Radio 3 Unwind starts on the 4th of November

[LMcD]

Sam Jackson puts the case for the defence in the first half of yesterday's 'Feedback' on Radio 4 - each of us will probably have a view on how convincing he was (or wasn't).

[french frank]

Miranda Sawyer on 3u in the Observer (scroll down approx 2/3rds)

How about "Less unwind, more undead. Perhaps it’s because Unwind is labelled as a 24/7 streaming service rather than an actual radio station. I listened to Edith Bowman’s weekday late afternoon show, Cinematic Soundtracks. She’s a movie-score expert, having interviewed umpteen composers and directors for her film and music podcast Soundtracking, so why is she reduced to a couple of sentences between tinkly piano tracks? Jonathan Ross, who hosts Classic FM’s film show on Friday and Saturday evenings, isn’t so muted; neither was Mark Kermode when he hosted a similar show on Scala. It seems daft to employ such a specialist host and then ask her to dampen down her enthusiasm and knowledge."

Musical expert employed to avoid talking about music and witter aimiably/laughingly about nothing in particular. Very Radio 3.

[oddoneout]

Miranda Sawyer on 3u in the Observer (scroll down approx 2/3rds):

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/nov/16/the-week-in-audio-make-me-a-mixtape-clara-amfo-jordan-stephens-munya-chawawa-review-16-sunsets-space-shuttle-cinematic-soundtracks-edith-bowman-radio-3-unwind-how-to-play-holst-the-planets

I assume that the point she highlights that Unwind is a streaming thing,not a radio station, is the reason Ofcom allowed it finally?
The final para about 'How to Play' on R4 seems to me to highlight the muddled 'thinking' of R3 management. On the one hand it wants to make the station more accessible, so dumbs it down, and on the other programmes that educate as well as entertain about music matters are put elsewhere. These days it seems the only chance to learn about the mechanics of musicmaking is the EMS - and even then such opportunities are increasingly few and far between. When musicians do have a programme to themselves it seems the remit is 'My Favourite Music', ie more of the same as the rest of the endless hours of easy listening, not about their instrument and their insights as a performer(and often teacher in some form) into the repertoire, techniques etc.
What would frighten the horses about such a programme being on R3 - after all it is on R4 a speech, not music, station? Given the results of the attempt to attract a new audience, they can't claim that it is too superficial an approach for the R3 remit.

[Old Grumpy]

Miranda Sawyer on 3u in the Observer (scroll down approx 2/3rds):

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/nov/16/the-week-in-audio-make-me-a-mixtape-clara-amfo-jordan-stephens-munya-chawawa-review-16-sunsets-space-shuttle-cinematic-soundtracks-edith-bowman-radio-3-unwind-how-to-play-holst-the-planets

[oddoneout]

It's not just those dreadful trailers - plugs for Unwind are regularly turning up in presenters' scripts too! So is the current buzzphrase, "Live Music Lives..."!

Which sometimes provokes me to respond "but not on R3".
I see they're pushing the boat out on Wednesday though - not just a live CE, and a live evening concert, but also an hour of live music during the afternoon slot, plus of course the only consistent weekday live music presence on R3 - In Tune.

[french frank]

Sometimes the hors d'oeuvre can ruin the rest of the meal.

Wise words, Serial.

[willietell]

I turned on R3 for a change this morning, and hit it towards the end of Mendelssohn's MND overture. Next thing up, a bloody trailer for guest what. Hideous, and off R3 goes. Either I was just unlucky, or they trail the thing after every, or almost every item.

It's not just those dreadful trailers - plugs for Unwind are regularly turning up in presenters' scripts too! So is the current buzzphrase, "Live Music Lives..."!

[french frank]

* Tom M suggesting Unwind as some kind of antidote to Remembrance Day happenings...

Yes, all that clamour of military bands. In our house we just have a 2-min silence - if we Remember.

[oddoneout]

I turned on R3 for a change this morning, and hit it towards the end of Mendelssohn's MND overture. Next thing up, a bloody trailer for guest what. Hideous, and off R3 goes. Either I was just unlucky, or they trail the thing after every, or almost every item.

Dislike of the intrusions can make them seem more frequent than they actually are? Although having the presenter doing a 'live' version, as I heard this morning*, does add to the count.

* Tom M suggesting Unwind as some kind of antidote to Remembrance Day happenings...

[Serial_Apologist]

Shame, you missed Chailly's tremendous recording of the Eroica although only the first movt.

Sometimes the hors d'oeuvre can ruin the rest of the meal.

[gradus]

Shame, you missed Chailly's tremendous recording of the Eroica although only the first movt.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I turned on R3 for a change this morning, and hit it towards the end of Mendelssohn's MND overture. Next thing up, a bloody trailer for guest what. Hideous, and off R3 goes. Either I was just unlucky, or they trail the thing after every, or almost every item.

[Serial_Apologist]

Perhaps they're concentrating on Great Western Music.

[LMcD]

Looking at the schedule it appears that Night Tracks is on Radio Unwind - as well as Radio 3 . Next step replace it on R3 with something sensible and let the Night Trackers switch over to Unwind which has now found its natural home. I can't believe that the BBC - and Radio 3 - are marketing classical music as 'music to go to sleep to'. Is there a more effective way to devalue it? It ranks with playing it in shopping centres to disperse the gangs of late night hooligans.

That is correct, even if it isn't right.

[LMcD]

You can only hear Radio 3u on a train?

Perhaps they're concentrating on Great Western Music.