Know-nothing presenters

[ahinton]

From the early days of Classic FM. I forget the presenter, but it might have been Henry Kelly.

'That was Dawn from Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interldues. Good job he didn't call her Sharon or Tracey!"

Well, at least that was a joke, even if a rather lame one; I often wondered whether his "it says here that that was a Dvořák Slavonic Dance; doesn't say who wrote it, though" was apocryphal or another such lame joke rather than a gaffe per se.

[Padraig]

I often wondered whether his "it says here that that was a Dvořák Savonic Dance; doesn't say who wrote it, though" was apocryphal or another such lame joke rather than a gaffe per se.

Yes, a very difficult puzzle, ah. I hope you haven't lost much sleep.

[ahinton]

Yes, a very difficult puzzle, ah. I hope you haven't lost much sleep.

Not over that, I haven't - but apologies for the now corrected typo "Savonic" which, had it been in his script, might have prompted some comment about the soap-operatic nature of the piece...

[light_calibre_baritone]

Well, at least that was a joke, even if a rather lame one; I often wondered whether his "it says here that that was a Dvořák Slavonic Dance; doesn't say who wrote it, though" was apocryphal or another such lame joke rather than a gaffe per se.

A good friend of mine spent a few years as a producer at Classic FM... He often had to write the links between tracks for certain presenters, and he also had to phonetically spell composer's names and pieces!!

[Richard Barrett]

'as played by the Concert Gebow Orchestra'. Two words. Half a brain.

Maybe she was quoting directly from the front of the building, where its name is given as "Concert-Gebouw". And are you sure she misspelled it?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I do remember a CFM presenter playing a recording of Rachmaninov's G minor Prelude, but announcing it as the composer's 3rd piano concerto.

[pastoralguy]

I remember 1991 when my life collapsed and I ended up working night shift in a petrol station and how Classic FM was a real comfort during a lonely and miserable period. (Radio3 having closed down by 23.00). I also treasure a set of Salvatore Accardo playing the Paganini violin concertos with the LPO under Dutoit that I won in a competition of theirs.

[John Lee]

Well, I'd have been fooled by that one. R3 is ,aimlessly aimed at classical music enthusiasts, who may not be film buffs

[underthecountertenor]

Katy Derham again. I listened to the beginning of the In Tune Christmas special, broadcast on Wednesday. KD enthused that they would be joined by 'superstar baritone Michael Fabiano'. I would have thought that basic politeness should have dictated that she do a bit of research on her 'superstar' guest with a view to establishing that he is a tenor. But she was obviously more interested in what she described as the 'multi-talented and all round good egg Alexander Armstrong' (who of course does purport to sing baritone).

To use the Match of the Day analogy that I saw somewhere recently, if Gary Lineker were to describe, let's say, Wayne Rooney as a goalkeeper, without immediately making it clear that it was a slip of the tongue and not the product of ignorance, I have little doubt that he would be laughed off the show once and for all. But it appears that the same standards no longer apply on Radio 3.

And why on earth is Radio 3 plugging the terrible recordings of a Classic FM presenter (Armstrong) anyway?

Needless to say, I did not linger.

[Stanfordian]

Katy Derham again. I listened to the beginning of the In Tune Christmas special, broadcast on Wednesday. KD enthused that they would be joined by 'superstar baritone Michael Fabiano'. I would have thought that basic politeness should have dictated that she do a bit of research on her 'superstar' guest with a view to establishing that he is a tenor. But she was obviously more interested in what she described as the 'multi-talented and all round good egg Alexander Armstrong' (who of course does purport to sing baritone).

To use the Match of the Day analogy that I saw somewhere recently, if Gary Lineker were to describe, let's say, Wayne Rooney as a goalkeeper, without immediately making it clear that it was a slip of the tongue and not the product of ignorance, I have little doubt that he would be laughed off the show once and for all. But it appears that the same standards no longer apply on Radio 3.

And why on earth is Radio 3 plugging the terrible recordings of a Classic FM presenter (Armstrong) anyway?

Needless to say, I did not linger.

Hiya underthecountertenor,

There is an interview I have seen on Sky Arts that Katie Derham holds with Alexander Armstrong. This new album plug interview for his new Christmas album 'In A Winter Light' is absolutely toe curlingly awful. Apart from some the inane questions she asks the facial expressions that Derham pulls are amazing. Armstrong's convoluted explanations are enough to put people off the album anyway.

[underthecountertenor]

Hiya underthecountertenor,

Armstrong's convoluted explanations are enough to put people off the album anyway.

It would be as well, for everyone's sake, if people are put off the album before hearing a note of it.

[Cockney Sparrow]

If Ms Klein reads this thread, you're gonna get name checked as elitist and..... (remember, ignorance is good, experts are rubbish, facts are "fake news" and all that matters is "celebrity" (And why should Radio 3 be any different?).

[Stanfordian]

Hiya underthecountertenor,

I thought that you might say that.

Alexander Armstrong's voice sounds reasonably in tune although I find his tone to be monochrome, soon becoming wearing on the ear!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

To use the Match of the Day analogy that I saw somewhere recently, if Gary Lineker were to describe, let's say, Wayne Rooney as a goalkeeper, without immediately making it clear that it was a slip of the tongue and not the product of ignorance, I have little doubt that he would be laughed off the show once and for all. But it appears that the same standards no longer apply on Radio 3.

- This is precisely the point, I think.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

If Ms Klein reads this thread, you're gonna get name checked as elitist and..... (remember, ignorance is good, experts are rubbish, facts are "fake news" and all that matters is "celebrity" (And why should Radio 3 be any different?).

Being called an elitist or a snob by SK only reinforces her image as the name-calling school bully. I'm afraid she's made a rod for her own back.