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A local
father from Harpenden has been invited to contribute to a one-off
celebration of the broadcasting institution that is “Desert Island
Discs”, to be aired on BBC Radio networks across the UK this Sunday (BBC
Three Counties, 29th January).
The hour
long special edition will mark the 70th anniversary of the
well-known Radio 4 show which, since 1942, has seen the “great and the
good” chose eight songs or pieces of music that they would take to a
desert island with them.
Keith is
one of number of specially selected ‘non-celebrity’ castaways on this
anniversary edition. In memory of his son Graham - who died from sudden
cardiac death in April 2007 while out on a run to get fit to climb
Kilimanjaro with his father - Keith’s chosen track is ‘Miserere’ by The
Cat Empire. He hopes that his involvement in the programme will also
help to raise awareness for the charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young
(CRY).
Keith
explains; “This
music was on my son’s iPod that I had bought him for his 16th
birthday present just 4 weeks before he died; and this particular track
I played again and again to feel close to him following his death.
“I have been a
long-standing fan of Desert Island Discs and I enjoy the mixture of
familiar and new music. So, when I heard that the programme was going to
celebrate 70 years I really felt that I should write in and suggest this
piece of music."
12 apparently fit and
healthy young people (aged 14-35) die suddenly every week in the UK from
previously undiagnosed heart conditions. In 80% of cases, there are no
signs, symptoms or warnings and currently, screening remains the most
effective way of identifying these conditions.
Graham, who at the time
was a pupil at the Wynstones School in Gloucestershire, was out jogging
with a friend when he collapsed and died. He was aged just 16. Since
Graham’s tragic death, his family have worked alongside the charity,
CRY, to help raise funds and awareness.
Alison Cox MBE, Chief
Executive and Founder of CRY comments; “We were very moved when we
heard that Keith’s song was to be included in this special anniversary
edition of Desert Island Discs. We know that many bereaved people who
come to us following the sudden death of a family member often use music
or poetry as a means of expressing their grief or to help remember the
person that they have lost so suddenly.
“We thank Keith and
his family for all that they do to help us raise awareness of CRY and
our work and we all believe that taking part in this programme will be a
wonderful tribute to Graham”.
The programme "Your
Desert Island Discs" will be broadcat on BBC Three Counties Radio at 12
noon on Sunday 29th January and will also be available to listed to via
the BBC iPlayer.
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