Skelly leaving Essential Classics

[Bryn]

I wasn't saying that no-one started their classical journey from an encounter with R3, rather that in terms of audience numbers I doubt it was significant even in the 'good old days', so trying to make R3 "appealing" to a younger audience is even more self-defeating now than it was in the days of "this is what we do and how we do it, whether you listen is up to you". The introduction to, and interest-piqueing in, the enormous variety of music generally rendered inaccessible by the term "classical" has to start much earlier and away from a "classical music" radio station.

Thinking back, my enthusiasm for 'classical music' was probably generated via 78s at home and at school. The Third followed once I learned of its existence through a musical uncle acquiring an earlyish VHF radio and demonstrating its audio quality improvement over MW, in old money (this by the age of 7, at the latest).

[DracoM]

Anthony Hopkins for me.

[hmvman]

Thinking back, my enthusiasm for 'classical music' was probably generated via 78s at home and at school. The Third followed once I learned of its existence through a musical uncle acquiring an earlyish VHF radio and demonstrating its audio quality improvement over MW, in old money (this by the age of 7, at the latest).

When I was at primary school our headmaster regularly played classical pieces at morning assembly as well as at other school events. While I wasn't a classical music enthusiast at that time, I'm sure it gave me a good grounding for when I came to appreciate the music a few years later. I feel so very grateful to that teacher and regret not being able to thank him.

[Serial_Apologist]

When I was at primary school our headmaster regularly played classical pieces at morning assembly as well as at other school events. While I wasn't a classical music enthusiast at that time, I'm sure it gave me a good grounding for when I came to appreciate the music a few years later. I feel so very grateful to that teacher and regret not being able to thank him.

To this day I fondly remember the little piano pieces played as we entered Assembly when I was 7 or 8. I've recently, on my nostalgia trip, being playing them by ear, and guessing who the composers probably are, though I've no information. Dad had The Planets, the scherzo and march from The Love of Three Oranges and Delius's First Cuckoo in Spring on 78s but that was all until he acquired an LP coupling Bartok PC3 with Hary Janos when I would have been about seven. Mum hated anything "modern", so my next progression was via the school record library, which had all the Bartok string quartets, other string quartets by Schoenberg, Berg and Webern, and a record coupling orchestral works by Searle and Seiber. They also had "The History of Music on Record" or some such title, which proved a huge gateway into my era of choice; I bought whatever books I could get from bookships in Charing Cross Road (especially Foyles), and then Radio 3 and regular attendance at the Proms in the mid-60s, when I first worked in London, did the rest. I even attempted writing a book titled "Modern Music Made Easy to Understand" to impress a girl, which, thankfully, I never took to a publisher.

[oddoneout]

I remember the musical entrees as well, and they continued through secondary school - sometimes an opportunity for older pupils to perform. They would have been the only hearing of an alternative to popular music for the majority of pupils and even that brief glimpse no longer happens.

[eighthobstruction]

Alan Davey to be interviewed on R4 Feedback....next week

[gradus]

When I was at primary school our headmaster regularly played classical pieces at morning assembly as well as at other school events. While I wasn't a classical music enthusiast at that time, I'm sure it gave me a good grounding for when I came to appreciate the music a few years later. I feel so very grateful to that teacher and regret not being able to thank him.

Same here.

[french frank]

Alan Davey to be interviewed on R4 Feedback....next week

The press took up the story, hence the interest of the Feedback producers. But we've become used to Feedback being a platform for BBC managers and producers to explain why they are right and audiences are wrong. I did get an answer to my email (sent after receiving off board complaints to FoR3 which seems to have retained a contact address).

AD said that he 'imagined' that I don't listen to EC (correct), but at least he understands the concept of 'spokespersons' commenting on behalf of others. RW and others simply said, 'How can you criticise when you don't listen?' [Answer: You keep your eyes and ears open to what's going on].

Managers always 'have their reasons' for their decisions, and these take precedence over all else. 'La direction a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point' as the French say.

[Ein Heldenleben]

When I was at primary school our headmaster regularly played classical pieces at morning assembly as well as at other school events. While I wasn't a classical music enthusiast at that time, I'm sure it gave me a good grounding for when I came to appreciate the music a few years later. I feel so very grateful to that teacher and regret not being able to thank him.

Since I mentioned on another thread that the playing of Scheherazade at our primary school morning assembly started my lifelong dislike of the work in the interests of balance I should mention the other works also played that I still like -

1Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
2 Jupiter - Planets
3. Morning Peer Gynt

All played on an LCC issue model wooden gramophone with inbuilt speaker and tone arm with tracking weight to be measured in ounces rather than grams.

[cloughie]

The press took up the story, hence the interest of the Feedback producers. But we've become used to Feedback being a platform for BBC managers and producers to explain why they are right and audiences are wrong. I did get an answer to my email (sent after receiving off board complaints to FoR3 which seems to have retained a contact address).

AD said that he 'imagined' that I don't listen to EC (correct), but at least he understands the concept of 'spokespersons' commenting on behalf of others. RW and others simply said, 'How can you criticise when you don't listen?' [Answer: You keep your eyes and ears open to what's going on].

Managers always 'have their reasons' for their decisions, and these take precedence over all else. 'La direction a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point' as the French say.

And of course now thanks to Sounds the playlists supply the information needed to check what’s gone and not sorely missed. As I’ve said before we’re on to a loser because the BBC is never wrong!

[antongould]

The press took up the story, hence the interest of the Feedback producers. But we've become used to Feedback being a platform for BBC managers and producers to explain why they are right and audiences are wrong. I did get an answer to my email (sent after receiving off board complaints to FoR3 which seems to have retained a contact address).

AD said that he 'imagined' that I don't listen to EC (correct), but at least he understands the concept of 'spokespersons' commenting on behalf of others. RW and others simply said, 'How can you criticise when you don't listen?' [Answer: You keep your eyes and ears open to what's going on].

Managers always 'have their reasons' for their decisions, and these take precedence over all else. 'La direction a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point' as the French say.

With no indications what these “reasons” are I suppose .... and I’m afraid my French is far worse than even Skellers’ ......

[Padraig]

I listened, anton, to the last farewell. He went out like a gentleman, appreciating his friends.

[cloughie]

I listened, anton, to the last farewell. He went out like a gentleman, appreciating his friends.

So it was goodbye from him, but he’ll be bouncing back on Sunday.

[french frank]

With no indications what these “reasons” are I suppose ....

Explanations were given, but they seemed questionable to me:

1. " Essential Classics is a programme that is important but you could argue that Afternoons are more important as they have more serious musical content and unique value." But IS will only be one of four presenters. Essential Classics has a higher profile and a much larger audience.

2. " … in no sense are we downgrading Ian by moving him to help develop that slot." I'm afraid the idea of 'developing the slot' seems very ominous. It is one of the few programmes which has little presenter input. Why should a programme with 'more serious musical content' need to be 'developed' by a presenter?

3. On broadening the audience, he asks: "Is classical music, culture and ideas only for a privileged few?" which seems to make assumptions about Radio 3 listeners. In what way, relative to 'classical music, culture and ideas', am I 'privileged'? I may be a different kind of person with different interests, but how does that become 'privilege'?

[DracoM]

Truly resent the implication in [3] above!! Am I alone in that?