R3, BBC Four, Cardiff and Mr Trelawney

[Guest]

One clear reason for being grateful to R3 is the fact that Donald Macleod and not Petroc Trelawny presented the Cardiff competition on radio. Returned from abroad we watched BBC Four in horror as Trelawney allowed the incomparable Mary King and Jonathan Tremalu a mere soundbite of comment before switching with obvious relish to the inane interviews that characterise the programme's idea of good presentation. then there was the absurd, juvenile hype presumably written for the presenter but which he should have been ashamed to speak out - the characterisation of the fine singer-judges as if they were superstars. Finally, to cap his toe-curling efforts, Trelawney discussed the art of singing briefly with Mary. "It's about projection" he said brightly as if uttering a profound truth. No, Petroc Trelawney, it's not about projection. If you believe it's about projection you are at least 30 years out of date in terms of singing technique. Is it nonetheless curious that one of the mainstays of R3 has been so incurious about vocal music as never to have investigated the question of vocal techniques, how they are taught, their development, the common misunderstandings about singing etc What better person to present such a programme than Mary King?

[VodkaDilc]

Thanks, Satie, for confirming the wisdom of my decision not to watch this sort of thing on television.

I wonder how they will mangle the Leeds Piano Competition next time round. That's one I never missed in the past!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Does anyone know why they persist with these inane interviews? I have no doubt that it will be much the same on the Proms TV broadcasts.

[VodkaDilc]

Does anyone know why they persist with these inane interviews? I have no doubt that it will be much the same on the Proms TV broadcasts.

I imagine it's to attract the people who wouldn't normally be interested in the Proms by interviewing people they will have heard of. Unfortunately no-one's told the BBC that there are now hundreds of channels and the audience they are targeting don't stumble across the Proms, as they might have in the 1950s! (And as a result of the trivialisation, those of us who might have been watching switch off!)

[EnemyoftheStoat]

The whole production on TV is horrible. Squire T is bad enough, but the ridiculous interviews by the CBBC (or something) presenter in between are abysmal and cringe-worthy. And did they get the sub-Carmina screechy intro music from the Dr Who offcuts or something?