Keir Starmer shares post-punk passion and revisits musical past | Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer has revealed he is a fan of Scottish post-punk band Orange Juice and northern soul, delving into his musical tastes and personal life.
on BBC Radio 3 Private PassionsStarmer chose a selection of his favorite music, including works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Elgar, and reflected on his own musical journey, which included learning to play the violin at school with Norman Cook, AKA Fatboy Slim.
Starmer was a keen musician who played the flute, piano, recorder and violin in his childhood, and won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He said he still listens to music every day as an escape.
Jangle described pop band Orange Juice as “absolutely amazing” and said he discovered their music in the 1980s after moving to Leeds for university, where he studied law.
“The whole cultural experience from rural village life to a really busy, diverse, fantastic, living city like Leeds. And with that, a whole new chapter in music has opened,” he said. “I love music [of Orange Juice]I love the lyrics but also for me it’s a memory of going to Leeds.
He also talked about his family’s love of northern soul music in an interview recorded at Checkers last week. “If you can picture me, sleeves rolled up, chopping in the kitchen, happy, listening to Northern Soul and my daughter singing loudly,” he said.
Starmer shared personal details of his family life, including his battle with Still’s disease, a rare autoinflammatory disease that led to his mother’s death weeks before he was elected MP in 2015.
“I later found out that my father had arranged a way to get him into a wheelchair, arranged for his cars and arranged for them to be there when I was sworn in as an MP. I didn’t know that and of course that couldn’t have happened,” he said.
Her first song choice was the soundtrack to Swan Lake, a tribute to her mother’s love of ballet.
The Prime Minister became emotional as he discussed the death of his younger brother Nick, 60, on Boxing Day last year. “It really affected me. It was really hard because I just wanted to grieve for my little brother. And music gave me a place to escape from all of that,” she said.
Asked about the decline of music in the school curriculum, he said: “I think we’ve let music, creators and art slide too far. The decline in numbers is worrying. To be fair, I think we need to signal what an A level in music can give you.”
He also said the government was determined to ease some of the problems created by Brexit which meant it had become harder for British musicians to tour in Europe.
“That had a huge inhibitory effect. And I really don’t think anyone in that referendum voted to make it harder for musicians and artists to perform in other countries, whether to stay or leave,” he said.
“I absolutely understand the urgency and need for this, and I am absolutely committed that we will do everything we can to facilitate this.”
