The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[alycidon]

This morning I learnt something new. There’s to be a performance in Gloucester of a work called ‘Chichester Psalms’ by Britten.

How on earth did they manage that? Still, I’ve long ceased to be amazed by anything spoken on R3.

[french frank]

There’s to be a performance in Gloucester of a work called ‘Chichester Psalms’ by Britten.

Got some of the letters right.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Today we had the last of the River Severn Breakfast programmes. As I was driving from dawn to 1.00 p.m., I decided to try to see whether I could endure the full Radio 3 challenge of listening to the full morning challenge. I failed, switching over to Radio 4 at 9.01 on hearing Suzy Klein.

But the wall to wall river-themed music was better than I expected. What did annoy me was PT’s persistence in insisting that the River Severn magically ended at Flatholm Island and became the Bristol Channel from that exact point onwards.

Why? The muddy riverbanks continue after this, to just before Minehead. Looking at the map, the sea is only fully reached after Ilfracombe and Swansea.

[Bella Kemp]

Yes, I greatly enjoyed the River Severn programmes. And yes, again, I fear that Suzy Klein is misusing her talents.

[muzzer]

I worry about my reactions to various R3 presenters. Nearly all are technically competent, knowledgeable etc. But some of them, well I just can’t stand the sound of their voice. It’s me isn’t it?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And yes, again, I fear that Suzy Klein is misusing her talents.

“The Weakest Link” has been cancelled, so there’s nowhere else for her to go.

[LMcD]

I worry about my reactions to various R3 presenters. Nearly all are technically competent, knowledgeable etc. But some of them, well I just can’t stand the sound of their voice. It’s me isn’t it?

Please let us know when/if you discover the source of your problem with certain Radio 3 announcers, as there are others who are similarly afflicted!
Or, to put it another way, it's certainly not just you.

[french frank]

I worry about my reactions to various R3 presenters. Nearly all are technically competent, knowledgeable etc. But some of them, well I just can’t stand the sound of their voice. It’s me isn’t it?

I think having 'a good radio voice' is part of being technically competent; and that Radio 3 is likely to demand a different kind of 'good voice'. No simpering, flirting, bantering, oversmiling: just get on with the job of presenting the music efficiently.

On 'knowledgeable, I'd disagree. Again, it should mean 'knowledgeable enough for Radio 3', knowledgeable enough not to be regularly caught out by listeners who are considerably more knowledgeable than they are. The most knowledgeable ones tend to be those who don't get much of a look-in: Through The Night duties, continuity - presumably because they're 'too knowledgeable' for a Radio 3 whose priority now is to attract new listeners and young listeners who will be deterred from listening if they feel, pathetically for grown-up human beings, that they're not 'welcome'. The 'trusted guide' role is the attempt to be genuinely friendly and welcoming, imparting their knowledge with a light touch (this seems to me where SK falls down on both: she has a bossy, lecturing manner and she gets facts wrong which shows her knowledge is pretty superficial. She gives the impression that, left to her own devices, she'd be listening to Radio 1 or 6 Music when she's off Radio 3 duty, where presenters, ironically, usually do know their (musical) stuff).

The really skilled broadcasters are the ones who come over as genuinely engaging; and self-awareness can compensate to a degree for a less-than adequate knowledge level.

[cloughie]

I think having 'a good radio voice' is part of being technically competent; and that Radio 3 is likely to demand a different kind of 'good voice'.

On 'knowledgeable, I'd disagree. Again, it should mean 'knowledgeable enough for Radio 3', knowledgeable enough not to be regularly caught out by listeners who are considerably more knowledgeable than they are. The most knowledgeable ones tend to be those who don't get much of a look-in: Through The Night duties, continuity - presumably because they're 'too knowledgeable' for a Radio 3 whose priority now is to attract new listeners and young listeners who will be deterred from listening if they feel, pathetically for grown-up human beings, that they're not 'welcome'. The 'trusted guide' role is the attempt to be genuinely friendly and welcoming, imparting their knowledge with a light touch (this seems to me where SK falls down on both: she has a bossy, lecturing manner and she gets facts wrong which shows her knowledge is pretty superficial. She gives the impression that, left to her own devices, she'd be listening to Radio 1 or 6 Music when she's off Radio 3 duty, where presenters, ironically, usually do know their (musical) stuff).

The really skilled broadcasters are the ones who come over as genuinely engaging; and self-awareness can compensate to a degree for a less-than adequate knowledge level.

Well ‘No simpering, flirting, bantering, oversmiling: just get on with the job of presenting the music efficiently’ seems to have been abandoned!

[french frank]

Well ‘No simpering, flirting, bantering, oversmiling: just get on with the job of presenting the music efficiently’ seems to have been abandoned!

Well, I think that Radio 3, like the rest of the BBC, is hung up on the idea of presenters being 'welcoming'. Why can't they just say, 'No, you're not 'welcome', nor are you 'unwelcome. We're just a radio station, for God's sake. We provide a service and if you don't want the service, go and find one you do want.'

This, of course, doesn't solve the headache: Radio 3 does want new and younger listeners. But after 20 years of trying the same inanities, when will they get the message: NOT THIS WAY ?

The Third Programme/Radio 3 wasn't a station for 'the broad audience', but at one time people managed to graduate towards something which required more attention and concentration than 'radio entertainment'. What they should investigate is why it is that people no longer graduate to Radio 3 in the way that they used to (e.g. me in the 1980s). That's where they might find the remedy.

[muzzer]

If only Lauren Laverne was into classical music. She’s become a fine broadcaster imho. I say that, because I think SK and TS are basically embarrassed by classical music. There’s this permanent sense it’s their mission to drag R3 into the mid market in order to secure its survival, and that this necessitates and justifies perma-gushing like grandparents on their first tab of acid. I entirely agree about the TTN presenters. They’re neither stuffy nor matey, just calmly informative. That’s my 10p for the day.

[Stanfordian]

It's down to personal taste isn't it. I'm not sure I want Lauren Laverne on R3, not being impressed with her Desert Island Discs hosting. But Suzy Klein plays the piano doesn't she!

[Old Grumpy]

Some grandparents permagush without a tab of acid. Having never had such a tab, but recently become a grandparent, I hope I am not too gushing

OG

[doversoul1]

I think Hannah French is one of the best new comers to Radio 3 in recent years. There must be many more like her whose presentation is enthusiastic and intelligence out there if R3 or the BBC put their minds to it.

Hannah French will be presenting this next week.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00057j5

[french frank]

I think Hannah French is one of the best new comers to Radio 3 in recent years. There must be many more like her whose presentation is enthusiastic and intelligence out there if R3 or the BBC put their minds to it.

The specialists are generally less of a problem if they are reasonably natural broadcasters. And since they are generally very busy people, it suits them to do one-offs.

The 'professional broadcasters' may be technically polished, but they also have the self confident air which gives the impression of knowledgeability; when it comes to classical music, this may be misleading. As for Music graduates, they may or may not know anything about classical music: the more recent the graduate, the less likely that is, given the wide range of musical fields to specialise in.