Sir Harrison Birtwistle

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is the internationally-acclaimed composer Sir Harrison Birtwistle. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his childhood in Lancashire, the solitude he craves when he writes his music and how he copes with the difficulties audiences encounter with some of his compositions.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Sherry by Frankie Valli Book: A Latin Primer Luxury: Chainsaw