Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For Wright's reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1979, and the presenter was Roy Plumlee. This week our cast away is the actor Robert Powell.

Robert, you began your career in radio, didn't you?

Hmm, I did more years ago than I care to remember.

Somebody asked me the other day, and I suddenly realized that I was talking about 22 years ago.

You must have been very, very young.

Oh yes, very young.

I was in double figures. I started in children's hour doing children's plays when I was at school.

How did you get into that? I spent most of my time at school in we had a little theatre there and we had a dramatic society

and I spend all my time not working but acting.

And somebody saw me and tracked me along to the BBC and I did a little audition for Trevor Hill and Herbert Smith up there.

And that was it? You are a Lancaster? Yes, I was born in Salford.

How much does music mean to you?

Nearly all one's memories are associated with music or music brings back or music is the only thing that in fact sparks off genuine deep emotion about something that's passed.

I play music all the time.

Fairly Catholic though, I mean it ranges from the only thing I don't play is punk.

Do you have any musical scale yourself to play an instrument?

Oh good lord no. I sort of play the harmonica. My friends say sort of I think I'm very good

it's good portable music it's a good thing to play and not like a double bass

no it gets a bit rusty that's the only problem what What's the first record?

The first record is Yannacek, a symphonietta by Yannacek.

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