John Lill

John Lill

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Jack Mapanje

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the poet Dr Jack Mapanje who is one of the most important living African poets. He was born into a poor household in a typical African village in 1944, when Malawi (then Nyasaland) was a British colony, but while he was still a child it became p ...  Show more

Dame Alicia Markova

Dame Alicia Markova was born Lilian Alice Marks in December 1910, in a two-bedroom flat in Finsbury Park, London. She began ballet classes because she was flat footed and knock kneed. Her natural talent, when she was ten, was spotted by Diaghilev, the Russian artistic impresario ...  Show more

Recommended Episodes

John Lill
Desert Island Discs: Fragment Archive 1970-1986

Roy Plomley's castaway is concert pianist John Lill.Favourite track: Symphony No 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: Modern chess openings Luxury: Piano 

Cherry Healey
Classical Fix

Linton Stephens tries out a classical playlist on presenter Cherry Healey.Cherry's playlist:Julie Cooper - VENUS in Sunlight Grey Bedřich Smetana - Vltava (Má Vlast) Francesco Turini - Sonata à 31 (Madrigali, Book 1: No. 18) Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 1 Rosanna Scalfi Marcello - ...  Show more

Jess Gillam with... Shivank Menon
This Classical Life

Jess Gillam is joined by the Mumbai-born pianist Shivank Menon to talk about the records that they love. Their playlist includes Rostropovich playing Bach, Sviatoslav Richter playing Chopin, songs by Ravel, Fanny Mendelssohn and Donny Hathaway, and a recording of Bill Evans duett ...  Show more

Joseph Cotten
Desert Island Discs: Fragment Archive 1970-1986

Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Joseph Cotten.Favourite track: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor by Johannes Brahms Book: Gardening manual Luxury: Boat building book