Private Passions

Terry Gilliam is one of the world’s most imaginative and original directors. He first made his mark more than 50 years ago, with the animated opening sequence of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, when a giant foot stomped on the titles with a burst of flatulence. That spirit of mischief, fun and creative adventure has informed many of his films: they include Time Bandits, Brazil, The Fisher King and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, working with stars such as Matt Damon, Uma Thurman, Brad Pitt and Robin Williams. He’d be the first to admit that life as a film maker can be complicated: he’s faced natural disasters, budget overruns and clashes with studio executives. But he has no plans to retire: now in his 85th year he’s working on a new film called Carnival at the End of Days starring Johnny Depp as Satan and Jeff Bridges as God.Terry's list of musical passions includes Richard Strauss, Berlioz and Delius.

The barrister Monica Feria-Tinta has been described as one of the “most daring, innovative and creative lawyers” in the UK for her work in defending our natural world. She was born in Peru and was the first Latin American lawyer to be called to the Bar of England and Wales. She began by representing indigenous peoples, from Latin America and the Pacific, setting ground-breaking legal precedents. More recently she has found herself pleading for rivers, oceans, cloud forests and endangered species. As she says: “I had become a barrister for the earth,” and she’s written a book about ten of her landmark cases, called A Barrister for the Earth: Ten Cases of Hope for Our Future. Monica's music choices include Sibelius, Monteverdi and Chopin.

As part of Radio 3's Boulez at 100 day celebrating the centenary of composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, Michael Berkeley's guest is someone who knew Boulez well - composer and musicologist Gerard McBurney. McBurney is most closely associated with the music of Russian composers – particularly Shostakovich – as a result of having lived and studied in Russia in the 1980s. Notable Shostakovich scores he has rescued from oblivion with completions and orchestrations include the music-hall show Hypothetically Murdered and the opera Orango. He talks to Michael about life in Russia in the years immediately before the collapse of the Soviet Union. His many other musical projects have included working on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s long-running dramatized discovery series Beyond the Score, on many of which he collaborated with Boulez - about whom McBurney has first-hand insightful stories to relate.Producer: Graham RogersTo listen to this programme on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Private Passions".

The set and costume designer Bob Crowley says he creates ‘other worlds’. The stage is where his imagination runs riot, at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company the Royal Opera House, the West End, Broadway and beyond. He’s won numerous Olivier and Tony awards for memorable designs such as the brightly lit revolving horses for Carousel, magical black and white tissue paper drawings evoking the foggy London skyline for Mary Poppins and couture dresses and the River Seine for An American in Paris. He’s also worked on many new plays including The History Boys by Alan Bennett. His most recent credits include Richard the Second at the Bridge Theatre in London, with Jonathan Bailey in the title role. Bob's music selection includes Tallis, Gershwin, Schubert and Verdi.

Dr Sian Williams was a familiar face and voice on BBC Breakfast, television news, and Radio 4 for many years, and she’s now a presenter on Radio 3 Unwind on BBC Sounds. There she hosts a three hour programme every morning, sharing a restorative selection of music with the aim of supporting your well-being. She also presents Life Changing on Radio 4, interviewing people who have lived through extraordinary events. In 2012, she started to train as a psychologist and was awarded a doctorate in Counselling Psychology four years ago. Since then she has been working in the NHS primarily, with first responders who are experiencing anxiety, stress and trauma. Sian's musical selection includes Mozart, Rachmaninov, Max Richter and Vivaldi.

Daniel Levitin is a psychologist and neuroscientist who is fascinated by the way our brains respond to music. He first worked as a musician, playing in bands, and then became a record producer and engineer. He’s worked with some of best-known names in the world, including Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Sting and The Grateful Dead. In his 30s he went back to university to study psychology. He’s now Professor Emeritus at McGill University and has written several best-sellers investigating why music has such a powerful effect on us as a species. His most recent, Music as Medicine, is about the healing power of music, and how it might be used to help treat PTSD, slow the spread of neurodegenerative diseases and even help combat multiple sclerosis. Daniel's music choices include Debussy, Dvorak, Thelonious Monk and Beethoven.

Ursula Jones is “nothing short of a musical icon” – at least according to the Royal Philharmonic Society, who made her an honorary member last year at the age of 92. She has devoted her life to music, and has long championed the work of young performers – she gave Daniel Barenboim his first break as a conductor in London, when he was just 23. Ursula was born in Lucerne in 1932, where her father was one of the founders of the Lucerne Festival, so famous musicians, including the likes of Richard Strauss, were never far away. She came to London in 1954 and worked as a secretary for the Philharmonia Orchestra, moving on to co-found the English Chamber Orchestra in 1960. She married the eminent trumpet player Philip Jones, and later managed his Brass Ensemble. Music isn’t her only fascination: she completed a doctorate in archaeology at the age of 60, and in 2021 she cycled 100km to raise money for the charity Brass for Africa. Ursula's choices include music by Britten, Mozart and Handel.

Professor Anthony Kessel has a double life – or at least two very different roles. As the National Deputy Medical Director of NHS England, he’s one of the senior leaders responsible for improving the quality of our health services and patient care. He’s an international authority on public health and played a key role in the NHS’s response to the Covid pandemic. He’s also a writer, with a prize-winning series of detective novels for young adults called Don’t Doubt the Rainbow – the most recent is American Mystery. The books are adventure stories and also aim to give young readers insights into how the mind works, and to improve their psychological well-being. Anthony's music choices include Brahms, Dvořák, Astor Piazzolla and Chilly Gonzales.

Raymond Blanc is one of the finest chefs in the world and he is completely self-taught. He grew up in post-war France in Besancon in the Comte region of eastern France between Burgundy and the Jura Mountains with his four brothers and sisters. Raymond’s mother – Maman Blanc - was his culinary inspiration. She would whip up delicious fresh, seasonal, local dishes, which became his guiding principal when he opened his first restaurant in Oxford, Les Quat’ Saisons, in September 1977. Within two years it had been awarded a Michelin star and Restaurant of the Year by food critic Egon Ronay. Often working 18 hour days, he launched a bakery chain Maison Blanc in 1981 and then renovated and opened Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons a country house hotel which was awarded two Michelin stars and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. He’s also appeared on numerous TV shows including The Restaurant on BBC and the cookery series Simply Raymond on ITV. Raymond's musical choices include Vivaldi, Verdi, Beethoven and Leonard Cohen.

The economist Sir Paul Collier has spent much of his career thinking about some of the biggest challenges we face around the world – and then trying to find solutions for them. He’s focused on low-income countries, particularly in Africa, looking at why they haven’t benefitted from the forces of globalisation. He’s examined the causes and the consequences of civil war, and the role of foreign aid. He received a knighthood in 2014 for his work on Africa. His most recent book is called Left Behind and it offers a vision for how neglected places – from South Yorkshire to South America – can start to catch up. His music choices include Bach, William Lawes, Schubert and medieval composer Martin Codax.