The Spectator's view of R3

[ahinton]

A Derham?

Think about it by asking yourself what a dirham is and then why I wrote as I did...

[french frank]

I bet there isn't another (?) European country where anyone gets this exercised by improper pronunciation of proper nouns in other peoples' languages.

Yes, it's boring isn't it? I made mention at the lunch table of the singer 'Bo-no' and was politely told that it was pronounced Bonno. Mind you, I bet any Radio 1 presenter would get it right .

[John Skelton]

Yes, it's boring isn't it? I made mention at the lunch table of the singer 'Bo-no' and was politely told that it was pronounced Bonno. Mind you, I bet any Radio 1 presenter would get it right .

I thought Bono was pronounced



erm, on second thoughts you're Moderation and I'm not going to get that one past you .

[Panjandrum]

Think about it by asking yourself what a dirham is and then why I wrote as I did...

Tell me. I haven't the time or inclination to waste any more time on this.

[ahinton]

Tell me. I haven't the time or inclination to waste any more time on this.

If you can't work this one out for yourself, I "haven't the time or inclination to waste any more time on" helping you to do so.

[zola]

There is a letter in the current London Review of Books commenting on a diary article by Alan Bennett in the Christmas edition in which he mentioned the John Wilson prom reminding him of arrangements by "someone Hartley". The current letter identifies Fred Hartley who was appointed head of BBC Light Music in 1946 and continues " You can hear him on the British Light Music Classics Series, though I ought to be wary about publicising this, since one of those tasteless sparks who choose the music for Essential Classics on Radio 3 might decide to slap one of these vile concoctions lap bang next to a movement from a Beethoven sonata say, or a snippet of Missa Solemnis". The writer is Bernard Richards, Brasenose College Oxford.

[VodkaDilc]

Charles Moore really is serious about this. This is from today's issue:

My thanks to the many readers stirred by this column’s criticisms of Radio 3. Last Saturday, seconds after I had turned it on, I heard Clemency Burton-Hill say, ‘What are you doing this morning? Eating some toast? Having a cup of tea? Xerxes the King of Persia just happens to be lazing in the garden under a plane tree.’ And off we went into ‘Ombra mai fu’. It is time to name and shame this sort of thing. Please send specific, accurately quoted examples. The Editor promises a DVD of Handel’s Serse to the best (or rather, worst) entry.

•••

[french frank]

And thanks also to the supporter who wrote in to the Spectator mentioning FoR3. The emails have been - in a manner of speaking - non-stop (latest two this afternoon).

[ahinton]

It's not so much the glaring examples of gaffes, puff and other inappropriate chattering as the sheer vastness of the gulf between the worst perpetrators and the best of those who avoid such things; R3 seems now to be at something of a risk of inviting at least as much confusion as vilification over this kind of thing and the consequent risk that such wide differences of approach and such inconsistency might encourage some people to wonder if R3's going through an ever worsening identity crisis. This is all a great shame, as there's still much to commend R3.

[french frank]

the sheer vastness of the gulf between

It is Radio 3's strategy for reaching the 'broader audience'.

Somehow, there seems to be a logical flaw in this in that it reaches (potentially) the largest audience but not necessarily the broadest audience, since it causes one section of the audience (in fact those who were actually listening) to switch off.

Hmmmm.

[bwhitjo]

Do they not?

Schum'n? Could be the American, not our Robert. R'vel? Sheer oral laziness.

[Panjandrum]

wouldn't it be good if 'presenters' (oh, that they were still just announcers) actually took the trouble to pronounce composers' names correctly?

My current bete noire is the pronunciation of Giovanni as in Don or Gabrieli. Announcers, nota bene , it is not "Gee-oh-varni".

[John Skelton]

Sheer oral laziness.

Sounds a bit naughty .

[ahinton]

Sounds a bit naughty .

Sounds rather more like the opposite to me...

[kernelbogey]

[...] and wouldn't it be good if 'presenters' (oh, that they were still just announcers) actually took the trouble to pronounce composers' names correctly?

Faure - sorry can't put the acute on the e - consistently pronounced like foray by even the most careful presenters.

And I'm astonished that Petroc Trelawny, despite years on the station, appears to have made no effort to learn how to pronounce German. A fact which makes all the more remarkable, nay insulting, to send him to Vienna to cover the New Year's Day concert. I don't wish to deprive the man of his Sachertorte and Melange, but at least Martin Handley or Susan Sharpe could honour the Viennese by correctly pronouncing the names of their composers, streets and monuments.

Ach du Lieber Augustin! Alles ist hin!