The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[kernelbogey]

... I like Georgia's style...

I've realised that it's not the individual style of presenters that grates - I can feel irritated by either Petroc or Georgia - but the amount of speech required by the programme's format. I was minded to post something about how much more I like the style of Catriona Young or Jonathan Swain - but actually it is that they have a short time-frame on TTN for each announcement, which they skilfully fill with relevant and often unfamiliar information about the piece. It's my preferred format for music broadcasting, but I recognise I am a lone voice (well nearly) in the wilderness of BBC listeners.

[oddoneout]

I've realised that it's not the individual style of presenters that grates - I can feel irritated by either Petroc or Georgia - but the amount of speech required by the programme's format. I was minded to post something about how much more I like the style of Catriona Young or Jonathan Swain - but actually it is that they have a short time-frame on TTN for each announcement, which they skilfully fill with relevant and often unfamiliar information about the piece. It's my preferred format for music broadcasting, but I recognise I am a lone voice (well nearly) in the wilderness of BBC listeners.

Hardly. Those who post on this and the related board EC board are in the minority in terms of being able to tolerate, or possibly even liking, the format. In terms of the FoR3 population you are in the majority I submit.

[kernelbogey]

Hardly. Those who post on this and the related board EC board are in the minority in terms of being able to tolerate, or possibly even liking, the format. In terms of the FoR3 population you are in the majority I submit.

Oh I feel better now... thanks.

I was suspecting that I might be in a minority valuing brief, old-style succinct announcments and back-announcements: perhaps not.

Edit: (Though, now I recollect what I was thinking when I posted, it's the non-FoR3 population of R3 listeners that I was characterising as 'the wilderness'.

[gurnemanz]

“Morning all! Another less than lovely morning in London but I have musical loveliness on @BBCRadio3 this morning in the form of a vintage recording of Chopin by Cortot and all of Bach's Cantata BWV130 before 7. Plus Mozart arranging Handel. Join us!” A tweet from Wor Georgia ....... all of it note ......

I normally do news radio when I wake up but did listen to R3 for a while this morning (on earphones in bed - wife still in slumber), retreating from ongoing updates on Brexit fiasco. I agree that it was a good session (eg Fatima Said in Auf dem Wasser zu singen) and may start tuning in more often.

[french frank]

What's not to like?

For me, 20 pieces, ranging from Duke Elington and Ronald Binge to Bach, Mozart and Brahms crammed into 150 miutes. Take away the speech input and the jolly miscellany averages at 6 mins+ per piece. That's what I don't like. I even feel exasperated at the silly titles that are given to each episode: [Georgia's] classical picks, [Georgia's] classical alarm call, [Georgia's] classical commute &c.

If there were pieces of 10 minutes each upwards, and I knew what they were, I might listen; though it occurred to me this very morning as I was eating breakfast that in that silence I could think about a whole range of subjects, and give them my full attention. That being the case, even if the music allowed me to do that, it would be an unnecessary background noise.

Since you asked

[LMcD]

[/B]
Hardly. Those who post on this and the related board EC board are in the minority in terms of being able to tolerate, or possibly even liking, the format. In terms of the FoR3 population you are in the majority I submit.

IMHO Breakfast and EC are very different programmes intended to provide different sets of listeners with different 'listening experiences'. By the time Breakfast has finished, I have the time and am in the mood for more substantial fare, which EC generally fails to provide. I also find the forced jollity and implied subversiveness more than a little irritating - it feels like a cobbled-together midnight feast in a public school dormitory.

[Nick Armstrong]

I think I may have mentioned before, but the weekend 'Breakfasts' with Martin Handley have become among my favourite R3 programmes. His manner, and the interesting selection of music, has yet to disappoint. I suspect he has a great team around him.

Of course I never listen to it when it's on - it's a regular download on the iPad and gets played whenever time allows.

[underthecountertenor]

I was minded to post something about how much more I like the style of Catriona Young or Jonathan Swain - but actually it is that they have a short time-frame on TTN for each announcement, which they skilfully fill with relevant and often unfamiliar information about the piece.

Let us not forget the excellent John Shea.

[french frank]

Let us not forget the excellent John Shea.

It's actually very easy to forget 'the excellent John Shea' if one doesn't listen to Through the Night, isn't it? Which is a great shame.

[underthecountertenor]

It's actually very easy to forget 'the excellent John Shea' if one doesn't listen to Through the Night, isn't it? Which is a great shame.

He sometimes gets presenting duties on Sunday afternoons. Always a pleasure when this happens.

[DracoM]

It's actually very easy to forget 'the excellent John Shea' if one doesn't listen to Through the Night, isn't it? Which is a great shame.

Unlike for many....ahem.......Katie Derham are you listening> ....for JS, LESS IS MORE.

[kernelbogey]

...weekend 'Breakfasts' with Martin Handley have become among my favourite R3 programmes....

And I believe he invented the trailing present tense trope of (e.g.) 'Beethoven laments a lost coin, Debussy surveys the sea and Mendelssohn discovers Italy'. (Copied by other presenters.)

[cloughie]

And I believe he invented the trailing present tense trope of (e.g.) 'Beethoven laments a lost coin, Debussy surveys the sea and Mendelssohn discovers Italy'. (Copied by other presenters.)

That should take care of most of the first hour but I guess more likely less that 15 minutes, depending on which movements are chosen!

[gurnemanz]

I'm mellowing here, having spoken out against Breakfast in the past. Not keen on too much waffle and don't like isolated movements but plenty of good stuff is short, eg all songs, which, if pushed, are probably my favourite musical form.

[PaulT]

I think I may have mentioned before, but the weekend 'Breakfasts' with Martin Handley have become among my favourite R3 programmes. His manner, and the interesting selection of music, has yet to disappoint. I suspect he has a great team around him.

Of course I never listen to it when it's on - it's a regular download on the iPad and gets played whenever time allows.

Petroc and Georgia during the week and Martin on Saturday and Sunday provide us with the perfect start to the day. Not so Elizabeth Alker who just fails to deliver in terms of presentation or music selection. She is billed to be on duty this weekend so our Breakfast listening for Saturday will be a re-run of today’s (Friday) Breakfast with Petroc from 0630 to 0800 - stylish and professional presentation of works by Bach, Chilcott, Fibich and others. On Sunday I will select and play a CD that my wife has not yet heard and she will do the same for me. Over the past six months or so this format over the two days has never let us down.