Simon Hopkinson
Michael Berkeley's guest is chef and cookery writer Simon Hopkinson. His choices include music from the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, Delius, Copland, Alain and Messiaen.
Michael Berkeley's guest this week is the former top chef, award-winning cookery writer and current presenter of the 大象传媒1 TV series 'The Good Cook', Simon Hopkinson. Born in Bury, he was a chorister at St John's College, Cambridge, but left school at 17 to work in the kitchens of Le Normandie in Birtle, Lancashire, under Yves Champeau. In 1978 he became the youngest chef to acquire an Egon Ronay star with his restaurant The Shed in Dinas, Pembrokeshire. In 1983 he was installed as chef at Hilaire in London's Old Brompton Road, before working as chef and joint proprietor of Bibendum on the Fulham Road, winning plaudits for his philosophy of simple, well-judged cooking influenced by Richard Olney, Jane Grigson and Elizabeth David.
In 1994 he published his first cookbook, 'Roast Chicken and Other Stories', which just over a decade later was voted 'Most Useful Cookbook of All Time' by Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine. From 1995 Simon Hopkinson has been a full-time cookery writer: his subsequent books have included 'The Prawn Cocktail Years', 'The Vegetarian Option', and 'Sweetbreads, Liver and Kidneys', as well as 'Week In, Week Out', a collection of stories based on his weekly food columns for The Independent.
His love of music stems from his early choral training, and includes recordings of British choral music by the St John's College choir, as well as Delius's orchestral rhapsody 'On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring', Copland's 'Fanfare for the Common Man', French sacred organ music by Alain, and Messiaen's beautiful motet 'O sacrum convivium'.
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Michael Tippett
Magnificat' from 'Evening Canticles
Performers: The Choir of St John鈥檚 College, Cambridge/George Guest, Andrew Carwood (organ)
- Choir of St John鈥檚.
- NIMBUS NI5335.
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Frederick Delius
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
Performers: English Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim
- Vaughan Williams, Delius etc.
- DG 4197482.
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Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Serenade to a Cuckoo (Live)
Performers: Rahsaan Roland Kirk (flute), Ron Burton (piano), Henry 鈥楶ete鈥� Pearson (bass). Robert Shy (drums), Joe Texidor (percussion)
- I Eye Aye.
- ATLANTIC.
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Benjamin Britten
For I will consider my cat Jeoffry + For the mouse is a creature of great personal valour
Performers: Roger Parker (treble), Michael Pearce (counter-tenor), Brian Runnett (organ) Recording: The Choir of St John鈥檚 College, Cambridge/George Guest
- Ceremony of Carols.
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Aaron Copland
Fanfare for the Common Man
Performers: The London Philharmonic/Carl Davis
- LPO/C Davis.
- VIRGIN CLASSICS VC7907162.
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Soft Machine
'Out-Blood-Rageous' (Excerpt)
- Third COLUMBIA 4714072.
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Olivier Messiaen
O Sacrum Convivium!
Performers: The Choir of St John鈥檚 College, Cambridge/George Guest
- Messiaen Edition.
- DECCA 4780353.
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Jehan Alain
Litanies' from 'Trois Pieces
Performers: Thomas Trotter (organ)
- Alain Organ Works.
- ARGO 430 833-2.
Broadcast
- Sun 7 Aug 2011 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
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