The Classic FM-isation of R3 is almost complete

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

How can there be 222 messages about a radio channel which is avoided at all costs and despised by all and sundry on this message board ?

Just to clarify - are you talking about CFM here, Oldc, or ...

[doversoul1]

It really was worse than Radio 3.

Are we to be reassured or despair?

[Frances_iom]

Are we to be reassured or despair?

maybe RW was 'resigned' before he could fully match CFm - however I would point out to FF that R3 now seems to have upto 4 mins reguritated trailers per hour (almost as much as R4 which at peak time must be close to an advert every 10 to 15 mins

[cloughie]

maybe RW was 'resigned' before he could fully match CFm - however I would point out to FF that R3 now seems to have upto 4 mins reguritated trailers per hour (almost as much as R4 which at peak time must be close to an advert every 10 to 15 mins

Don't knock CFM completely - Full Works is often the best choice around 9.30pm on a Monday on my way home from choir - particularly now that Radio 2 prefer Radio 1.5 to BBC Big Band!

[DublinJimbo]

BTW I hear there's a new superfast one in development which gets you to the top of the stairs before you've forgotten what you went up for.

[Don Petter]

Don't knock CFM completely - Full Works is often the best choice around 9.30pm on a Monday on my way home from choir - particularly now that Radio 2 prefer Radio 1.5 to BBC Big Band!

Certainly was tonight. R3 was on something excruciating on my way home.

[Stan Drews]

At least we got a complete Firebird this morning.

[Oldcrofter]

Yes, Ferney - well, the clue's in the thread-title, I guess. It just reminds me of those superior lads at grammar school who used to mock everyone's else's taste in music, or the fact that others (the plebs whose mums bought their blazers from the co-op and hand-stitched the school badge onto the pocket) were gradually discovering music through radio programmes such as 'Your Hundred Best Tunes' or Eric Robinson's television programme 'Music for You'.

I guess quite a few here are of that 50s-60's generation.

Actually, looking back through the thread, the level of intolerance for film-music seems far greater than that for CFM - but please let's not go down that weary path again.

I think that CFM performs the same function as Alan Keith did with his thousand-and-one best tunes or Mantovani, Semprini, Eric Robinson and orchestra etc. They made parts of the classical repertoire accessible for a large segment of the population, myself included, who had no erudite or sophisticated parents to guide them, and no money to pay for piano or other instrumental lessons.

So I regret that "accessible" has become a term of abuse.

[french frank]

I think that CFM performs the same function as Alan Keith did with his thousand-and-one best tunes or Mantovani, Semprini, Eric Robinson and orchestra etc. They made parts of the classical repertoire accessible for a large segment of the population, myself included, who had no erudite or sophisticated parents to guide them, and no money to pay for piano or other instrumental lessons.

Exactly. And the important point is that it was on Radio 2 - where that 'large segment of the population' was listening - not on Radio 3. And a similar programme should still be there, on Radio 2, but anything not deemed 'popular music' has been removed for fear 'the Nation's Favourite radio station' loses the odd million listeners (which it would hardly notice).

So I regret that "accessible" has become a term of abuse.

It's a term of abuse because it's now been used as a weasel word to mean 'dumbing down': e.g. introduce CFM-style broadcasting to Radio 3.

In its place, I agree, CFM should be praised and welcomed. If you don't like it, don't listen. Its drawback is that it's not a BBC station and has a bigger reach than Radio 3, and is therefore ripe to be plundered. But if Radio 3 starts sneaking in the same features, it makes two stations for people not to like instead of one.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

At least we got a complete Firebird this morning.

Yes - the whole of Essential Classics from 10:30 onwards yesterday was a reminder of how things should be: no listener "contributions", complete works, minimum chatter between pieces. (Pretty darn fine recording of Firebird Haitink and the BPO, too!)

Do we dare to hope ... ?

[DracoM]

And next week's COTW is - the Big Band Era.
The frantic paranoia at the heart of R3's identity lurches on.
Does the station have any idea what it is trying to do?

[teamsaint]

COTW though, isnt really a prime offender IMO.

Recent weeks: Mozart, Khachaturian, Debussy, Stradella, Brahms, Dyson, Dvorak.

We could all suggest things we would prefer, ( more contemporary or recent music?) but overall the mix is reasonable.

The Charlie Mingus week a couple of years ago was terrific. Maybe I'll learn something from the Big Band week.

[Cockney Sparrow]

.... were gradually discovering music through radio programmes such as 'Your Hundred Best Tunes' or Eric Robinson's television programme 'Music for You'...

I guess quite a few here are of that 50s-60's generation....

I think that CFM performs the same function as Alan Keith did with his thousand-and-one best tunes or Mantovani, Semprini, Eric Robinson and orchestra etc. They made parts of the classical repertoire accessible for a large segment of the population, myself included, who had no erudite or sophisticated parents to guide them, and no money to pay for piano or other instrumental lessons.

Yes 50's and 60s same experience as you (my grammar school, though, wasn't so socially stratified as your experience). Plus the local excellent gramophone library where I followed up on the music which caught my interest. And by the time I was 15 - 16 I was listening to Radio 3.
So programmes we mourn for (or value if they survive in their ravaged,remnant versions) such as Interpretations on Record, Discovering Music (later on The choir) were part or a rich schedule which was authoritative, educative and led to new areas of interest.
Goes without saying it was part of the declared purpose of the BBC and public service broadcasting, which those on these boards see as needing restoration so that it can maintain the purpose and continue to deliver what we received. OTOH, I suppose the BBC have quite a keen sense of what they need to do to survive in the face of the Hun (the Murdoch "dismember the BBC" axis and associated fawning client politicians - which is merely in obeyance) and the imminent Charter review. I could go on but this would go further off topic for this thread and would anyway be familiar from other posts here.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes, I've always found the Jazz CotW informative, enjoyable and in the best traditions R3. There'll probably be much better Music available than was the case with ... No! I mustn't; I MUSTN'T!!!!

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes, I've always found the Jazz CotW informative, enjoyable and in the best traditions R3. There'll probably be much better Music available than was the case with ... No! I mustn't; I MUSTN'T!!!!

Must you continually be so harsh about Mozart?