An Ommadawn Chorus: Mike Oldfield's Favourite Albums | Page 2 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

1. FaureRequiem

I was at a church school for the last two years of my schooling, in Essex. I left school on my 15th birthday – I couldn’t wait to get out of there. But our teacher used to play us little snippets of classical music. So I had heard bits of Beethoven and Bach from quite an early age. Anyway, out of this I discovered Requiem. In fact I’ve recently uncovered some old vinyl records and I’ve still got my original copy.I just love the clarity of the voices; I love the sopranos. Also, the peace that it gave me was very important. I was really quite wound up as a teenager, very prone to anxiety in those days. I would listen to Requiem to calm those anxieties – it had a very real calming influence on me.

PreviousNext Record

Don’t Miss The Quietus Digest

Start each weekend with our free email newsletter.

Help Support The Quietus in 2025

If you’ve read something you love on our site today, please consider becoming a tQ subscriber – our journalism is mostly funded this way. We’ve got some bonus perks waiting for you too.

Subscribe Now