Confession time....

[french frank]

Was there any particular reason that you omitted mention of husbands, toyboys et al?

Yes, now I come to give the matter some thought

[ahinton]

Yes, now I come to give the matter some thought

But would you prefer not to reveal it or are you in the process of working on it?...

[Northender]

If you listen to Today, then Essential Classics is tailored specially for you (and the Breakfast audience).

The programme's commissioning brief stated:

"This is a significant part of Radio 3’s weekday daytime schedule and should aim to hold on to as much of the breakfast audience as possible whilst drawing in new listeners from the post-Today Radio 4 switch over ... Presentation should be light and brief, without in-depth musicological or complicated biographical detail."

Well - to quote a recent Nationwide advert - 'it doesn't work like that' (not in my case at any rate). I have dipped into Essential Classics occasionally and dipped out again fairly promptly, as it's a bit too fragmented and, frankly, 'matey' for my taste. I sometimes tune in at 11.00 if I want to listen to the advertised full work.
I have recently started listening to the Early Music Show, which seems to be aimed at a very different audience...

[french frank]

But would you prefer not to reveal it or are you in the process of working on it?...

I just wondered whether you would be so eager to know that you would want to pursue the matter. As you have:

In the context of the commissioning brief for Essential Classics (which was where the quote about 'complicated biography' came from), I was thinking in terms of the music played on Essential Classics ('mainstream classics' says the brief; and 'The focus will be on essential classics.').

The references to 'in depth musicological details' and 'complicated biography', rightly or wrongly, made me think of classical music's 'essential composers'. Once my mind had locked on to that concept, all thought of their husbands - or even toy boys - was involuntarily blanked out.

Northender

Well - to quote a recent Nationwide advert - 'it doesn't work like that'

You are shaking the very foundations of the BBC's Marketing, Communications and Audiences department, of which the current head of radio, Mr Davie, was previously the Director.

[ahinton]

If you listen to Today, then Essential Classics is tailored specially for you (and the Breakfast audience).

The programme's commissioning brief stated:

"This is a significant part of Radio 3’s weekday daytime schedule and should aim to hold on to as much of the breakfast audience as possible whilst drawing in new listeners from the post-Today Radio 4 switch over ... Presentation should be light and brief, without in-depth musicological or complicated biographical detail."

I'm trying, against my better judgement and without any success, to figure out (a) what's so "classically essential" about Sarah Naughtague as a warm-up act for Sarah Walker and (b) why the BBC bigwigs seem to think that Radio 3 listeners all have breakfast during the time that the programme of that name is being broadcast - but perhaps lots of people will now twitter and tweet, email and call Breakfast to say why, as well as who their favourite Today presenter is (and why)...

[Serial_Apologist]

I have recently started listening to the Early Music Show, which seems to be aimed at a very different audience...

Yes - those of us they believe were around when it was being composed.

[french frank]

I'm trying, against my better judgement and without any success, to figure out (a) what's so "classically essential" about Sarah Naughtague as a warm-up act for Sarah Walker

Well, when Paul Gambaccini was drafted in to present the 9am Morning Collection on Radio 3 in 1995, he defended himself against the critics in an article in Radio Times:

'In creating Morning Collection Nicholas Kenyon had a specific mission, to lure “grazing” listeners who stayed to the end of Radio 4’s Today and were looking for other radio pastures. [...] Says Gambaccini: “I had a specific mission to invite Today listeners to stay with the BBC rather than go to Classic FM, and to do it in a way which was consistent with the quality and content of Radio 3.” '

[THREE CHEERS? Why Paul Gambaccini’s ‘Morning Collection’ may yet prove the critics wrong
Radio Times 3-9 February 1996 pp 6-7]

My bold. I rest ma valise.

[ahinton]

Well, when Paul Gambaccini was drafted in to present the 9am Morning Collection on Radio 3 in 1995, he defended himself against the critics in an article in Radio Times:

'In creating Morning Collection Nicholas Kenyon had a specific mission, to lure “grazing” listeners who stayed to the end of Radio 4’s Today and were looking for other radio pastures. [...] Says Gambaccini: “I had a specific mission to invite Today listeners to stay with the BBC rather than go to Classic FM, and to do it in a way which was consistent with the quality and content of Radio 3.” '

[THREE CHEERS? Why Paul Gambaccini’s ‘Morning Collection’ may yet prove the critics wrong
Radio Times 3-9 February 1996 pp 6-7]

My bold. I rest ma valise.

No inherent harm in such an idea; it's just the thought that it might be deemed likely that it would work, given the sheer differences of style, emphasis, purpose, content et al between Sarah's programme on Radio 4 and Sarah's programme on Radio 3 (by which, of course, I don't just mean "Sarah's programme" in either case but Today and Breakfast in more general terms); the notion also seems to turn on its head the admittedly somewhat clichéd idea that breakfast sets you up for the day so that we'd now have Today setting us up for Breakfast. However, if ever a Breakfast presenter includes in an edition a recording of Fauré's Elégie played by John Humphrys with James Naughtie at the piano I might be persuaded to think differently about this...

[Northender]

I just wondered whether you would be so eager to know that you would want to pursue the matter. As you have:

In the context of the commissioning brief for Essential Classics (which was where the quote about 'complicated biography' came from), I was thinking in terms of the music played on Essential Classics ('mainstream classics' says the brief; and 'The focus will be on essential classics.').

The references to 'in depth musicological details' and 'complicated biography', rightly or wrongly, made me think of classical music's 'essential composers'. Once my mind had locked on to that concept, all thought of their husbands - or even toy boys - was involuntarily blanked out.

Northender

You are shaking the very foundations of the BBC's Marketing, Communications and Audiences department, of which the current head of radio, Mr Davie, was previously the Director.

Gosh!