Dundee Inver-Discs

with Catriona Strachan, Class of 2015, a Media Technician based in Southern England.

Castaways must select eight records, providing as much detail as they wish about the reasons for their choices. They are provided with a copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and their chosen Bible or philosophical text. They may also select one book (omnibuses are allowed!) and one luxury item. Unfortunately, this cannot be another person, but pianos and a lifetime’s supply of ‘X’ are often popular choices.

When I was about four, I watched The Sound of Music for the first time and I absolutely adored it. Unfortunately, at some point during the film, I fell asleep. When I woke up, the credits were rolling and I completely broke down when told that I couldn’t just rewind the film as it had been on the TV (ah, remember the days before catch-up?!). Soon after this, I received the film on a VHS tape, and ever since it has been one of my all-time favourite films. It’s hard to choose just one song from the wonderful Rogers and Hammerstein soundtrack, but I think the beautiful and simple Eidelweiss would be my choice for my first song for the island.

I can safely say I was brought up surrounded by great music. Don’t tell them I told you, but my family have excellent taste. Elton John’s songs have been a staple throughout my life, and I always find myself putting his music on shuffle. While I would love to bring his entire discography to the island, the classic that I would pick is I’m Still Standing. Listening to it always puts me in a good mood.

For some reason unbeknownst to me, I remember the soundtrack from Bridget Jones’s Diary being played in the car constantly when I was little. The whole album always reminds me of Dundee and my family. So, from this album, I’m choosing Respect by Aretha Franklin because it is empowering, fun, and is just a genuinely fantastic, upbeat song.

At one of the HSD Piano Days I decided to sing while playing piano. With the help of Miss Evans, we made a laid-back arrangement of Mumford and Sons’ Dust Bowl Dance. The song is so powerful, and the build of noise and passion is incomparable to any other song I’ve heard. It sent shivers down my spine when I saw it live in Glasgow. I’d highly recommend watching the recording of them playing it at T in the Park in 2013.

I love to listen to orchestral music when I’m working, and I especially enjoy film scores. The Lion King (the original animation) is my favourite movie, and Hans Zimmer’s score is utterly beautiful. The climactic piece, This Land, gives me chills whenever I listen to it, and it is one of my favourite pieces of music.

At the start of the year, before lockdown, I went to a Fleetwood Mac themed night out. As hit after hit was played, surrounded by twinkling lights and bohemian décor, I thought, you really can’t get any better than this. Rumours is my go-to road trip album and it is near impossible to pick a favourite track from it. But stick on Go Your Own Way and I guarantee you’ll be singing and dancing along.

I love Glasgow. Its energy, its people, its food and drink and wonderful streets. Once I got used to the weather, spending my university days there was fantastic, and it’s a city that’s now very close to my heart. I was sad to move away from it a few months ago after five years. A song that will forever remind me of my time there is Super Trouper by ABBA; another all-time favourite band of mine. Trust me, play this song in a club or bar in the city and the whole room will erupt, singing “When I called you last night from GLASGOWWW”. It’s an experience I never get tired of.

I have loved musical theatre for as long as I can remember. In my final year at university, I was a specialist performer and assistant director for the Cecilian Society’s production of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. The show brings back great memories for me, and I made life-long friendships through the society. The finale of the show, In the Beginning means a lot to me; singing it on stage for the final time was very emotional. The song leaves you with the message that your life’s journey is in your own hands: “We cannot know what will occur, just make our journey worth the taking, and pray we’re wiser than we were in the beginning”.

Literature is a tough one. My Film and Television degree is joint with English Literature, so it feels like there’s a lot of pressure to pick a good book. I’ve always been drawn to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee since I first read it in F4. Although it’s 60 years old, reading a child’s innocent perception of racism and prejudice makes you wonder how far we have really come, as the story is just as topical and moving now as it would have been in the 1960s. There’s a lot to learn about life and humanity from Atticus Finch.

Lastly, my luxury item would have to be my wonderful springer spaniel, Brodie. He is full of energy and love, always makes me laugh, and I could cuddle him forever.