Private Passions

[Serial_Apologist]

Indeed. Another guest with clearly no particular passion for classical music.

You would appear to have answered your own question! Nevertheless, I would agree - PP belongs with DID - on Radio 4.

[Bryn]

You would appear to have answered your own question! Nevertheless, I would agree - PP belongs with DID - on Radio 4.

I can't really offer an opinion on this, having avoided the programme like the plague for many years.

[french frank]

I can't really offer an opinion on this, having avoided the programme like the plague for many years.

Yes, but it should be made clear that this isn't a criticism of the programme itself, just that isn't the programme which should be on R3. Enjoyable sometimes, perhaps; illuminating and insightful sometimes, no doubt. But these don't make it a programme for R3. i was once chided for saying something (I can't now remember what ) about R3 with the response: "I'm not sure that that's an appropriate way to describe the UK's leading cultural broadcaster." Well, a number of programmes seem to me to be not suitable for 'the UK's leading cultural broadcaster', new ones (Tearjerker? Happy Harmonies?), and older ones which are - not what they used to be. Where's the intellectual beef/TVP?

[oddoneout]

I've followed the various comments on this and find myself rather at odds with the general view. I listen more often than not although less frequently once fine weather comes and I am outside more; winter is generally every week.
Whoever the guest is I approach the interview hoping to find out a bit more about that person and their relationship with music. I also enjoy the opportunity to find out more about professional fields of expertise that otherwise might not come my way. Even when the guest is active in a music field I don't necessarily expect music analysis, but insight perhaps beyond the well known facts to round out the public face.
There are occasions when the link with music seems rather superficial or bolted on, but I am reluctant to sneer at those whose musical choices seem limited to well known tunes, I just think it rather sad that for whatever reason horizons are not wider. If those old warhorses have some meaning to that person(often memory of a person in their past) then that is still better in my book than having no such music contact at all.
Those occasions when a guest is able to talk engagingly about their work in some specialist field, such that we learn something about it, while at the same time being informed about music that they are involved in or have experience of, are the ones that I think sum up what I have always thought PP was about. But evidently I have been labouring under a misapprehension.
I can see the reasoning in favour of a R4 place, but don't see why, if the music connection is genuine(ie music is important in that person's life), the person speaking about it should be excluded from a hearing on R3 simply because their profession is not music-related. It gets too close to what I grew up hearing about science and arts being incompatible, which family and later experience showed was a nonsense, but made me averse to the idea of such divisions and compartmental thinking.

[Bryn]

Yes, but it should be made clear that this isn't a criticism of the programme itself, just that isn't the programme which should be on R3. Enjoyable sometimes, perhaps; illuminating and insightful sometimes, no doubt. But these don't make it a programme for R3. i was once chided for saying something (I can't now remember what ) about R3 with the response: "I'm not sure that that's an appropriate way to describe the UK's leading cultural broadcaster." Well, a number of programmes seem to me to be not suitable for 'the UK's leading cultural broadcaster', new ones (Tearjerker? Happy Harmonies?), and older ones which are - not what they used to be. Where's the intellectual beef/TVP?

What has Thames Valley Police got to do with this?

[french frank]

I don't think any of those points invalidate my first sentence: "Yes, but it should be made clear that this isn't a criticism of the programme itself, just that isn't the programme which should be on R3".

[french frank]

What has Thames Valley Police got to do with this?

Didn't want to annoy vegetarians - Textured Vegetable Protein.

[oddoneout]

Didn't want to annoy vegetarians - Textured Vegetable Protein.

Gripe? I believe gripe water is no longer alcoholic so not a problem anymore.

[gurnemanz]

I've followed the various comments on this and find myself rather at odds with the general view. I listen more often than not ...

Like oddoneout I also seem to be an odd one out on here. I usually listen to PP, as I did with its predecessor, "Man of Action", many years ago. Admittedly, I sometimes do switch it off after not very long, but feel it generally has something to offer.

I don't think it should be shunted to the middle of the road on R4. There they tend not to favour hour-long slots with more music than chat and the emphasis is still mainly on classical music. Today's programme with photographer, Sarah Lee made a good case against banishing it. I enjoyed the programme and appreciated hearing Nina Simone's "For All We Know", which was new to me.

[french frank]

Today's programme with photographer, Sarah Lee made a good case against banishing it. I enjoyed the programme and appreciated hearing Nina Simone's "For All We Know", which was new to me.

So that's all right then?

[Nick Armstrong]

I've followed the various comments on this and find myself rather at odds with the general view. I listen more often than not although less frequently once fine weather comes and I am outside more; winter is generally every week.
Whoever the guest is I approach the interview hoping to find out a bit more about that person and their relationship with music. I also enjoy the opportunity to find out more about professional fields of expertise that otherwise might not come my way. Even when the guest is active in a music field I don't necessarily expect music analysis, but insight perhaps beyond the well known facts to round out the public face.
There are occasions when the link with music seems rather superficial or bolted on, but I am reluctant to sneer at those whose musical choices seem limited to well known tunes, I just think it rather sad that for whatever reason horizons are not wider. If those old warhorses have some meaning to that person(often memory of a person in their past) then that is still better in my book than having no such music contact at all.
Those occasions when a guest is able to talk engagingly about their work in some specialist field, such that we learn something about it, while at the same time being informed about music that they are involved in or have experience of, are the ones that I think sum up what I have always thought PP was about. But evidently I have been labouring under a misapprehension.
I can see the reasoning in favour of a R4 place, but don't see why, if the music connection is genuine(ie music is important in that person's life), the person speaking about it should be excluded from a hearing on R3 simply because their profession is not music-related. It gets too close to what I grew up hearing about science and arts being incompatible, which family and later experience showed was a nonsense, but made me averse to the idea of such divisions and compartmental thinking.

May I join you on the ‘odd ones out’ bench? I agree with all the points you make.

The interaction between music and the individuals’ other spheres of activity is often of interest. I can’t see any good reason for a programme like this not belonging on R3.

[Quarky]

Agreeing with oddoneout and gurnemanz, I seem to be swimming against the tide, and enjoying this programme more and more. Steady as she goes on R3. It's a light programme, but so are many other R3 programmes.

Sara Lee, this week's subject, and last week's subject, the etching expert, were both very good, and were the type of subject the programme ought to be concerned with. I also enjoyed Wayne Sleep and Ben Watt who appeared recently. May be not strictly classical, but I don't think the Classical world, with its shrinking and aging audience, can afford to ignore the world outside.

Neurosurgeons, Rocket Scientists, and subjects that have made their name in other fields, ring alarm bells in my head. What do they have to do with artistic endeavour? Why were they selected?

[eighthobstruction]

....I have to warn you that as I write I eat a favourite meat and potato pie from my local butchers and will not have it spoiled....like wise with PP. If changed to the god-forbidden dufus channel it would [as said] be cut to 30minutes and michael berkley would be gone, and swopped to a cubboard in Bristol (so to the signature tune)....leave well alone...the scab pickers will never be pleased until blood is drawn and mother is called to rebandage....Norman Ackroyd was interesting and took the chance to get a piece of his daughters on the show (one of those modern works which favours murmuration )....and a whole movement of a Beethoven Piano thingy....stop yer nonsense - leave well alone - don't throw yer granny off a bus....

[Serial_Apologist]

I don't think any of those points invalidate my first sentence: "Yes, but it should be made clear that this isn't a criticism of the programme itself, just that isn't the programme which should be on R3".

Haven't those supporting no change to R4 not noticed how many in-depth arts/culture programmes suited to R3 are now on Radio 4, including a number of music ones I've drawn attention to in my weekly spiel on the jazz bored. P'raps those who like PP on R3 would prefer Desert Island Discs there too? After all, it, too, makes connections between music, work and autobiography.

[Pulcinella]

Haven't those supporting no change to R4 not noticed how many in-depth arts/culture programmes suited to R3 are now on Radio 4, including a number of music ones I've drawn attention to in my weekly spiel on the jazz bored. P'raps those who like PP on R3 would prefer Desert Island Discs there too? After all, it, too, makes connections between music, work and autobiography.

And is probably more chat than music, which seems par for the course these days, too.