Through the Night

[oddoneout]

And as someone wrote on the Forum, (probably you, FF!) there was a time in the good old days when you could turn R3 on at any time, confident of hearing something you'd be pleased to hear.

If that were rephrased a little then it would still apply, but get round the "we" and "I" aspects?

there was a time in the good old days when you could turn R3 on at any time, confident of hearing

something worth listening to.
It might not be of interest to you personally, but given the general quality of programming, there would be someone to whom it would appeal/be of interest. And the next programme stood a chance of being something to listen to. Now, when so much of the output is of the chat'n'bits format, that is no longer the case unless you happen to like large quantities of such material. I have now reached the limit of my tolerance and on weekdays have taken to switching off after Breakfast - either by actually operating the off switch, or by leaving it on in the background and not actively listening most of the time - a habit I now need to break. It may go back on for CotW and the lunchtime concert, depending on what's on offer and whether I'm in or out, and then that's it for the day as the majority of evening concerts have for some months now not been of interest. Saturdays have long been off days, and from April it looks as if Sundays will join them due to the gaps between programmes I want to hear instead of the current run through from 12 to 4 - or 5 depending on my mood.
So "nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be..." when I have to get kitted out, say farewell to R3, other than on special occasions, and move to catch up TTN, and online alternatives. I find that a sad prospect.

[kernelbogey]

And as someone wrote on the Forum, (probably you, FF!) there was a time in the good old days when you could turn R3 on at any time, confident of hearing something you'd be pleased to hear.

What I meant by this - rather casual - comment, and in particular by 'you', was, as I assume was the prior comment that I was quoting, y'all Forum subscribers, who I believe are generally interested in 'classical' music. (My use of italic for 'the good old days' was meant also to signal forumistas of a certain age who can recall the qualities of 'The Third'.)

I'm not sure that fully answers the learned deconstuction of my comment, but it's a start (and I haven't even had my breakfast yet).

[french frank]

something worth listening to.

I don't quite know how to explain this to M. Vinteuil's satisfaction but I do/did have an idea that that 'something worth listening to' might or might not be something I wanted to sit down and listen to; but I imagine that my listening habits would have a lot in common with people who DID want to listen to something I was less keen on. I had an concept that 'that's the kind of thing R3 should broadcast', or 'it's worthy of R3, but not really appealing to me'.

[vinteuil]

o, M Vinteuil is fully satisfied, and is more concerned that people might have thought he was building mountains out of molehills (other clichés are available).

I was worried about a certain circularity in the thinking - that People Like Us were able to turn on radio 3 confident that there would be something that People Like Us would be pleased to hear.

"For those who like that sort of thing," said Miss Brodie in her best Edinburgh voice, "That is the sort of thing they like."

But the clarifications above as to who We Are (or who in a platonic world the ideal Radio 3 listener wd be) have been illuminating...

.

[french frank]

I was worried about a certain circularity in the thinking - that People Like Us were able to turn on radio 3 confident that there would be something that People Like Us would be pleased to hear.

Another point is that the days of 30-min or hourly programmes and 'short series' are largely over. If you don't like the CD sequence-presenter chat type of programme, that's the end of the morning listening for the whole week. Bar Saturdays (until Easter).

[AuntDaisy]

Another point is that the days of 30-min or hourly programmes and 'short series' are largely over. If you don't like the CD sequence-presenter chat type of programme, that's the end of the morning listening for the whole week. Bar Saturdays (until Easter).

I don't and it is.

In my younger days, the Radio Times used to be covered in rings of things to listen to or record. I don't bother these days.
As examples of "something that People Like Us would be pleased to hear" what would you ring on this RT listing?
Wednesday 11 April 1990. (Low res. scan for discussion.)



[I was checking listing information on a Saturday Night Theatre, "A Walk Across the Green" by Colin Haydn Evans, from that issue.]

[kernelbogey]

As Professor Joad might have said 'It all depends on what you mean by "pleased"'!

[french frank]

As Professor Joad might have said 'It all depends on what you mean by "pleased"'!

Choose your adjective. I wouldn't bother to ring anything on the scheudle (sorry!) that AD has posted. If that's what R3 was broadcasting nowadays I know I could switch on at any time and enjoy the programme. Which was the OTT point being made on this TTN thread

[AuntDaisy]

Choose your adjective. I wouldn't bother to ring anything on the scheudle (sorry!) that AD has posted. If that's what R3 was broadcasting nowadays I know I could switch on at any time and enjoy the programme. Which was the OTT point being made on this TTN thread

Go on, go on, go on... ring something.

BTW Opera News with "James Naughtie, a regular Radio 4 presenter, brings his journalistic skills and a love of opera to Radio 3's new topical monthly magazine."

[smittims]

Vintage years indeed, Aunt Daisy. Thanks for posting that. I woildnot have needed to 'ring' anything. I'd have routinely listened to the lot..

I have an old Radio Times from the '70s. Saturday night BBC 2 had Jean Renoir's 'La Regle du Jeu' and Bergman's 'Face to Face'. Compare that with BBC 2 next Saturday.

[gurnemanz]

I

I used to buy the Radio Times mainly for Radio 3 progs (now grateful for Andrew's online listing). Interesting to look back. What strikes me is:

no music before 7 am,
Morning Concert isn't a concert,
misprint of timing: at first glance the Griffes Pleasure Dome appears to last over an hour til 8.54
8.35 - 9.35 a.m. seems an odd time for CotW,
no fewer than six of the programmes are repeats,
two hours of listener requests from Ipswich
Mainly for Pleasure? for my taste In Tune is an improvement.

In my younger days I would have been at work and missed all the daytime stuff anyway (and no Sounds if I wanted to catch up - eg the Mendelssohn songs). For me not really evidence of the Good Old Days.

[AuntDaisy]

Vintage years indeed, Aunt Daisy. Thanks for posting that. I woildnot have needed to 'ring' anything. I'd have routinely listened to the lot..
I have an old Radio Times from the '70s. Saturday night BBC 2 had Jean Renoir's 'La Regle du Jeu' and Bergman's 'Face to Face'. Compare that with BBC 2 next Saturday.

I'm guessing that this is the Genome entry for Saturday 13/10/1979
... and Beckett's "Happy Days" with Billie Whitelaw was on as well.

I see what you mean about this coming Saturday on BBC2 "Morecambe and Wise" might tempt me, but that's about it.

[AuntDaisy]

I used to buy the Radio Times mainly for Radio 3 progs (now grateful for Andrew's online listing). Interesting to look back. What strikes me is:

no music before 7 am,
Morning Concert isn't a concert,
misprint of timing: at first glance the Griffes Pleasure Dome appears to last over an hour til 8.54
8.35 - 9.35 a.m. seems an odd time for CotW,
no fewer than six of the programmes are repeats,
two hours of listener requests from Ipswich
Mainly for Pleasure? for my taste In Tune is an improvement.

In my younger days I would have been at work and missed all the daytime stuff anyway (and no Sounds if I wanted to catch up - eg the Mendelssohn songs). For me not really evidence of the Good Old Days.

.. and "Through the Night" was only a glimmer in Donald M's eye.

Yes, I was working / PhD-ing around then as well - but tape recorders & timers helped, hence the ringing (and I had a tape-radio for the SEM room / lab / office, often for nights).

Good spot with the Griffes gaffe.

I'd agree about In Tune.

(Happy with the repeats, but did I miss one? 9.35, 10.20, 2.00, 9.45, 11.00.)

[french frank]

In my younger days I would have been at work and missed all the daytime stuff anyway (and no Sounds if I wanted to catch up - eg the Mendelssohn songs). For me not really evidence of the Good Old Days.

I think you've made the point before that R3 wasn't much to your younger taste, and I'm sure that there are those who never listened to it at that time and are now very satisfied with what they hear. That's not very surprising. But it still boils down to the tastes of individual listeners which is bound to end up as an 'I like it', 'I don't like it' non-discussion.

The broader question is what R3 is 'for', what part does it play in the BBC's radio portfolio, what is the present-day concept which now replaces the vision of the post war broadcasting pioneers like William Haley. Scrambling to get more listeners seems to be the answer.

[Serial_Apologist]

I used to buy the Radio Times mainly for Radio 3 progs (now grateful for Andrew's online listing). Interesting to look back. What strikes me is:

no music before 7 am,
Morning Concert isn't a concert,
misprint of timing: at first glance the Griffes Pleasure Dome appears to last over an hour til 8.54
8.35 - 9.35 a.m. seems an odd time for CotW,
no fewer than six of the programmes are repeats,
two hours of listener requests from Ipswich
Mainly for Pleasure? for my taste In Tune is an improvement.

In my younger days I would have been at work and missed all the daytime stuff anyway (and no Sounds if I wanted to catch up - eg the Mendelssohn songs). For me not really evidence of the Good Old Days.

The same applied to me re working hours, and I wasn't in possession of sophisticated recording equipment of the sort AD benefitted by, but at least repeats such as that of COTW allowed some time to hear what one might have missed earlier on in the day. As to miscalculated programme lengths, my father once complained about Radio Times no longer stating the expected lengths or start times of individual works, and, from memory, got short shrift from the Editor - something (iirc to the effect of a new page format having left no room to include them, and more for more " important" information). Two hours of listening requests would have evidenced more of the kinds of music expected to be relayed on Radio 3 than today.