Catherine Bott on Radio 4

[jean]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01shwkq

I see it's a repeat from last year (and perhaps it wouldn't get made now...) but I missed it then, so here's a link in case anyone else missed it too.

[french frank]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01shwkq

(and perhaps it wouldn't get made now...)

I understand there may still be the odd programme turning up on Radio 4; not without precedent when Radio 3 'gets rid of what doesn't serve the audience'.

Interesting feature in Ariel back in 2002:

"A Shared Passion is the result of a year of consultation to discover what the audience wanted, says controller, Roger Wright. ‘We wanted to build on what works, and get rid of what didn’t serve the audience.’

He decided to give more prominence to professional musicians to front programmes in the same way that former sports stars handle presenter and pundit roles on radio and television. [...]

[ ... ] ‘The Early Show, presented by Manze and Bott, is an area where we felt we were weak, and so we’re raising our game.’

splutter splutter

[DracoM]

So SM-P is the 'professional musician' fronting The Choir to give what serves that particular audience, is she?

Hmm.

[ardcarp]

I heard it first time round and enjoyed it again today. Had you not beaten me to it, Jean, I was going to post under Beeb not got shot of Bott. OTOH maybe it's as well I didn't. But I do miss her velvet tones.

[ardcarp]

"A Shared Passion is the result of a year of consultation to discover what the audience wanted, says controller, Roger Wright. ‘We wanted to build on what works, and get rid of what didn’t serve the audience.’

He decided to give more prominence to professional musicians to front programmes in the same way that former sports stars handle presenter and pundit roles on radio and television. [...]

[ ... ] ‘The Early Show, presented by Manze and Bott, is an area where we felt we were weak, and so we’re raising our game.’

That is quite, quite, quite X 100....UNBELIEVABLE.

[teamsaint]

and just to point out that in sport, the recruitment of ex players as presenters has resulted in a quite appalling standard of presentation, in a " Jobs for the boys(and girls)" way.

Not a model to emulate.
Some of the ex players are good pundits. But not many.

[french frank]

So SM-P is the 'professional musician' fronting The Choir to give what serves that particular audience, is she?

Hmm.

Keep up, lad - that was back in 2002, when R3 was weak in the area of Early Music and was raising its game. All that's been done.We had Catherine, Andrew Manze, Charlie Hazlewood, Chi Chi Nwanoku ... gone, all gone, and never called me Mother!

[Barbirollians]

Keep up, lad - that was back in 2002, when R3 was weak in the area of Early Music and was raising its game. All that's been done.We had Catherine, Andrew Manze, Charlie Hazlewood, Chi Chi Nwanoku ... gone, all gone, and never called me Mother!

Do you miss Charles Hazlewood ?

[Richard Tarleton]

Do you miss Charles Hazlewood ?

Credit where it's due, Bb - I don't miss the loud shirts and the chest hair (not a problem on R3) but yes, and he did some good stuff on the telly with that show where he had people from Viktoria Mullova to Lucie Skeaping and her band....considering there's no classical music at all on BBC TV these days he was a lot better than nothing. Andrew Manze was an excellent presenter on R3, likewise Chi Chi Nwanoku - unlike the appalling ex-footballer pundits teamsaint mentions, communication skills seem to be part of the package with players like these.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do you miss Charles Hazlewood ?

Yes. But my aim's getting better.

[french frank]

Yes. But my aim's getting better.

Oooh, I say!!!

[Honoured Guest]

Catherine Bott with highlights of the past seven days' programmes
Pick of the Week
Today from 18:15 to 19:00

[french frank]

Thanks, HG. I headed there straight away.

The bit about Gieves and the cost of naval uniforms interested me as I have a Gieves bill for my father's wartime uniform:

1 Super Uniform Reefer £8. 15. 0
2 1/2 rows lace and curl £1. 18. 0
1pr Uniform Trousers £4. 7. 6
Purchase Tax £1 15. 9
Dated 19th December '44

Good to hear those finely modulated tones again... :-)

[antongould]

Thanks, HG. I headed there straight away.

The bit about Gieves and the cost of naval uniforms interested me as I have a Gieves bill for my father's wartime uniform:

1 Super Uniform Reefer £8. 15. 0
2 1/2 rows lace and curl £1. 18. 0
1pr Uniform Trousers £4. 7. 6
Purchase Tax £1 15. 9
Dated 19th December '44

Good to hear those finely modulated tones again... :-)

They don't make them like that anymore....

[french frank]