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James Bowman

Sue Lawley's castaway is singer James Bowman.

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is the country's most distinguished counter-tenor James Bowman. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about how he uses his voice as an instrument, producing the unusually high falsetto sound which characterises counter-tenor parts. He'll also be describing his association with Benjamin Britten, who offered him his first part - as Oberon in Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream. Britten went on to write parts for him in Death in Venice and The Journey of the Magi, all of which have contributed to his highly successful career.

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

Favourite track: Symphony No 2 in D, Op 73 by Johannes Brahms
Book: Rebecca by Dame Daphne Du Maurier
Luxury: Faberg茅 egg

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Fri 14 Apr 1995 09:05
成人快手 Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Benjamin Britten

    Billy Budd

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Benjamin Britten

    • Billy Budd Opus 50 London Symphony Orchestra.
    • Decca.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Tamerlano

    Soloist: Michael Chance Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    • Handel - Tamerlano.
    • Erato.

  • Hubert Parry

    Blest Pair Of Sirens

    Choir: The Choir Of Winchester Cathedral Orchestra: The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

    • Winchester Cathedral Choir.
    • Argo.

  • Stephanie Coles

    Soldiering On

    • Talking Heads.
    • 成人快手 Records.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Johannes Brahms

      Symphony No. 2 in D major

      Orchestra: The Royal Concert Orchestra Amsterdam

      • Brahms' Symphony Nos 2 & 3.
      • Philips.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major

    Soloist: Bruno Giuranna Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields Conductor: Neville Marriner

    • Sinfonia Concertante K 364 Mutter.
    • EMI.

  • Charles Villiers Stanford

    Symphony No. 3 in F minor 'Irish'

    Orchestra: The Ulster Orchestra Conductor: Vernon Handley

    • Stanford Symphony No 3 in F Minor.
    • Chandos.

  • Richard Strauss

    Beim Schlafengehen (from Four Last Songs)

    Soloist: Jessye Norman Orchestra: The Gewandhaus Orchestra Conductor: Kurt Masur

    • Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs.
    • Philips.

  • Book Choice

    • Rebecca - Dame Daphne Du Maurier

  • Luxury Choice

    • Faberge egg

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest James Bowman

Broadcasts

  • Sun 9 Apr 1995 12:15
    成人快手 Radio 4
  • Fri 14 Apr 1995 09:05
    成人快手 Radio 4

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