Desert Island Discs | Sir Leon Brittan
Sonnet 16
Britain's EC Trade Commissioner and former Conservative Home Secretary talks to Sue Lawley about his life and career, and chooses his favourite music. His choices include Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, the commentary on England winning the Ashes in 1953, `When I was a Lad' from HMS Pinafore, his wife reading Shakespeare's Sonnet No 16, 'Eternal Father Strong To Save', Don Carlos by Verdi, Dvorak's Cello Concerto, and Mozart's 'Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail'.
Tweet![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/12/poetry-please-400x230.jpg)
Poetry Please | Sonnet 16
Selections of poetry on various themes, chosen by listeners. This episode contains I am the great sun by Charles Causley read by Tim Pigott Smith, Dark wood, dark water by Sylvia Plath read by Elizabeth Bell, Sonnet 16 "Let me not to the marriage of true minds by William Shakespeare read by Tim Pigott Smith, At the Villa Madeira by Gavin Ewart read by the poet, Skimbleshanks by T. S. Eliot read by Elizabeth Bell, The tyger by William Blake read by Elizabeth Bell and Autobiography by read by Gavin Ewart.
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2024/03/adventures-in-poetry-400x230.jpg)
Adventures in Poetry | Shakespeare's Sonnet
Richard Wilson explores some of the hidden meanings and resonances of Shakespeare's famous and much loved sonnet, and asks: 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?' Produced by Sara Davies.