BBC Music Day

[french frank]

Classical music gets a mention, but nothing more.

Take out the proms, and its remit is likely covered.

It does say "a commitment to classical ... music" and classical music was noticeable by its absence on Music Day. Even though there was music programming for its entire day.

Even the Proms are likely to be John Wilson's orchestra playing Broadway - which used to be BBC Two's province. Just as BBC Two, the cultural channel, soon moved over to light entertainment, that's the way BBC Four is going too.

By the way, R3's Facebook page is pretty quiet about 'Live in Concert' tonight ...

[Honoured Guest]

What's more, with Radio 2 having already dropped Your Hundred Best Tunes and Melodies for You, look out for an attempt to dump Friday Night Is Music Night on Radio 3.

I've written a letter of complaint to the Director-General, given that tonight BBC Four has nothing but a string of popular music programmes from 7.30pm until 3am. No classical music. And Radio 3 has a Radio 2 programme.

I understand your point of view that you think that Radio 3 shouldn't have broadcast the Music Day Gala Concert because it was only partly classical and was simulcast on Radio 2 where you consider it more at home.

I don't understand why you have formally complained that BBC Four had no classical music programming tonight. It smacks of a misplaced sense of personal entitlement.

[Frances_iom]

...
Sounds very much what the former BBC Head of Popular Music, now Director of Music, might cook up. Alan Davey is going to have an uphill struggle.

R3 is dead - Davey will make no difference as the political requirement on the BBC is to obtain large audiences to 'justify' the licence - thus Radio 2.5 started under Wodger will continue its takeover - weekends (apart from the dead slots) are already mostly there, Fri evening will soon be R2 (old style) - I suspect Davey will quit within a year.

[MrGongGong]

I've written a letter of complaint to the Director-General, given that tonight BBC Four has nothing but a string of popular music programmes from 7.30pm until 3am. No classical music. And Radio 3 has a Radio 2 programme.

I turned on BBC4 to find Beefheart

[DracoM]

BBC R3 succeeds in driving many classical music lovers to the wide range of internet classical stations.
Lose-lose for R3, win-win for us.

Law of unintended consequences? Or maybe it's not.......????

[gurnemanz]

I can't understand why the pathetic Music Day is an indicator that "Radio 3 is dead". Today my R3 listening will be BaL, Lunchtime Concert and live Missa Solemnis this evening - a reasonable enough harvest for one day. If Radio Three is not offering what I want at any given time, as quite often happens, ie mornings, it can be fun randomly to dip in to "internet classical stations", but after much sampling, I have only really found one of these which actually consistently offers what I want - RAI radiofd5, which I listen to daily via satellite dish not internet.

[MrGongGong]

It does say "a commitment to classical ... music" and classical music was noticeable by its absence on Music Day. Even though there was music programming for its entire day.

Even though I think it was probably cr*p (and they didn't get me a wind turbine to play with )
I do think it's important to be accurate

This

Music includes:

Bernstein: Overture Candide
Steve Sidwell (new arrangement): God Only Knows
Agustin Lara: Granada - Noah Stewart (tenor)
Claire Hastings: The Posie
Deacon Blue (arr. Martin Williams): Hipster (New arrgt Martin Williams)
Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro - overture
Catrin Finch: Tros Y Garreg
Jaz Dhami: Gulabi Aankhen
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto (1st movement) - Jack Liebeck (violin)
Rimsky Korsakov: Procession of the Nobles

INTERVAL
Katie Derham talks to some of the artists taking part in this special gala concert and looks back at highlights from BBC Music Day on Radio 3, from the BBC Singers singing on Hadrian's Wall to the world record attempt for the longest-distance duet between Cardiff and Patagonia.

Deacon Blue: Long Window To Love (new arrangement by Martin Williams)
Puccini: Recondita Armonia (Tosca) - Noah Stewart (tenor)
Catrin Finch: Solstice
Claire Hastings: Let Ramensky Go
Frederick Loewe: My Fair Lady
Massenet: Meditation (Thais) - Jack Liebeck (violin)
Jaz Dhami: Chura liya hai Tumne
Mark London: To Sir With Love

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Richard Balcombe (conductor).

DOES include "Classical music"

Ok, its not what I would choose and the whole thing does seem a celebration of the middle of the roadiness

A well known mate of mine said this on social media

For the record I'll just say that BBC Music Day represents just about everything I'm opposed to - music is nice really, so-called ambassadors that all look like adverts for hairdressers or cheap perfume, only the very most respectable music, an illusion that "all kinds of music are welcome", huge over-emphasis on the young. The corporate face of music lives. Ugh!

What we really need is more quality broadcasting like this classic

[Serial_Apologist]

The gramophone is not the only thing that needs oiling!

[french frank]

Even though I think it was probably cr*p (and they didn't get me a wind turbine to play with )
I do think it's important to be accurate

This

DOES include "Classical music"

Yes, but the remit quoted in your post is that of BBC Four which did NOT have any classical music on BBC Music Day, in spite of the remit which makes it the only television channel which does have a commitment to classical music. It had a string of programmes devoted, mainly, to pop [sic] music, plus Gershwin's Summertime

The playlist you copied was Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night - and the main objection is to Lulu, Blue Deacon, Jaz Dhami &c being substituted for a Live In Concert on Radio 3.

[MrGongGong]

Yes, but the remit quoted in your post is that of BBC Four which did NOT have any classical music on BBC Music Day, in spite of the remit which makes it the only television channel which does have a commitment to classical music. It had a string of programmes devoted, mainly, to pop [sic] music, plus Gershwin's Summertime

I think you might have mr Beef after you for calling Don "Pop"
and by most peoples (not mine) definition Gershwin IS "Classical Music"

"Blue Deacon"? is that an offensive CE broadcast that I missed?

[muzzer]

At least they're named after a Steely Dan tune. Small mercies.

[french frank]

I think you might have mr Beef after you for calling Don "Pop"

It was a reference to the programme titles: Pop go the Sixties, Top of the Pops, Pop Life 3 I'm a Pop Star. I've no idea who 'Don' is.

and by most peoples (not mine) definition Gershwin IS "Classical Music"

Gershwin was a person, not a sort of music. The fact that he wrote some concert hall pieces which can rightly be described as 'classical' doesn't mean that everything he wrote can therefore be described in the same way.

[Bryn]

It was a reference to the programme titles: Pop go the Sixties, Top of the Pops, Pop Life 3 I'm a Pop Star. I've no idea who 'Don' is. ...

Was Don Van Vliet, poet, artist and musician extraordinaire, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart.

[french frank]

Was Don Van Vliet, poet, artist and musician extraordinaire, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart.

So why are we talking about Captain Beefheart? I can't see that he was in any of the 'pop' programmes I mentioned?

Hah! I presume MrGongGong was talking about TOGWT. But I would call that 'popular music', not 'pop'.

[pilamenon]

thus Radio 2.5 started under Wodger will continue its takeover - weekends (apart from the dead slots) are already mostly there

I don't think that's a fair/accurate description of the weekends - if anything, they are still the last bastion of what I assume most of us regard as Radio 3 - CD Review, Music Matters, and everything from teatime on Saturdays, including Hear and Now, and on Sundays Early Music Show, Choral Evensong, Words and Music, a feature, a live concert and a play. Weekdays are far more diluted in my view.

This 'Music Day' seems just a BBC vanity project to promote the new 'BBC Music' brand. I don't know what other point there is to it - as the BBC already broadcasts music of all types on different stations 365 days a year. Do they live in some sort of alternative reality?