Last word additions to closed thread by 'The Management'

[ahinton]

- the only presenter from the '70s whose presentation style seemed to tell me "this isn't for you, little man".

Much as the "posh" voice rather annoyed me, I have to say that she never gave me that impression...

[ahinton]

I'd rate Reginald Bosanquet shead and holders above them all......

On Radio 3? I wouldn't have minded hearing him introcing a performance of Les Djinns, perhaps (provided that les tonics were also to hand)...

[ahinton]

I well remember attending broadcast rehearsals at St John's Smith Square and watching Patricia Hughes preparing her script. She was certainly not short of musical knowledge, not a professional musician but very well informed. At the time she had been diverging a little from her normal activities by giving some readings of Jane Austen and it was a measure of her self criticism that she was anxious to know whether they worked for the listeners.

As for the posh voice, do you mean a balanced delivery that broadcasts well? In that respect she was in the league of others such as Cormac Rigby and the wonderful Joy Worth.
Compare these with the entertaining Andrew McGregor who snatches the beginning of each sentence forte and then allows the rest of the phrase to die away. I wonder if he has ever had microphone training

I don't know, but I do think that in general terms this is quite unfair to Andrew McGregor who could (and does) run rings around many current R3 presenters; I wonder, though - does he ever take a holiday?...

[Nick Armstrong]

I don't know, but I do think that in general terms this is quite unfair to Andrew McGregor who could (and does) run rings around many current R3 presenters; I wonder, though - does he ever take a holiday?...

Agreed! The holiday question is the one I planned to ask if ever I find myself on the bike sitting at a red light next to him (I cycle by Broadcasting House most days).

I rate him (and always seem to be able to hear everything he says!)

[Sir Velo]

Agreed! The holiday question is the one I planned to ask if ever I find myself on the bike sitting at a red light next to him (I cycle by Broadcasting House most days).

I rate him (and always seem to be able to hear everything he says!)

You youngsters with your auditory faculties in good working order!

Memo to self: must invest in better noise cancelling headphones.

[Ferretfancy]

I don't know, but I do think that in general terms this is quite unfair to Andrew McGregor who could (and does) run rings around many current R3 presenters; I wonder, though - does he ever take a holiday?...

I certainly don't wish to be unfair to Andrew McGregor. He is enthusiastic and a good communicator, all that I'm saying is that his vocal style on air could do with a little attention.
Interestingly, when he is interviewing musicians in public, as he often does at pre -Prom talks at the RCM, the problem doesn't arise at all.

I have recorded commentary in the past with a fair number of well known voices, such as Tim Piggott -Smith and Samuel West, and they always make a point of marking key phrases in the script, avoiding any tendency to tail off at the end of sentences because they understand that clarity is important.

[Beef Oven!]

I have to say I always found him really mannered and odd-sounding when I was growing up. Dumbstruck, though, to discover that he was 3 years younger than I am now when he died ... RIP Reggie.

What do you think we sound like to young people!!?

[Sir Velo]

I see we're knocking the good guys now.

Talk about pot and kettle.

[french frank]

Talk about pot and kettle.

PotkettlePotkettlePotkettlePotkettlePotkettlePotke ttlePotkettlePotkettlePotkettlePotkettle …

Do we have anything constructive to say? One thing that came out of our supporters' survey a few months back was that a lot of people felt it was important that presenters played a musical instrument. That seems a daft notion to me. Why is it necessary to have a practical ability to play in order to present music? It seems to me that even for professionals it will be a limiting factor unless they're engaged to talk about their specific area of knowledge.

[Nick Armstrong]

What do you think we sound like to young people!!?

Oh I'm well down with the youngsters, old sport!

[Richard Tarleton]

One thing that came out of our supporters' survey a few months back was that a lot of people felt it was important that presenters played a musical instrument. That seems a daft notion to me. Why is it necessary to have a practical ability to play in order to present music? It seems to me that even for professionals it will be a limiting factor unless they're engaged to talk about their specific area of knowledge.

Hmmm - I can't remember what I said, but I certainly think a lot of the best ones do - all it means is that they have a greater practical working knowledge of music? Andrew - violin. Suzy K, Stephanie Hughes of blessed memory - piano. Martin H - conducting. Lucie S - violin, lute, just about any early scraped or plucked instrument you care to hand her. Catherine Bott, also of blessed memory - singing. Some of course have, or had, a deep academic and/or critical knowledge - Michael Oliver - opera....

[Sir Velo]

Hmmm - I can't remember what I said, but I certainly think a lot of the best ones do - all it means is that they have a greater practical working knowledge of music? Andrew - violin. Suzy K, Stephanie Hughes of blessed memory - piano. Martin H - conducting. Lucie S - violin, lute, just about any early scraped or plucked instrument you care to hand her. Catherine Bott, also of blessed memory - singing. Some of course have, or had, a deep academic and/or critical knowledge - Michael Oliver - opera....

And of course CBH plays a mean violin. Yes I see what you mean....

[Richard Tarleton]

And of course CBH plays a mean violin. Yes I see what you mean....

I did say a lot....and actually, now I come to think of it, so does KD..... - so perhaps one needs to look at it the other way round.

[french frank]

Hmmm - I can't remember what I said, but I certainly think a lot of the best ones do - all it means is that they have a greater practical working knowledge of music? Andrew - violin. Suzy K, Stephanie Hughes of blessed memory - piano. Martin H - conducting. Lucie S - violin, lute, just about any early scraped or plucked instrument you care to hand her. Catherine Bott, also of blessed memory - singing. Some of course have, or had, a deep academic and/or critical knowledge - Michael Oliver - opera....

It's not that in principle I think there's anything against them playing instruments, but the key issue for me is how well they know the repertoire that they're introducing. Catherine Bott and Lucie Skeaping aren't included because they are (were ) focusing on their own specialism - as did Andrew Manze most of the time when he was presenting TEMS.

But my point was (and the pros can weigh in with their esteemed knowledge) that someone who has been a first violin, full-time, in a professional orchestra for 30 years doesn't necessarily have an extensive knowledge of the piano repertoire, or chamber music, or opera - or even the out of the way composers who never feature in concerts. Whether people have that wide, more general overview depends on the breadth of their musical interests rather than whether they play an instrument or not. The special knowledge - their personal experience of being an orchestral player - is not what they're called upon to demonstrate.

Isn't this why the pros are often a disappointment on Saturday Classics? They don't talk about their expertise: they talk about their favourite music. A guy that ran a local record shop used to say that professional musicians may know a lot about music but have terrible taste! Over to you, maestri …

[mercia]

these days doesn't Ms Bott broadcast about music outside her particular specialism ? ( I haven't heard the programme)