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Ron
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posted 6/16/08 10:11 PM
Radio 4 has issued the following e-newsletter:HM the Queen has honoured five outstanding Hong Kong residents in the Birthday List 2008 ¡V among them, Radio 4's Jonathan Douglas.All of us here at Radio 4 are delighted that Jonathan has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). We are pleased that he has been given such recognition for his valuable work in music and the arts.Jonathan Douglas has been working with RTHK Radio 4 for over twenty years. He quickly established a regular position as the host of the breakfast classical music programme, which in those days was called ¡¥Good Morning on Four¡¦. News reading duties were then a prominent part of the job, and early series included two on the subject of inspiration, ¡¥In Flight¡¦and ¡¥The Timely Muse¡¦, and one, ¡¥Composers and their Correspondence¡¦, looking at composers¡¦ love lives through their letters. Jonathan also hosted ¡¥My Ideal Concert¡¦ and ¡¥It Takes 2¡¦ which were in the mould of ¡¥Desert Island Discs¡¦. A high point was the programme featuring the then Governor Chris Patten and his wife Lavender.Jonathan Douglas is now known to radio listeners as the host of ¡¥Morning Call¡¦, ¡¥Artbeat¡¦ and the current series 'Pitch Perfect in Beijing'. His book, ¡¥Noteworthy¡¦ is based on his interviews with world renowned arts personalities. Outside the studio he is frequently invited to MC arts and music events. These include the televised Mozart Birthday concert in St John¡¦s Cathedral and the ¡¥Meet the Press¡¦ event with conductor Sir Simon Rattle. His interest in theatre led him, for several years, to direct RTHK's radio drama productions for the International Worldplay festival. His own acting credits in Hong Kong include Richard 2nd and Hamlet (twice) in Shakespeare's plays, Trovimov (Chekhov's ¡¥The Cherry Orchard¡¦), Mick (Pinter's ¡¥The Caretaker¡¦), Clov (Beckett's ¡¥Endgame¡¦) and Ivor Gurney in Piers Gray¡¦s one man play about the 1st World War poet/composer. He was invited by the British Council to perform speeches by Shakespeare and Pinter as part of the launch of BBC Prime.Jonathan is also a self taught pianist and a singer, song-writer. Recent music performances include his ¡¥Accompanying Colour¡¦ for piano and lighting, and his ¡¥Angst for Adults¡¦ earlier this year. He is also playing his ¡¥Elegy and Rebirth¡¦, which he composed following the Sichuan earthquake, at fund raising concerts during this time.
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