Christmas Day on Radio 3

[barber olly]

Something like a relay of the Christmas matinee concert from the Concertgebouw would
vastly improve matters. When did that perfectly good tradition end I wonder ??

Probably coincided with the reinvention of Petroc Trelawny.

[Nick Armstrong]

I regarded the necessity of having to watch it, with its thises and thats and Katherine Jenkinses and Catherine Tates and David Tennants and Matt Smiths and ooooh, it's been filmed in the deserts of the Middle East this year, to try and understand even a scintilla of the interest in this modern ... phenomenon. I couldn't and now I don't even need to think about it. Bah, humbug

The new Doctor Who series have a kind of fake charm and camp whimsy which I find totally unengaging and, indeed, unwatchable.

Sorry, Anna!

[Serial_Apologist]

With music from Rachmaninov, Pete Seeger, Philip Feeney, Grieg and Elizabeth Poston, and many more.

Gosh - Elizabeth Poston; that must be a first for R3! She did compose the music to Howards End, I hadn't realised, so It'll doubtless be that.

[teamsaint]

Another thing that happens on Christmas day, is that some people slump insensitive into the trifle.

I imagine Anna missed this feature out by mistake.




this years R3 schedule might be a nice musical accompaniment to the slumping.

Also, Would there still be Xmas if there was no Aled Jones?

[Anna]

Also, Would there still be Xmas if there was no Aled Jones?

Not according to my Mum!

Well, come on, be honest, who listens to radio on Christmas Day? There's so much going on, Santa and his Elves, pixies, and fairies twinkling on the tree, stardust being scattered willy-nilly, silly jumpers, Dads getting socks, again, and at least one admission to A&E. It's lovely. Plus the camp whimsey of Dr. Who and then The Great Escape. It's classic, that meld of flatulence and sentimentality creating a wonderful atmosphere. Then, Boxing Day, we can forget it and go to The Sales and buy what we never got for Christmas, even though we asked Santa for it!!

[amcluesent]

I expect all the Xmas Day programmes are already on hard disk, ready for the computer to play out.

[MickyD]

[I]"As for me, every year I treat the season as an excuse to dig out all my recorded music with Chistimas connections, and play it through in chronological order, from Mediaeval to Modern. It takes about 3 days to play through in its entirety."

That's exactly what I do, Serial Apologist! This year I will be adding to the 20th century section with that delightful Chandos/Hickox disc of RVW's Christmas music, which has eluded me until now.

[Roehre]

[I]"As for me, every year I treat the season as an excuse to dig out all my recorded music with Chistimas connections, and play it through in chronological order, from Mediaeval to Modern. It takes about 3 days to play through in its entirety."

That's exactly what I do, Serial Apologist! This year I will be adding to the 20th century section with that delightful Chandos/Hickox disc of RVW's Christmas music, which has eluded me until now.

Something similar is happening here - and that RVW/Hickox is a real beauty.
The ones I love most to start with are Arnold's rather unknown but really lovely Song of Simeon (a nativity play, op.69), Honegger's Une Cantate de Noël and Bridge's Christmas Rose, but Schönberg (Weihnachtmusik), other RVW works like Hodie and Bax's Christmas on the Mountain are obviously dug out too.

[Mr Pee]

Something similar is happening here - and that RVW/Hickox is a real beauty.
The ones I love most to start with are Arnold's rather unknown but really lovely Song of Simeon (a nativity play, op.69), Honegger's Une Cantate de Noël and Bridge's Christmas Rose, but Schönberg (Weihnachtmusik), other RVW works like Hodie and Bax's Christmas on the Mountain are obviously dug out too.

And Finzi, In Terra Pax. My favourite piece of Christmas Music.

[Biffo]

It all depends on what Rob Cowan plays and how much irrelevant witter (emails, celebritoid interviews etc) intrudes. After 12:00 I won't be listening to the radio.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

that meld of flatulence and sentimentality

Sounds like the usual Breakfast format.

No radio on Dec 25th for me, either. (Santa tells me that, if I've been very good, there'll be a box from Mr Krivine waiting under the Christmas Tree. That and the good visitor from Gallifrey will make for my viewing & listening treats this year. And probably some Ferneyhough-hough-hough.)

[Anna]

On Christmas morning I like to play The Praetorius Mass (Lutheran Mass for Christmas Morning) Gabrieli Consort & Players · McCreesh. Then, unless there are some jolly carols on the radio whilst lunch is being prepared listening is zero except possibly as background as too much is going on to listen properly. (I was in fact being frivolous in my earlier posts above havoc and mayhem here!) I bought today the double issue of RT so will work my way through it to see what Festive Offerings there may be. Christmas Eve afternoon I always do some kitchen prep (making stock, cooking a ham, roasting chestnuts, etc.) whilst listening to the Nine Lessons, that's a bit of a tradition for me.

[Mr Pee]

I haven't yet gone through the whole radio schedules in the Christmas Radio Times, but there a couple of telly highlights that look unmissable on the BBC:-

On Christmas Eve afternoon, on BBC2 and BBC HD, the ROH production of Tosca, with Bryn Terfel, Angela Gheorghiu, and Jonas Kaufmann. It's preceded by "Pappano's essential Tosca" in which Mr P- (the other one )- takes an "in depth look at Puccini's Opera."

And equally unmissable, 28th December at 8pm, BBC 2 and BBC HD- Top Gear goes to India!!

http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2011/11/30/andy-wilman-on-top-gears-india-special-wednesday-28-december-8pm-bbc2/

[amateur51]

And equally unmissable, 28th December at 8pm, BBC 2 and BBC HD- Top Gear goes to India!! [/url]

And stays there, I hope!

[Serial_Apologist]

And stays there, I hope!