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From Enya to Beethoven. Famed as Winston Churchill, actor Robert Hardy shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From 2011

Actor Robert Hardy shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young.

Robert became a household name as the vet Siegfried Farnon in the hit Âé¶¹Éç TV series All Creatures Great and Small and, to a younger generation, he is the Minister of Magic in the Harry Potter films.

But the role he is best known for is Winston Churchill - he won a BAFTA for his performance in ITV's Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years.

He believes actors are born rather than made and his own ambitions crystallised when, as a very young boy, he was a page boy at a wedding:

"I walked down the aisle with my head held high and as I went, every eye was turned towards me and something inside me said, "That's it, get every eye on you".

Born on 29th October 1925, Robert joins 4 Extra's 100 Club and is one of our Centenary Castaways. He died aged 91 in 2017.

DISC ONE: Pearl Bailey - What is a Friend For?
DISC TWO: Âé¶¹Éç Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini - Beethoven’s 7th symphony in A Major, 2nd movement
DISC THREE: Enya - The Longships
DISC FOUR: The Paris Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov - Hector Berlioz’s The Waltz from the Symphonie Fantastique
DISC FIVE: The Paris Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov – Poulenc’s Suite Francaise: Pavanne
DISC SIX: City of Birmingham Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle – Sibelius’s 6th Symphony in D Minor, 4th movement
DISC SEVEN: The Medici String Quartet – Beethoven’s String Quartet in B flat, 2nd movement
DISC EIGHT: The Westminster Abbey Choir, the Âé¶¹Éç Singers & London Brass conducted by Martin Baker - John Hardy’s De Profundis

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Medici String Quartet – Beethoven’s String Quartet in B flat, 2nd movement
BOOK CHOICE: The Great Warbow - Robert Hardy & Matthew Strickland
LUXURY CHOICE: Young lady in profile 1495 - De Predis

Producer: Leanne Buckle

First broadcast on Âé¶¹Éç Radio 4 in November 2011.

45 minutes

Last on

Mon 17 Nov 2025 01:00

Broadcasts

  • Sun 17 Dec 2017 10:15
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