On a desert island – The island
by Dr. Nihal D Amerasekera
We’ve had a turbulent few years with Covid-19 and its variants. The confinements and his inescapable incarcerations have been a test of how to cope with loneliness. Loneliness is also an opportunity to think rationally. I was cut off from the outside world for long periods. The mind then began to focus on what is important in life and what I can do without. It was an interesting exercise to think about the bare minimum required to maintain my sanity and survive until I could rejoin the rest of the world. Money doesn’t buy happiness. Happiness is a difficult state of mind to define and often difficult to achieve even if we have everything we need.
Desert Island discs is a BBC Radio program broadcast since 1942. This year marks its 80and anniversary. This was named the greatest radio program of all time by a panel of industry experts. It is now a major British institution.
The program invites high profile guests to appear on the show. Each guest is called “castawayand is asked to select pieces of music, books and any luxury items they wish to take with them if they were to drift away inexorably to an uninhabited island. It’s an interesting exercise to think about what your choices would be and what really matters to you.
We take so many things for granted in our lives. It’s so hard to imagine a situation where you’re alone and so far removed from people and the news. I vividly remember reading Jonathan Swift Gulliver’s Travels and that of Daniel Defoe Robinson Crusoe in adolescence which made me understand the perils, the desolation and the total loneliness of being abandoned on an island. By sleeping under the trees, one can also find true peace and freedom there. The stories made me appreciate human companionship, courage and endurance.
the castaway the choice is limited to eight recordings, a book and a luxury item. A music player is included. The luxury item must be inanimate – so no cell phones, laptops, iPads, TVs, etc. Call it divine help – food and drink will be provided!! We don’t know when and how we will be rescued – No divine help there!!
Past Desert Island Discs programs are available online. It is interesting to find out what the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, David Attenborough, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Gates, Helen Mirren, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Dexter and Tony Blair selected and why. A famous British television personality chose Rod Stewarts “Veilin his pain of remembering the death of his son. The lyrics of this piece of music encompass his despair. I had a hard time holding back my tears. Our selections will always resonate with our own life experiences. I sincerely hope that you will find this exercise interesting and that it will also give you useful insight into your psyche. Share your experiences as castaway.
The opening theme music for the Desert Island records was composed in 1942 by Eric Coates. The theme music is a haunting melody called sleeping lagoon which is so simple yet so hauntingly beautiful. The melody begins with the cry of the seagulls and the crashing of the waves. This beautiful melody transports me across the vast oceans and vast expanses of land to the peace and tranquility of the Negombo Lagoon. From 1956 to 1958, my parents lived in Katunayake when it was an attractive little town. The lagoon was at the back of our house. One evening, at sunset, I often sat by the water with the wind whistling in my face. I watched the fishermen go to work. The sky took on a deep crimson glow at sunset as flocks of birds flew in a V-formation. This enchanting scene captures the beauty of old Ceylon that has now largely disappeared.
Music:
Making this selection is not easy. It’s practically the soundtrack to the journey of my life. The advice is to let your heart rule your head. The choice is made more for the memories they bring than for the music. I thought long and hard and made my selections.
1. Sunil Santa – Ambilimame It brings back wonderful memories of my childhood in Nugegoda in the 40’s and 50’s. When visitors arrived we were encouraged to sing a song. I sang Ambilimame with my three cousins. Unfortunately, two of them are no more. Humans have been fascinated by the moon since time immemorial. It now seems like the moon was bigger and brighter when we were kids!! The beautiful lyrics of the song portray the innocence of childhood and their magical world of fantasy.
2. Yaad Kiye Dile Ne – The music is taken from the 1953 Hindi film titled patita. The song was performed so well by Lata Mangheskar and Hemant Kumar. When I hear the melody it always brings me back to my grandfather’s love and affection. I loved him so much. He was gentle, kind and a noble man from Kandy. He was a sage, a philosopher, a man of many stories and an expert in peasant traditions. Grandpa took me to Metro Theatre, Nugegoda to watch Hindi and Sinhalese movies. I was given ice cream at intermission and a pocketful of candy for later. These pretty much made up for getting bitten by bugs in those theater seats.
3. During morning Christian worship at my old school, we sang many beautiful hymns. The one that stood out to me is “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah” for the beauty of its melody and lyrics. It was a popular anthem with the boys. We sang it with such enthusiasm and emotion that we almost lifted the roof. This anthem is still very popular and was sung at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. The anthem brings back wonderful memories of those carefree school days.
4. Nothing brings back memories of medical school like the music of The Beatles. The one that stands out is this timeless piece called “A hard day’s night“. It’s a reminder of the feeling of liberation from the hard grind and study while dancing at King George’s Hall to the music of the Harold Seneviratne Combo. Looking around the dance hall, I can still imagine Razaque Ahamat, Sidath Jayanetti and Bernard Randeniya twirling around in gay abandon. Unfortunately, none of them are still alive today.
5. In 1991 our eldest son, Steve, left Kingshott Preparatory School in Hertfordshire, UK. He was called to play Mozart Clarinet Concerto which he played with zest and eloquence, at the age of 13. I was in the audience and felt deeply moved and so proud. This piece was published posthumously and was Mozart’s last major instrumental composition. The piece reminds me of a very happy time in my life.
6. In the summer of 1996, my youngest son, Andrew, left school in Bedford in the UK. At the annual School Music Festival, he played George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue on the piano with the school orchestra. Andrew looked so dapper in his cream formal wear and blue bow tie. With the incorporation of jazz rhythms into classical music, this composition quickly became very popular and the most performed of all American concert works. Being biased, I’d say it was beautifully acted and a polished performance. It will indeed remain in my memory for the rest of my days.
7. The 1945 Romantic Drama brief encounter is a movie I remember for its simple story and brilliant acting by Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson. It is still popular and considered one of the greatest films of all time. by Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 is played throughout the film where its beautiful melody wraps around the story most elegantly. This piece of music is also considered one of the most beautiful concertos of all time. I have such fond memories of watching this movie with my youngest son, Andrew, in his apartment on 23rd ground on a hot night in Hong Kong.
8. I was born in Kandy, this beautiful citadel in the hills. Although I have lived in the UK for almost half a century, the love and longing for that warm tropical sun has never left me. Every winter, I patiently await the arrival of spring, the appearance of leaves and the blooming of flowers. Throughout those cold, wet days and dark winter nights, it’s Beethoven’s Spring Sonata that gives life to my soul. It is also called the Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24. The sonata is for violin and piano and is in four movements. All four are brilliant pieces of music but I have a particular preference for the sublime and heartbreaking second movement also called Adagio molto expressive.
Books:
Each castaway systematically receives a religious text of their choice and the Complete Works of Shakespeare. I would take the King James Version of the Holy Bible which has been a big part of my life in Ceylon.
Princess Margaret and Ian Fleming are among the many castaways who chose Tolstoy War and peace as a book choice. Choosing just one book to take with me is not easy. For a long time as a castaway, I thought of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran and The art of happiness by the Dalai Lama. These would help me clean up my act when I get rescued!! After careful consideration, I have selected Nelson Mandela’s autobiography “long walk to freedom“.
As a country, South Africa has gone through the factory. It’s now on a roller coaster. From 1948 to 1994, politics was dominated by Afrikaner nationalism with racial segregation and white minority rule, officially known as apartheid. From 1962, the ANC’s armed struggle against apartheid was led by Nelson Mandela. From 1964 to 1982, Mandela was incarcerated in Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town. I visited the prison and saw for myself the rigid and harsh conditions.
It’s so hard to imagine how he kept his sanity behind bars for so long. The regime was brutal. He showed immense courage in resisting tyranny. Nelson Mandela has returned to a normal life after 28 years in prison. He led the country to majority rule and showed a great willingness to forgive and reconcile. This indeed showed his wisdom and true greatness. The probity, dignity and honesty with which he led the country are a lesson for all politicians.
Luxury item:
The Desert Island discs radio show is approximately 45 minutes long. Meanwhile, there is an interesting dialogue between the presenter and the castaway. Often the discussion is fun and entertaining. Sometimes it takes a naughty turn. When the pretty Kirsty Young was the presenter, one of the castaways wanted to take her as a luxury item, which of course she categorically refused.
Pianos, guitars and binoculars are the most popular luxury items. But I would go for a pen and paper. Writing is one of the greatest human inventions. It has helped humanity immensely to learn, teach, discover, communicate, invent and make life so wonderful for everyone. I cannot imagine a world without writing and without the written word.
