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Trevor McDonald

Michael Berkeley's guest is journalist and former newsreader Trevor McDonald. His choices include music by Elgar, Verdi, Handel, Beethoven, Copland, Puccini and Chopin.

Michael Berkeley's guest on Private Passions this week is the journalist and former newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald. Born in Trinidad, he moved to Britain and began his media career as a 大象传媒 radio producer. He began his long association with ITN in 1973, first as a general reporter, then as a sports correspondent, and subsequently focusing on international politics - he secured interviews with Yasser Arafat, Colonel Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, among other notorious international figures.
In the 1980s he became the first black TV newsreader in the UK. From 1992 he was the sole presenter of ITV's News at Ten, quickly gaining a profile as one of the best-known faces on British TV, and continued to present the evening news until he finally retired after the 2008 US Presidential Election. From 1999 to 2009 he hosted ITN's flagship current affairs programme Tonight with Trevor McDonald. He now focuses on presenting documentaries and features. He has won more awards than any other British reporter, and was knighted in 1999.

His musical choices start with Elgar's 'Introduction and Allegro', which he first heard as a young man played by the Halle Orchestra on tour in Trinidad. They continue with the Prisoners' Chorus from Verdi's Nabucco, which represents the cry for freedom of all oppressed people; an aria from Handel's 'Messiah', which moves him as an expression of faith; an excerpt from Beethoven's Violin Concerto played by Nigel Kennedy, whom he greatly admires as a violinist; the Shaker hymn tune 'Simple Gifts' from Copland's 'Appalachian Spring'; an aria from Act I of Puccini's 'Tosca', and the finale of Chopin's First Piano Concerto, played by Artur Rubinstein, another of his musical heroes.

First broadcast in June 2011.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 9 Sep 2012 12:00
大象传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Edward Elgar

    Introduction and Allegro Op 47 (Excerpt)

    Performers: Hall茅 Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli

    • EMI CDM7639552.

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Prisoners' Chorus from 'Nabucco' Act III

    Performers: Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan/Claudio Abbado

    • DG 4194872.

  • George Frideric Handel

    I Know That My Redeemer Liveth' from 'Messiah

    Performers: Margaret Marshall (soprano), English Baroque Soloists/John Eliot Gardiner, Alastair Ross (organ)

    • PHILIPS 4122672.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    1st mvt from Violin Concerto in D, Op 61 (Excerpt)

    Performers: Nigel Kennedy (violin), Sinfonie Orchester des NDR/Klaus Tennstedt (Cadenza by Fritz Kreisler)

    • EMI CDC7545742.

  • Aaron Copland

    'Simple Gifts' from Appalachian Spring

    Performers: London Symphony Orchestra/Aaron Copland

    • SONY CLASSICAL SMK60133.

  • Giacomo Puccini

    'Recondita armonia' from Tosca Act I

    Performers: Giuseppe Campora (Cavaradossi), Orchestra dell鈥橝ccademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma/Alberto Erede

    • LONDON 4402362.

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    3rd mvt from Piano Concerto no 1 in E minor Op 11

    Performers: Artur Rubinstein (piano), New Symphony Orchestra of London/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

    • RCA RD85612.

  • Edward Elgar

    Introduction and Allegro, Op.47 (excerpt)

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Prisoners' Chorus (Nabucco)

  • George Frideric Handel

    I know that my Redeemer liveth (Messiah)

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    1st Movement Cadenza (Violin Concerto in D, Op.61)

  • Aaron Copland

    Simple Gifts (Appalachian Spring)

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Recondita armonia (Tosca)

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op.11 (3rd mvt)

Broadcasts

  • Sun 5 Jun 2011 12:00
    大象传媒 Radio 3
  • Sun 9 Sep 2012 12:00
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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