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Marshall Walker grew up in Glasgow and was hooked by the music of Sibelius at a very early age.
It became a lifelong passion. He started to call him 'The Big Man'.
These programmes, written in the form of letters, pay tribute to the Finnish composer's genius and give thanks to him for a life's enrichment from a self-confessed "junky".
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A Letter to Sibelius
14 Jan 2013Programme 1 – Although the introduction to the series, in chronological terms this programme deals with the most recent events in Walker's life. In 1996, he made a pilgrimage to Finland to visit the… Read more Audio
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The Fog and the Island
13 Jan 2013Programme 2 – Walker tells of his early encounters with the music of Sibelius and how it helped him confront and overcome the ordeals of his childhood - poor eyesight and bullying - in wartime… Read more Audio
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Valse Triste
12 Jan 2013Programme 3 – Walker's mother informs him that Sibelius' music - especially the famous Valse Triste - was also important in her own family. We hear stories about Walker's grandfather and uncle, both… Read more Audio
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Doctor Big Man
11 Jan 2013Programme 4 – Walker escapes dreary post-war Glasgow and emigrates to South Africa where he becomes involved in the anti-Apartheid movement. However he becomes gravely ill with encephalitis. As… Read more Audio
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North and South
10 Jan 2013Programme 5 – The final of the series. Walker tells of his encounters with his boyhood hero, conductor, Ian Whyte. As a student, he has to banish the music of Sibelius until he finishes his degree… Read more Audio
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Marshall and Me: the genesis of Letters to Sibelius
9 Jan 2013"The first thing that strikes you on the phone or on the radio is the voice. It’s tangy, it shoots you a bolt, but it warms you and makes you smile and it hints at mysteries of the soil and of Celtic… Read more
