Hello, I'm Christy Young, and this is a download from the Desert Island

Discs Archive. For rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. Full details

can be found on the Castaways page on the Desert Island Discs website.

The program was originally broadcast in 1981, and the presenter was Roy Plumley. On our Desert Island this week is the actor James Mason. Now I know you play or have played several instruments. In other words

music means a lot to you. Music does mean a lot to me yes but I don't really I

mean I can't claim to play instruments at all because I'm not

musically gifted. Well you played the guitar I know. Do you still play it? No I don't. I have

a treasured guitar but I seldom take it out except when I have a friend in the house who is a master

But I did there was one period when I was living in California that I played quite a lot for my own amusement of course because I didn't

find a wealth of interesting things to do. I'd sort of leveled off of this rather monotonous life that I was involved in, and I

needed cheering up, I needed other interests, and so playing the guitar was one.

Now earlier than that you'd played the pickle.

Yes, I don't know how you knew that.

You have some old research. It's true. I know where you found it out, yes.

All right. But I did play the piccolo. For some reason, I think it was probably because when my mother brought people into the house to try and get me to play the piano I was displeased with lack of progress

but nevertheless I wanted to stand out from the crowd, I suppose, and I wanted very much.

I'd love to be a musician.

So I picked on something which was a little unusual, suppose because the Piccolo is the top and it has those

high notes and it shows off a little.

And you also played the flute coming down to lower notes and you once had a shot at the bagpipes.

Yes I did. You're not a scot are you? No I'm not a scot no but I'm hypnotised by

bagpipes. Well let's have your first record. What's the first of the

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