Sean: a Celebration

[LMcD]

Presumably whoever is responsible for, or has been told to expedite, Sean's early departure will claim, if challenged, that not renewing somebody's contract (if that is what has happened) is not the same as sacking them. Clumsy at best.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I can do that bit, yes

I tried to edit your first post to include the old headline as explanation but that seemed to be suggesting I'd started the whole topic and I'd prefer you retained responsibility for that! - I am a mere servant ...

thanks so much. The original headline , while no doubt accurate , clashes a bit with the very dignified unbitter tone Sean is taking. How he coped with the praise heaped on air live by Alice Coote and Christian Blackshaw last night without choking is beyond me . I won’t get over her singing Just A Sean At Twilight at full mezzo throttle in long time.

[french frank]

If you do I wonder whether you could kindly rename this thread Sean : A Celebration or some such and the rather negative headline I concocted a few months back now seems our of keeping .

I can do that bit, yes

I tried to edit your first post to include the old headline as explanation but that seemed to be suggesting I'd started the whole topic and I'd prefer you retained responsibility for that! - I am a mere servant ...

[Ein Heldenleben]

Hostly suggestion that the two threads on Sean's departure be merged. I propose moving the In Tune Breaking News thread to this one (if I can remember how), and keeping this thread title. I may be gone some time.

If you do I wonder whether you could kindly rename this thread Sean : A Celebration or some such and the rather negative headline I concocted a few months back now seems our of keeping .

[french frank]

Hostly suggestion that the two threads on Sean's departure be merged. I propose moving the In Tune Breaking News thread to this one (if I can remember how), and keeping this thread title. I may be gone some time.

[LMcD]

Thanks LHC. At least I won't now feel guilty watching the Sky News press review -- a habit acquired after the axing of The Papers in the BBC News channel shakeup last year.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Belatedly joining the list of R3 ‘In Tune’ long-standing listeners who are shocked / angered / bemused / dejected etc. by the departure of Sean Rafferty from the programme. Apparently a new contract was not forthcoming. Why? Age ? Failure to perform ? Being enormously popular? Have the R3 overseers (principally controller Sam Jackson) completely lost the plot? Rafferty’s musical knowledge and obvious passion, his enviable Irish radio timbre, his gentle and welcome sense of humour …. all of these qualities made his tenure at ‘In Tune’ so singular. One could hear clearly the fondness in which he was held by his guests - not to mention his genuine, warm support for young musical talent. I am of course aware of the impressive listening figures garnered by BBC R3. I simply feel sad (to say the least) that classic radio talent is being dispensed with, when said talent still has so much to offer and, to borrow from poet Robert Frost, ‘miles to go before I sleep’.

Welcome Sam.I agree with every word.
All I can say is that at least Sean has the very considerable benefit of being hymned publicly by the wonderful Christian Blackshaw and Alice Coote .

[Sam Dale]

Belatedly joining the list of R3 ‘In Tune’ long-standing listeners who are shocked / angered / bemused / dejected etc. by the departure of Sean Rafferty from the programme. Apparently a new contract was not forthcoming. Why? Age ? Failure to perform ? Being enormously popular? Have the R3 overseers (principally controller Sam Jackson) completely lost the plot? Rafferty’s musical knowledge and obvious passion, his enviable Irish radio timbre, his gentle and welcome sense of humour …. all of these qualities made his tenure at ‘In Tune’ so singular. One could hear clearly the fondness in which he was held by his guests - not to mention his genuine, warm support for young musical talent. I am of course aware of the impressive listening figures garnered by BBC R3. I simply feel sad (to say the least) that classic radio talent is being dispensed with, when said talent still has so much to offer and, to borrow from poet Robert Frost, ‘miles to go before I sleep’.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I feel bad for ever being rude about him online and have listened to at least the latter part of 'In Tune' both last night and tonight. Of all the more egregious decisions of the current Radio 3 apparatchiks, Sean Rafferty being consigned to the outer darkness is both typical but no less angry-making. Grr!

Well whatever Radio 3 management think of him Alice Coote and Christian Blackshaw clearly love him and said so in words ,music and song. And I know who I’d rather be loved by,,,..
Far from having any hint of bitterness Sean’s departure is turning into a four hour celebration of music and this remarkable brodacaster…and that sums up the class of the man,

[HighlandDougie]

Am I hearing things or did Alice Coote sing (magnificently) “Sean If You Knew The Light . “
There’s a musical mutiny going on . Obviously got his mates in. Alice is clearly a fan….

I feel bad for ever being rude about him online and have listened to at least the latter part of 'In Tune' both last night and tonight. Of all the more egregious decisions of the current Radio 3 apparatchiks, Sean Rafferty being consigned to the outer darkness is both typical but no less angry-making. Grr!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Am I hearing things or did Alice Coote sing (magnificently) “Sean If You Knew The Light . “
There’s a musical mutiny going on . Obviously got his mates in. Alice is clearly a fan….

[Ein Heldenleben]

Not only has pianist Christian Blackshaw just played the Schubert GFlat Impromptu beautifully he’s also given an an insightful interview which he ended with a very touching and heartfelt tribute to Sean’s broadcasting skills and love of music . I don’t know how he’s holding it together - a true pro.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Agreed (with you and others above)

Out of interest I looked in the Radio Times for 16-22 December (here early in the festive run-up, as usual).

The R3 blurb for the In Tune Christmas edition refers to “Rafferty having left the programme at the end of November”… as brusque as it is inaccurate

I wonder what on earth has been going on…

As a friend (formerly of this Forum) commented today: clearly his hair is the wrong colour

There is something very fishy going on.
“Moving on “ live radio presenters is a notoriously risky management task because of the risk of a Smashy -and +Nicey style on air meltdown - believe it or not managers used to get training in how to do it. Somewhere or other there’s a tape kicking around of some of the more spectacular on air denunciations of management by a disgruntled DJ . Trouble is often the sell by date is long overdue - though emphatically not in Sean’s case,

[Nick Armstrong]

I must admit he has never been a favourite presenter of mine but he does seem to have been treated shabbily.

Agreed (with you and others above)

Out of interest I looked in the Radio Times for 16-22 December (here early in the festive run-up, as usual).

The R3 blurb for the In Tune Christmas edition refers to “Rafferty having left the programme at the end of November”… as brusque as it is inaccurate

I wonder what on earth has been going on…

As a friend (formerly of this Forum) commented today: clearly his hair is the wrong colour

[Ein Heldenleben]

The principles which govern the BBC's decisions as to which personnel it continues to support and which it easily dispenses with have become rather hard to fathom.

Please don’t make me laugh. I could write a book about presenters but the lawyers would never let me publish it. The overwhelming majority are lovely people but some are ,for want of a better word , monsters. And it’s the responsibility of the more senior people in a media organisation to see the latter get the size 10 and the former prosper.