Radio 3 Unwind starts on the 4th of November

[Hitch]

Rado 1 has a parent radio station and three streams. They are described on the BBC Sounds homepage as

• Radio 1 ("The biggest new pop & all day (sic) vibes.")
• Radio 1 Anthems ("All day (sic) anthems from the 00s to now.")
• Radio 1 Dance ("The biggest current, classic & future dance vibes.")
• Radio 1Xtra ("Amplifying black music & culture.")

R2's sole station is summarised like so: "Lift your day with the best tunes from your favourite DJs."

It might make sense to combine Anthems and Dance and allocate the saved budget to a new R2 stream ("R2 Stage & Screen"?) that could broadcast music that has disappeared from R2 proper and doesn't really belong on R3.

[vinteuil]

Rado 1 has a parent radio station and three streams.
Radio 1Xtra ("Amplifying black music & culture.")

... a possible home for J de Bologne chev S Georges, Florence Price, Coleridge-Taylor, Wm Grant Still, Scott Joplin....

[Serial_Apologist]

Because the R3 we have now is not the R3 that can justify excluding such repertoire?

Brilliant!

[Pulcinella]

The Times correspondence continues:

Radio revolt

Sir, As a regular listener to Radio 3 for almost 60 years, I feel obliged to take issue with those criticising it on your pages (letters, Jan 22 & 24). For me it is a jewel in the crown of British culture. Its presenters are articulate and knowledgeable and over the years it has educated me and inspired me to listen to genres that I would never have encountered otherwise. For those who wish to listen to “classical” music only, there are plenty of other outlets. Please let Radio 3 continue to lead me along the path of discovery and delight.
Peter Hunt
Worksop, Notts

Sir, The solution to a dumbed-down Radio 3 is to tune in to the previous day's six-hour-long Through the Night show on BBC Sounds. I listen to this wonderful programme here every day.
Michael Scott
Woody Point, Queensland

[muzzer]

I rather like Unwind, but I’m sorry to say I do not want Dr Sian telling me how therapeutic music is, like a guru on the mountain doing morning tai chi (excuse the failed analogy). It’s no better than the perma chant on Classic FM telling you breathlessly how brilliant is the music you are listening to. Nor the new Breakfast presenter this morning who I will not name but is cut from the same cloth.

I find in our current constant crisis era that the less verbal coddling I get, the better. It is the music that makes the difference to me. It does not need to be mediated thru some imbecile. Thank you R3 Friends, for continuing to provide a forum for discussion in these dark times.

[LMcD]

I rather like Unwind, but I’m sorry to say I do not want Dr Sian telling me how therapeutic music is, like a guru on the mountain doing morning tai chi (excuse the failed analogy). It’s no better than the perma chant on Classic FM telling you breathlessly how brilliant is the music you are listening to. Nor the new Breakfast presenter this morning who I will not name but is cut from the same cloth.

I find in our current constant crisis era that the less verbal coddling I get, the better. It is the music that makes the difference to me. It does not need to be mediated thru some imbecile. Thank you R3 Friends, for continuing to provide a forum for discussion in these dark times.

Which reminds me - it's time to tune into yle Klassinen!

[oddoneout]

Which reminds me - it's time to tune into yle Klassinen!

I've turned it off for now - overdose of Scriabin has got me all jangled. Now, what's that BBC thing they reckon can help with that...

[oddoneout]

The Times correspondence continues:

Sir, As a regular listener to Radio 3 for almost 60 years, I feel obliged to take issue with those criticising it on your pages (letters, Jan 22 & 24). For me it is a jewel in the crown of British culture. Its presenters are articulate and knowledgeable and over the years it has educated me and inspired me to listen to genres that I would never have encountered otherwise. For those who wish to listen to “classical” music only, there are plenty of other outlets. Please let Radio 3 continue to lead me along the path of discovery and delight.

I must confess I am somewhat surprised by this. If the letterwriter has been listening for that length of time do the changes not register in terms of content and quality? I was "listening" to music from the time I was born, and consciously so for more than 60 years now, and even if I was still reasonably happy with R3 I don't think I could claim that the current benefits of that listening are in the same class as years ago.

[LMcD]

I must confess I am somewhat surprised by this. If the letterwriter has been listening for that length of time do the changes not register in terms of content and quality? I was "listening" to music from the time I was born, and consciously so for more than 60 years now, and even if I was still reasonably happy with R3 I don't think I could claim that the current benefits of that listening are in the same class as years ago.

I think it's jolly decent of The Times to publish such a positively heart-warming and obviously sincere letter, which I hope nobody will suspect of being a spoof.

[oddoneout]

I think it's jolly decent of The Times to publish such a positively heart-warming and obviously sincere letter, which I hope nobody will suspect of being a spoof.

It would be uncharitable to think so wouldn't it?

[Roslynmuse]

I seem to recall there was a similar letter in Radio Times a month or two back. I wonder if a couple of sheets of BBC notepaper have gone missing?

[Serial_Apologist]

It would be uncharitable to think so wouldn't it?

Are people here referring to the second one, from Australia???

[hmvman]

I've turned it off for now - overdose of Scriabin has got me all jangled. Now, what's that BBC thing they reckon can help with that...

If you'd turned YLE on again around 12.00 you'd have heard Quilter's Where the Rainbow Ends, a perfect antidote to Scriabin-jangled nerves!

[LMcD]

It would be uncharitable to think so wouldn't it?

It would indeed!

[oddoneout]

If you'd turned YLE on again around 12.00 you'd have heard Quilter's Where the Rainbow Ends, a perfect antidote to Scriabin-jangled nerves!

Being in the garden with sun and birdsong worked pretty well - and no data center demand involved!