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Opera singer and star of Les Miserables Alfie Boe joins Kirsty Young to choose his Desert Island Discs.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the singer Alfie Boe.

He is one of our most popular tenors and, highly unusually, is a sell-out success in both opera houses and musical theatre. The youngest of nine children, he left school to work as a mechanic - before being plucked off the shop-floor for stardom. However, while he's at home on the stage, you won't necessarily find him in the stalls: "I like good singers, I don't necessarily like one genre of music, I just like good singers, good voices and good songs," he says, adding: "I never go to the opera.... it's just not my world."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

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45 minutes

Last on

Fri 10 Jun 2011 09:00
BBC Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Bob Dylan

    Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

    Composer: Dylan

    • Biograph: Cd3.
    • CBS.

  • Elmer Bernstein

    The Theme from The Magnificent Seven

    Composer: Elmer Bernstein

    • Best of Cult Fiction.
    • Virgin.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Paul Robeson

      Mighty Like A Rose

      Composer: Nevin

      • A Lonesome Road.
      • ASV.

  • The Beatles

    A Day In The Life

    Composer: Lennon & McCartney

    • The Beatles 1967-1970.
    • Apple.

  • Pink Floyd

    Comfortably Numb

    Composer: Gilmour/Waters

    • Pink Floyd: The Wall.
    • EMI.

  • Elvis Presley

    Big Boots

    Composer: Sid Wayne/Sherman Edwards

    • Elvis G.I. Blues Collector’s Edition.
    • RCA.

  • Led Zeppelin

    The Rain Song

    Composer: Page/Plant

    • Led Zeppelin: Remasters.
    • Warner.

  • Slim Whitman

    Beautiful Dreamer

    Composer: Foster Foster

    • Slim Whitman: Love Songs.
    • Music for Pleasure.

  • Book Choice

    • A tropical recipe book

  • Luxury Choice

    • His own drum kit

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Alfie Boe

Broadcasts

  • Sun 5 Jun 2011 10:00
    BBC Radio 4 LW
  • Sun 5 Jun 2011 11:15
    BBC Radio 4 FM
  • Fri 10 Jun 2011 09:00
    BBC Radio 4

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