Radio 3 schedule changes (‘edging away from speech')

[hmvman]

Lots of 'Scheidt' is what we're in for.....

[Roger Webb]

Lots of 'Scheidt' is what we're in for.....

But we'll Schein a light on it.

[Russ]

Hardly innovative and how likely is it to bring new listeners? I’d have more respect if he’d torn things up and started all over again.

I think Rule Number 1 for any new BBC Station Controller, particularly for Radios 3 and 4, whose audiences tend to have very definite views on what they like and what they don't like, is not to make too many changes too soon.

[W.Kearns]

Just so sad.

[AuntDaisy]

Along with Schein, Scheidt, Schütz and Scheidemann?

The next Alphabet Associations? I really do hope that the "powers" that be read the forum (in between dodgy haircuts.)

[Nick Armstrong]

I reckon it’s to save money, Replacing expensive location or studio recording sessions by one artist or group with cheaper EBU pre records. Something that’s already been done to Afternoon concert.

So far the casualty tally runs
Lunchtime recital four days a week.
30 mins of Record Review
Jazz J to Z ..
Skellers and Gore appear berthless..
I’m sure there’s more …

Words and Music will be a thing of the past…

(… unless I’ve missed something)

Also the frequently interesting (usually when orchestral musicians were presenting) Inside Music seems to have been skewered…

[AuntDaisy]

Words and Music will be a thing of the past…
(… unless I’ve missed something)
Also the frequently interesting (usually when orchestral musicians were presenting) Inside Music seems to have been skewered…

Words and Music was on the April schedule, 6pm
Yes, Inside Music was very interesting and varied - I'll miss it. 6 hours of Tom Service "In A Clef Stick" will probably replace it.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Words and Music will be a thing of the past…

(… unless I’ve missed something)

Also the frequently interesting (usually when orchestral musicians were presenting) Inside Music seems to have been skewered…

Both excellent shows. WAM is so superbly put together- one of the best shows around . I forgive Georgia all those “brilliants “‘and “fantastics”’ for the work she’s put into it over the years. The amount of work that show must take to produce and I bet they get very little time for it.
Oh ye Gods … this is madness .
Just seen the update . It’s survived . I’m leaving the post up just in case they have second thoughts.

[oddoneout]

Both excellent shows. WAM is so superbly put together- one of the best shows around . I forgive Georgia all those “brilliants “‘and “fantastics”’ for the work she’s put into it over the years. The amount of work that show must take to produce and I bet they get very little time for it.
Oh ye Gods … this is madness .
Just seen the update . It’s survived . I’m leaving the post up just in case they have second thoughts.

I'd assumed that what had been put out was the final version - at least for the immediate future - so does that mean we need to keep checking to see what else might change?
Sunday Afternoon with Sarah M-P would be the equivalent of Inside Music in the new format? I must confess that I was disappointed with Inside Music as it didn't fulfill its remit/promo blurb as I expected - or at least not enough times to keep me listening. The times I heard something that I felt met the brief, while welcome and enjoyed(Reginald Rash the other week), just made me irritated with the ones that didn't. Its time slot didn't help, Saturday afternoon usually being an "out of the house" time and I don't have the kit for catch-up. As a consequence, while I hope for the best with the SM-P proposal and will give it a go, I'm not assuming anything in terms of whether it will become something to have on my(now very small) regular listening list.
What struck me last night is that "bold" and "adventurous" are very much not the words I would use to describe these proposals. It's tinkering round the edges, reworking existing material, and inflicting more death by a thousand cuts. Only to be expected given the way management has been approaching R3 in recent years, combined with the anti-arts political climate, but stupidly a small part of me still hopes for signs of intelligent life(and, more importantly perhaps, recognition that the consumer has intelligence) at upper levels that could be allowed a little bit of light.

[french frank]

WAM is so superbly put together ...

That made me look twice (to check what you were referring to)! It's the only programmes that this curmudgeon ever wrote in to praise - the one about the composers and poets of the First World War. Apart from the actual content, the concept had a refined elegance about it. But I gave up when the 'concept' seemed to me to become less 'refined' and 'elegant'. A bit of a hotchpotch hanging together more loosely. And Inside Music was always a let-down on what I'd hoped for ("Too many pieces, Mozart.") Two very different pieces (eg pop and classical) closely compared and contrasted by an 'insider' would have been more to my taste. But a comment or two about 6-8 different pieces didn't have the depth I was looking for. It has almost seemed as if depth and erudition were what was being studiously avoided by R3.

[LMcD]

What struck me last night is that "bold" and "adventurous" are very much not the words I would use to describe these proposals .

I suspect that these adjectives were chosen by W1A's Head of Values Ian Fletcher.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I'd assumed that what had been put out was the final version - at least for the immediate future - so does that mean we need to keep checking to see what else might change?
Sunday Afternoon with Sarah M-P would be the equivalent of Inside Music in the new format? I must confess that I was disappointed with Inside Music as it didn't fulfill its remit/promo blurb as I expected - or at least not enough times to keep me listening. The times I heard something that I felt met the brief, while welcome and enjoyed(Reginald Rash the other week), just made me irritated with the ones that didn't. Its time slot didn't help, Saturday afternoon usually being an "out of the house" time and I don't have the kit for catch-up. As a consequence, while I hope for the best with the SM-P proposal and will give it a go, I'm not assuming anything in terms of whether it will become something to have on my(now very small) regular listening list.
What struck me last night is that "bold" and "adventurous" are very much not the words I would use to describe these proposals. It's tinkering round the edges, reworking existing material, and inflicting more death by a thousand cuts. Only to be expected given the way management has been approaching R3 in recent years, combined with the anti-arts political climate, but stupidly a small part of me still hopes for signs of intelligent life(and, more importantly perhaps, recognition that the consumer has intelligence) at upper levels that could be allowed a little bit of light.

All good points OOO. Just checked the BBC press release - WAM from April will be 18.00 to 19,15 . Which suits me fine as I’m usually cooking then and the US culture / identity politics obsession of The Sunday Feature is usually the cue for a Qobuz session. My one major problem with Radio 3 is its fixation with US culture and contemporary social issues and the way European Culture (apart from its music) is largely ignored . And yet we (now ) have far more in common with the French and Germans than we do with the US. Something that is about to appear only too clearly if Trump gets in. What would be really adventurous would be a Yeats , Goethe or Sartre weekend - not more US academics .

When I had a chance to hear it I enjoyed Inside Music - good episode with a bassoonist recently but again too many US voices - other countries employ musicians who speak pretty good English.

[AuntDaisy]

That made me look twice (to check what you were referring to)! It's the only programmes that this curmudgeon ever wrote in to praise - the one about the composers and poets of the First World War. Apart from the actual content, the concept had a refined elegance about it. But I gave up when the 'concept' seemed to me to become less 'refined' and 'elegant'. A bit of a hotchpotch hanging together more loosely. And Inside Music was always a let-down on what I'd hoped for ("Too many pieces, Mozart.") Two very different pieces (eg pop and classical) closely compared and contrasted by an 'insider' would have been more to my taste. But a comment or two about 6-8 different pieces didn't have the depth I was looking for. It has almost seemed as if depth and erudition were what was being studiously avoided by R3.

I'm guessing it was one of the 2014 trio of Outbreak, Displacement and Aftermath with readers Emma Fielding, Harry Hadden-Paton, Lesley Sharp, Philip Franks, James Wilby and Helen Baxendale.

The older Words & Music tended to have actors & voices that were more familiar, along with decent producer's notes (which helped to unify the pieces).

Imagine being able to attract the likes of Derek Jacobi, Diana Rigg, Samuel West, Jeremy Irons, Anna Massey, Imogen Stubbs, Bill Paterson, Juliet Stevenson, Kenneth Cranham, Heathcote Williams, Claire Higgins, John Shrapnel, Anton Lesser, Bob Peck, Alison Stedman, Andrew Sachs, Fiona Shaw, Henry Goodman, Alex Jennings, Sian Thomas, Timothy West, Freddie Jones, Toby Jones, Amanda Root, Olivia Colman, Toby Stephens, Adjoa Andoh, Robert Glenister, Mark Strong, Hugh Bonneville, Adrian Scarborough, Maxine Peake, Harriet Walter, Don Warrington, David Jason, Eileen Atkins, John Rowe, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Michael Fenton Stevens, Josette Simons, Roger Allam, Peter Marinker, Tamsin Greig, Samantha Bond, Stella Gonet, Tim McInnerny...

[french frank]

I'm guessing it was one of the 2014 trio of Outbreak, Displacement and Aftermath with readers Emma Fielding, Harry Hadden-Paton, Lesley Sharp, Philip Franks, James Wilby and Helen Baxendale.

Sounds (W)right. Things not all bad back in those days. In particular, with the superb Abigail Appleton in charge of R3 Arts and Ideas (speech programmes - and oh those Do3 productions!). I almost wish I could do a course at Hereford College of Arts ...

[Ein Heldenleben]

I'm guessing it was one of the 2014 trio of Outbreak, Displacement and Aftermath with readers Emma Fielding, Harry Hadden-Paton, Lesley Sharp, Philip Franks, James Wilby and Helen Baxendale.

The older Words & Music tended to have actors & voices that were more familiar, along with decent producer's notes (which helped to unify the pieces).

Imagine being able to attract the likes of Derek Jacobi, Diana Rigg, Samuel West, Jeremy Irons, Anna Massey, Imogen Stubbs, Bill Paterson, Juliet Stevenson, Kenneth Cranham, Heathcote Williams, Claire Higgins, John Shrapnel, Anton Lesser, Bob Peck, Alison Stedman, Andrew Sachs, Fiona Shaw, Henry Goodman, Alex Jennings, Sian Thomas, Timothy West, Freddie Jones, Toby Jones, Amanda Root, Olivia Colman, Toby Stephens, Adjoa Andoh, Robert Glenister, Mark Strong, Hugh Bonneville, Adrian Scarborough, Maxine Peake, Harriet Walter, Don Warrington, David Jason, Eileen Atkins, John Rowe, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Michael Fenton Stevens, Josette Simons, Roger Allam, Peter Marinker, Tamsin Greig, Samantha Bond, Stella Gonet, Tim McInnerny...

If you can find it Tim McInnerny’s relatively recent reading of A Nocturnall Upon St Lucie’s Day and one of the Emma Gifford poems - I think it was At Castle Boterel - was amongst the best reading of poetry I’ve ver heard. I mean staggeringly good . So moving we almost had to pull the car on a long night drive over to pull ourselves together. What a voice …