RHYS BOWEN: When I worked at the BBC in London we had a program called DESERT ISLAND DISCS. A celebrity met with the host Godfrey Wynn and was asked what music and books the person would take if they were to be marooned on a desert island.
The program was very popular. Princess Margaret was the guest once. I worked on that program when I was a trainee, playing the LPs and trying not to scratch them. I know the program continued for years, probably until Godfrey Wynn died.
(On a side note, I shared a flat very close to Broadcasting House with three friends. We had one of those buzzers to communicate with the street. One day the buzzer sounded. My friend answered and a voice said, “This is Godfrey Wynn.” He had come for me. The friend knew where I worked and what I did and came back into the room, eyes wide with amazement. I was also gobsmacked. I pressed the buzzer to let him in. When the person came up the two flights of stairs it wasn’t Godfrey Wynn but my very cheeky boyfriend at the time.He got the accent perfectly.)
So I’ve been considering what I would choose to take with me. If I was to be marooned for a long time it would have to be something I didn’t get tired of. I love Beenhoven’s 7th symphony but would I want to hear it over and over? Or Mozart’s Clarinet concerto? I’m leaning toward selecting Les Miz so I can sing along loudly with nobody else to hear. I also love Die Fledermaus (from my days in the opera chorus) and would enjoy singing along to that. On the program they can select seven choices. I’m limiting to two.
And one book? The Bible would be cheating because that would be enough to keep reading for ever. Also I'd get tired of all those begats. I think I may choose The Lord of the Rings, although I know it so well I might get tired of it. A collection of poetry? Walt Whitman? Keats? A good anthology? Or maybe a more practical book: HOW TO SURVIVE ON A DESERT ISLAND AND BUILD A BOAT. Is that cheating?
So what about you, Reds? What would your choices be?
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Rhys, they are still doing Desert Island Discs! My friend Barb Jungr has been on it. LOTR is cheating a bit, as it's three books, but I might go with that, too. Along with How to Build a Boat, and How to Survive on Coconut.
Music, that's tougher. Beethoven's 9th, maybe? Or would I get tired of Ode to Joy? A Beatles' album, but which one? The White Album would be cheating again with two records, so I might go with that–although I think I'd be skipping Helter Skelter
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Yes, we all want the build a boat, or at least cooking for one from desert island scratch (Deserted Desserts?). But other than those, I might bring one volume of all of Shakespeare. Would that count? (Very tiny font.)
Isn't it funny how music to last is either classical or the Beatles? Still, I might go with Ella Fitzgerald sings the Cole Porter Song Book. And you can play one song a day. I do love the idea of Broadway–Les Miz, or A Little Night Music or A Chorus Line or Chicago. Where we could dance like no one is watching–because no one is watching!
JENN McKINLAY: Oh, that’s tough. No Spotify on the island, eh? I’d probably pick an ABBA album because it’s impossible to be in a bad mood while listening to ABBA. As for a book, I’d want something uplifting, too. A collection of Shakespeare’s comedies? The complete collection of Erma Bombeck? The Collected Dorothy Parker? Very, very difficult choices.
HALLIE EPHRON: What a great question! One music: Paul Simon’s Graceland. Or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. And for a book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The first one in the series… and to my mind still the best. Or maybe the collected works of Sherlock Holmes. Cheating, I know.
LUCY BURDETTE: This is all very hard. For music, I would choose either the only opera I know well, La Traviata. Or else Handel’s Messiah. I love both and they are long so I might not get tired of them. For a book, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. True comfort reading, which I know I would need!
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING; I approve of everyone’s choices, which obviously means we should all be shipwrecked together! My music choie would definitely be an opera - so much music that you can parcel it out and never get tired of it. My pick would probably be Turandot. I know it’s corny, but I could hear Nissan dormi every day for the rest of my life and be happy.
For a book, if I can’t borrow Jenn’s or Hank’s Shakespeare collection, I’d go for a short story collection. Either Eva Ibbotson’s A GLOVE SHOP IN VIENNA or JUST AN ORDINARY DAY by Shirley Jackson. Hey, has anyone figured out why, if we have electricity to play records, we can’t load up a Kindle and just keep recharging it?
RHYS: It might be one of those old wind up record players like the first one I had, bought from the church white elephant stall!
Brilliant choices everyone. I'd agree with them all. If we were all together on the desert island we could trade books and music and live quite happily for a long while (although i'd get tired of coconuts. )
So Reddies, it's your turn now...
