Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the British bass John Tomlinson. He is most famous as Wotan - ruler of the gods in Wagner's Ring Cycle. In fact, it's a role he has made so much his own that the composer's grandson says it could almost have been written with him in mind. Growing up in a Methodist family music was a natural part of life, yet he studied to be an engineer until the urge to sing became too powerful to ignore.

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

Favourite track: Concerto For Violin And Strings In D Minor Largo by Johann Sebastian Bach