- Radio Times
- Review by:
- David Gillard
There are few wittier musical raconteurs than broadcaster, administrator and critic John Amis, as those who relished his 20 years as a panellist on Radio 4’s My Music (he was the incomparable Frank Muir’s team mate) will testify.
But then he certainly should have a fund of anecdotes given that in his long and extraordinary career he has been concert manager for Sir Thomas Beecham, concert organiser and page-turner for Dame Myra Hess and “secretary-dogsbody and friend” to Sir Michael Tippett. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday and you can be sure of some merry memories as he looks back on his long life in music tonight.
About this programme
The broadcaster and critic, 90 this year, joins Louise Fryer as Radio 3 celebrates his life in music. Amis turned pages for Myra Hess as a youth, and went on to work as a concert manager for Thomas Beecham, before organising the Summer School of Music with William Glock at Dartington. He is also fondly remembered as a presenter of several music magazine programmes on BBC radio, and as a panellist on the television and radio quiz show My Music. Included are clips from his many interviews with some of the most famous and influential musicians of the modern age - including Benjamin Britten, Aaron Copland, Myra Hess, Earl Wild, Bernard Herrmann, Sergei Celibidache, Percy Grainger, Leopold Stokowski and numerous others.
Cast and crew
Crew
- Producer
- Sam Phillips
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