broadcast | 27 Feb 1971
Related links
Contact us
This site contains archive material. To comment or bring something to our attention, please get in touch.
