Jess Gillam's "This Classical Life"

[teamsaint]

I agree that this does fall under the heading of 'trying to bring younger listeners in'. It will have little or no effect but I suspect that the R3 people probably know that. They just have to be seen to be doing something in this area rather than nothing.
I do think the 'What is your favourite colour' bit is intended ironically -a bit of a tease.

Which begs the question of why they don’t do things that actually have a chance of bringing new audiences. Too hard ? Too scary ? Too expensive ? Too much trouble ?

I am absolutely certain that there are potential new audiences for R3 out there, and that they are discerning, have endless choice , and can deal with much more complex material than bleeding chunks presented by somebody they almost certainly don’t look up to either as a musician or as a critic. ( not meant as a criticism of JG.).

[sgjames]

Which begs the question of why they don’t do things that actually have a chance of bringing new audiences. Too hard ? Too scary ? Too expensive ? Too much trouble ?

I am absolutely certain that there are potential new audiences for R3 out there, and that they are discerning, have endless choice , and can deal with much more complex material than bleeding chunks presented by somebody they almost certainly don’t look up to either as a musician or as a critic. ( not meant as a criticism of JG.).

I think there are perhaps two different listener types who fall under the new audience category for R3:
1) Younger people who already have some interest in Classical Music, probably originating either from home, school or both. I think there is enough programming on R3 at the moment to bring these people in so that their interest in Classical Music can be cemented and developed.
2) The more problematic area is people who have an interest in music but not currently Classical. In the context of BBC stations, I have in mind 6Music listeners. This would represent a wider and older age range, perhaps late teens to late thirties.

I think Tom Service could do a great job of putting together a series of hour long programmes focusing on different area of Classic Music, but probably concentrating on the 20th Century, which would be of interest to inquisitive 6Music listeners.The problem would be getting these people to come across to R3 to listen to these shows. I think the answer, as indicated by french frank in Post #15, is to take such a show to 6Music. There is plenty of room in the schedule for this - say a 9pm weekday slot with 1hr less of Gideon Coe's MOR indy show.

There have been glimmers of Classical Music on 6Music in the past - Jarvis Cocker's Sunday afternoon show and Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone. It probably won't happen but I think this would be the approach most likely to achieve something in terms of getting new people across to R3/

A problem might be that people who enjoyed these shows might then come across and find the R3 schedules a disappointment. That may happen, but you can only do so much. At some point it is down to the listener to take things forward.

[teamsaint]

I think there are perhaps two different listener types who fall under the new audience category for R3:
1) Younger people who already have some interest in Classical Music, probably originating either from home, school or both. I think there is enough programming on R3 at the moment to bring these people in so that their interest in Classical Music can be cemented and developed.
2) The more problematic area is people who have an interest in music but not currently Classical. In the context of BBC stations, I have in mind 6Music listeners. This would represent a wider and older age range, perhaps late teens to late thirties.

I think Tom Service could do a great job of putting together a series of hour long programmes focusing on different area of Classic Music, but probably concentrating on the 20th Century, which would be of interest to inquisitive 6Music listeners.The problem would be getting these people to come across to R3 to listen to these shows. I think the answer, as indicated by french frank in Post #15, is to take such a show to 6Music. There is plenty of room in the schedule for this - say a 9pm weekday slot with 1hr less of Gideon Coe's MOR indy show.

There have been glimmers of Classical Music on 6Music in the past - Jarvis Cocker's Sunday afternoon show and Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone. It probably won't happen but I think this would be the approach most likely to achieve something in terms of getting new people across to R3/

A problem might be that people who enjoyed these shows might then come across and find the R3 schedules a disappointment. That may happen, but you can only do so much. At some point it is down to the listener to take things forward.

All very well put. Excellent post.
In addition, I would just add to your final point that we all have a role to play in our own lives.it isnt always easy.Many of my younger colleagues are enthusiastic in looking for and talking about new music, but mention of classical/R3 usually brings a short silence at best. But I introduced one of them to Gorecki 3 this week, ( through the Beth Gibbons CD) which was a big success.

[pastoralguy]

I wonder how many contributors to this site were indirectly influenced by their parents choice of music. Speaking personally, I suppose it was always around since my father had an extremely eclectic record collection from around the world. I don't suppose there was ever an occasion when I was consciously sat down and told to listen to this since it was good for me, music was simply 'around'. Although I often cite seeing 'Andre Previn's Music Night' in 1977 as my introduction to classical music, there's no doubt it was around. Ok, only what we here might describe as Core Repertoire but it was around. I also remember being intrigued by the record sleeves which must have been very influential in making me wonder what those discs contained.

I do wish my parents had taken me to concerts but since they didn't go themselves there was no way that was going to happen. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that an appreciation of classical music starts at home with the family.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that an appreciation of classical music starts at home with the family.

Not in my experience - I could only play my records when the rest of the family were out. André Previn's Music Night was frequently a victim of Match of the Day.

(It could be said that "Classical Music" was the outlet of my "teenage rebellious" phase.)

[Richard Barrett]

I wonder how many contributors to this site were indirectly influenced by their parents choice of music.

My parents weren't interested in music at all and there wasn't even a record player in the house (let alone a piano) until I had one of my own - so, yes, I guess I was indirectly influenced by that, in so far as I started with a more or less completely blank slate!

Returning to the topic, I was driving around the UK this week and caught this "show" on one of my trips. I couldn't believe how vacuous it was, quite apart from there only being short excerpts of music which even then were mostly talked over. I switched the car radio over to CFM which was a big improvement. This isn't the way things should be.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Clearly I was luckier than some, having considerable encouragement from both of my parents.

[Tony Halstead]

Poor Jess - fine musician and being turned into a gabbler by 'BBC presenter rules OK' stuff.
So, so yesterday.

[Barbirollians]

I wonder how many contributors to this site were indirectly influenced by their parents choice of music. Speaking personally, I suppose it was always around since my father had an extremely eclectic record collection from around the world. I don't suppose there was ever an occasion when I was consciously sat down and told to listen to this since it was good for me, music was simply 'around'. Although I often cite seeing 'Andre Previn's Music Night' in 1977 as my introduction to classical music, there's no doubt it was around. Ok, only what we here might describe as Core Repertoire but it was around. I also remember being intrigued by the record sleeves which must have been very influential in making me wonder what those discs contained.

I do wish my parents had taken me to concerts but since they didn't go themselves there was no way that was going to happen. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that an appreciation of classical music starts at home with the family.

My parents had The Four Seasons and Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with Williams & Barenboim the latter because my Dad played squash with a guitar teacher and they heard it at his house when they went round for dinner .

Otherwise nada

My maternal grandparents did sing in choirs and I was very taken when about 12 by their Ace of Clubs record of the Pastoral Symphony (LPO/Kleiber I assume it must have been and they took me to a Sunday afternoon concert at the RFH with the RPO/Dorati with Ilse Von Alpenheim playing Beethoven PC 2 Haydn 104 and the Pastoral - then I started listening to Radio 3 in the evenings when doing my homework - heard Mozart K299 was off with my pocket money to WH Smith and that was that .

I suspect a “ down with the kids” classical music programme would have been presented by a young Nigel Kennedy in those days and I would have found it excruciating .

[vinteuil]

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that an appreciation of classical music starts at home with the family.

... it worked for me : my father listened only to the Third Programme / Radio 3, and we were expected to shut up and listen when it was on.

I was not a rebellious child (at least not in this matter... ), and I absorbed and loved it. My two brothers did rebel, and always opted for pop / rock, and never got into classical music.

My mother's father was musically inclined, and having sired four children thought the obvious thing was for them to become a string quartet : my mother as oldest child was destined to be first violin. She and all her siblings rebelled ; it put them off classical music for life.

It seems to work both ways...




.

[LezLee]

My dad was in India during the war, so from age 3 - 5 there was just my mum and I. She could play the piano but we couldn't afford one. She liked all sorts of music from dance and big band to her favourite composer Schubert. She had the radio on all day, mostly the Light Programme (R2) where most programmes - specially request ones like 'Housewives' Choice' contained some classical music. There just wasn't such a fuss, it wasn't announced as classical with any of that pseudo-reverence. I remember liking 'Bolero', the 'Bartered Bride' o'ture, 'Scheherazade' 'Ma Vlast', Rach. PC 2, Beethoven 6 etc. Mum also checked the Radio Times for her beloved Schubert, Schumann and Chopin on the Third Programme. As there were only 3 major radio stations and nobody had a TV, everybody listened to the same things so we were all exposed to classical music, without differentiating.
I was also lucky enough to go to a primary school with a school orchestra and all children had the opportunity to play an instrument. I started learning to play violin when I was 9 (in the same class as Christopher Hirons, later to join the Academy of Ancient Music). I was pretty good, though I never learnt to read music!
I didn't have a gramophone till I started work in 1956 - my first 2 records were the Ying-Tong Song and Harry Belafonte's 'Jamaica Farewell'. I graduated to a Dansette when I was 18, joined World Record Club and bought Sheherazade and Beethoven's Pastoral Symp. I've continued with a mixture of most types of music, though with the arrival of the Velvet Underground, Love and Leonard Cohen I moved away from classical for a while. Nowadays I'm about a third classical with the rest being very mixed.

[french frank]

my first 2 records were the Ying-Tong Song and Harry Belafonte's 'Jamaica Farewell'.

My brother had the Ying Tong song (he was a Goons fan. I never was: when I heard it I wasn't very impressed, but I was quite little). However, I did have 'Jamaica Farewell (did it have Haiti chéri on the back? 'Haiti chéri, says Haiti is my belovèd land, Oh, I never knew, that I'd have to leave her to understand Just how much I'd miss Her gallant citadel, Where days long ago, Brave men served their country well' or vaguely resembling. Please ignore if it wasn't on the back, I do remember more of it 'Where sun shines bright … &c).

I'm in two minds about the idea of mixing a few bits of classical in with the popular. Doesn't the classical tend to get submerged as people veer towards the popular? It's easier to ignore/forget if it's just the odd piece stuck in the middle of familiar/popular music, isn't it?

I favour the bolder approach: "Elizabeth Alker's Classical Hour" or "Nick Grimshaw's Classical Hour" (not on Radio 3, I hasten to say ) and leave it to the enthusiastic presenters to sell the music to their fans.

[LezLee]

No, the B-side was the Banana Boat Song. Haiti Cherie was paired with Island in the Sun.

[french frank]

No, the B-side was the Banana Boat Song. Haiti Cherie was paired with Island in the Sun.

Yes, I had Island in the Sun as well. And I got the gender of Haiti wrong

[french frank]

I've listened to a couple of episodes now. My feeling: it should be on Radio 1. There's a sort of first-year studentish 'chatting with my new friend in my room in hall' air about it. Putting on a record then talking over it, sometimes about music, sometimes about anything else that happens to occur to me. Us getting to know each other.

But really not of much interest for the music, the talk about music or what it reveals about either guest or presenter. Much what I guessed from reading the comments, so prejudice confirmed.

On to a winner, I thought I'd push on and confirm another prejudice: by listening to clips of Jacob Collier's Music Room (no longer on). Quite a different story. He's a bit older than Jess (he's 24, she's 20) but he is highly articulate, very musically knowlegeable and has a speaking voice which (I think) singers often have - 'tuneful' and well modulated which is very easy on the ear. As a music broadcaster he could be another David Munrow. [Although I'd wish he was talking about Early Music rather than the usual broad range of contemporay music as well as classical, that's just a personal preference which concerns me and no one else]