Skelly replaces Cowan

[french frank]

The BBC's news.

[underthecountertenor]

Classic FM's version. This has clearly been brewing for a while. Who knows? Perhaps a beneficial shake-up for the turgid Ess. Cla.? A big move for Skellers.

Rob Cowan said: “I’ve always said that, over the years, Classic FM has been responsible for bringing great music into the national consciousness. Now, after a creatively varied seventeen-year period of absence, I’m delighted to be going full circle, reaching out to a public that’s eager to be nourished by quality repertoire, whether familiar or unfamiliar, as performed by artists who are fully up to the job. I intend to have a ball – and hope my listeners will, too.”

About as awkward as much of what he comes up with on Ess. Cla. these days. 'Artists who are fully up to the job'????

[underthecountertenor]

....though to give him credit, his parting words on the BBC press release are generous and read very well.

[french frank]

....though to give him credit, his parting words on the BBC press release are generous and read very well.

What's more: BEWARE LEBRECHT!!! He's had his knife into AD since before he took over at R3. ('Arts Council loser in line for R3'? Or headline to that effect? )

That said, I see a parallel with the departure of Catherine Bott to CFM.

[underthecountertenor]

What's more: BEWARE LEBRECHT!!! He's had his knife into AD since before he took over at R3. ('Arts Council loser in line for R3'? Or headline to that effect? )

That said, I see a parallel with the departure of Catherine Bott to CFM.

Lebrecht is a mischief-maker, and often a very unpleasant one at that. For that reason I take his reference to a 'general talent and producer exodus' with a mine of salt.

[underthecountertenor]

FF: I've found it, and it's breathtakingly nasty. http://slippedisc.com/2014/09/lord-w...ng-at-the-bbc/

[Sir Velo]

No doubt the Skellywag will be a distinct improvement on what's gone before hitherto, but even he may be powerless to improve on (In)essential classics.

[underthecountertenor]

No doubt the Skellywag will be a distinct improvement on what's gone before hitherto, but even he may be powerless to improve on (In)essential classics.

Although it's possible that he will extract the urine so mercilessly from contributors to the 'whatever next?' feature that they will be too afraid to tweet and the ghastly thing will die a death.

[hmvman]

Wow! I read this item on Slipped Disc and thought it was a spoof..

[Paulie55]

More please!

Isn't that where he came from in the first place ? Perhaps he can take Petroc back with him .

........SK and KD too!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Um. I'm speechless. But I'd prefer several others to go before Rob.

[french frank]

FF: I've found it, and it's breathtakingly nasty.

Yes, for a moment one is taken aback until one remembers who wrote it. I don't look at his blog that often but there's not infrequently a dig at R3. Last time it was aimed at AD and David Pickard/the Proms too (then it was about That Barenboim Prom last summer). All blamed on Davey and Pickard.

I think Ian Skelly may well be able to make the programme listenable, but it seems to be an unbridgeable gap: listeners who really take their music seriously and aren't satisfied with a string of short to shortish pieces, each apparently chosen for having nothing whatever to do with the previous one, alongside people who definitely want a variety of short pieces each having little to do with the previous one.

Surely, the best that can be hoped for is that the links will be tolerable?

[hmvman]

Um. I'm speechless. But I'd prefer several others to go before Rob.

Agree. In some ways I think it's a shame that Rob's going but perhaps more of a shame that R3 didn't make best use of his talents and knowledge in recent years. I used to like his contributions to 'CD Review' and 'Building a Library' as well as 'CD Masters' but more recently, with his 'Breakfast' and "Essential Classics' appearances, I've grown weary of that benign, avuncular style of presentation with lazy links and too much use of the adjective "wonderful". I'm sure it'll go down well at CFM.

Hopefully Skelly will bring a bit of fresh air to the programme and I might well listen to it a bit more. A fond hope? Maybe.

[Nick Armstrong]

A welcome side-effect of any exodus may be that Radio 3 is forced to rehabilitate the likes of James Jolly and Jonathan Swain, and perhaps promote the excellent John Shea from his nocturnal ghetto.

I had the same thought this afternoon.

FF: I've found it, and it's breathtakingly nasty. http://slippedisc.com/2014/09/lord-w...ng-at-the-bbc/

Never read that before...

[Barbirollians]

I regard Norman Lebrecht as a thoroughly nasty piece of work .