Presentation

[Beef Oven!]

Expressing their own opinion could be part of informing the audience about the music that has just been played?

I think so. And imagine how grey the world would be without such opinions.

[doversoul1]

But if that's what they are doing then to say so is simply to report what is happening - an impersonal observation. It indicates that they were both pleased with the performance (or are they not allowed to indicate an opinion? Perhaps the audience should keep quiet too, & not even applaud after the piece is finished). It says nothing about the opinion of the presenter (who could say, or think, "I've no idea why they are so self-congratulatory, as I thought it was pretty rubbish).

I agree with you in that this isn’t a definite this or that sort of example but it could impose an impression that radio listeners may not have had otherwise. Not that this is always a bad thing but I personally think it shouldn’t be used lightly. If you are in the audience, you may not attach much significance to the act but being pointed out when you are listening to the radio has very different effect.

Expressing their own opinion could be part of informing the audience about the music that has just been played?

It is if it comes from a reviewer or a commentator on programmes like CD Reviews. I listen to CD Review to hear Andrew McGregor’s and the guests’ personal opinions but I listen to concerts, live or recorded, to hear music. They are different types of programmes.

[Sir Velo]

presenters at concerts do not have sufficient time to present meaningful comments.

Well, actually, I think there is sufficient time for an intelligent, informed presenter to make pertinent comments on the performance; it's just that most of the current roster do not meet this standard, preferring to gush rather than give any form of objective assessment. Martin Handley and, to a lesser extent, Christopher Cook and Andrew McGregor, are examples of how appropriate comment can be made without impinging on the listener's own reaction.

[Stanfordian]

Then you had better stay away from TV football commentary

Hiya Beefy,

Very crafty for changing the focus of the subject. Yes, I watch Sky and BT Sports all the time and the commentary is usually ok once the actual game is in progress. If not I’ll switch off the sound and use radio commentary. But it is the BBC Radio 3 presenters that I have the problem with not Sky and BT Sports. Surely you cannot condone this embarrassingly gushing and mind numbing comments from the BBC presenters?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, I watch Sky and BT Sports all the time and the commentary is usually ok once the actual game is in progress. If not I’ll switch off the sound and use radio commentary. But it is the BBC Radio 3 presenters that I have the problem with not Sky and BT Sports. Surely you cannot condone this embarrassingly gushing and mind numbing comments from the BBC presenters?

Football commentators and pundits do say what they really think, only gushing when it's fully deserved, while being extremely critical at other times.

[kernelbogey]

Presenters aren't reporters.

(What's the difference between "the orchestra are still coming on to the platform" and "the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace"?)

To endeavour to respond to several comments on my irascible post no 13:

I was objecting to the style of one particular presenter, whom I will not name again, but whose style is not uncommon amongst others. Perhaps I was striving overly to be succinct. One point I was trying to make is that it is one thing to observe the behaviour of performers or audience, but quite another to impute opinions (that is, give voice to projections) to them. E.g. 'You can hear that the audience liked that a lot', 'Conductor and soloist are obviously pleased with that performance' are both making assumptions about what is being expressed. So I suggest observation rather than opinion as a general rule.

....the BBC really should make it clear that presenters are not commentators or reviewers. Not so long ago, Radio3 presenters were able to fill in a long gap with appropriate and interesting information about the music, as some still can.... (Doversoul, no 15)

This is what used to happen, I agree, and some, such as Donald McLeod and Martin Handley, still can do this. It is much preferable to (and here comes my projection) a kind of happy-clappy response to everything happening at the Proms - the insane repetitions that this is 'live' the hall is packed etc etc - I assume becaue of a ukase from on high.


Edit: this and other posts here probably do belong on the Presentation thread. My no 13 was sparked by the presenter in this Prom.

[kernelbogey]

It's becoming clearer and clearer to me with each broadcast Prom that, indeed, there has been a general instruction to presenters along the lines of:

"Always mention, each time you are on air:
"Radio Three, the home of the BBC Proms
"The hall is full
"We're live here at the BBC Proms
"You can listen to this again on iPlayer for thirty days...."

And so on and so forth. This is 'Corporate Strategy', I believe.

For which we can blame Mr Murdoch and friends.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's becoming clearer and clearer to me with each broadcast Prom that, indeed, there has been a general instruction to presenters along the lines of:

"Always mention, each time you are on air:
"Radio Three, the home of the BBC Proms
"The hall is full
"We're live here at the BBC Proms
"You can listen to this again on iPlayer for thirty days...."

And so on and so forth. This is 'Corporate Strategy', I believe.

For which we can blame Mr Murdoch and friends.

Although I'm no fan of the Australian tycoon, on this occasion I point the blame entirely at the naivety of the BBC. Even the headlines of The Sun don't repeat themselves in this toe-curlingly embarrassing way, or go to such lengths of self-promotion.

[Serial_Apologist]

Although I'm no fan of the Australian tycoon, on this occasion I point the blame entirely at the naivety of the BBC. Even the headlines of The Sun don't repeat themselves in this toe-curlingly embarrassing way, or go to such lengths of self-promotion.

It's what I call unnecessary clutter, or "cludder", as that bossy American lady instructing us "liddle householders over here" on how to depersonalise our homes for sale purposes pronounced it - except that depersonalisation, synonymous with branding, is the exact result in this particular instance.

[maestro267]

Tom Service, while a good advocate and guide to the contemporary works, really does try and fit in as many words as he can in one breath, as fast as he can.

[Tony Halstead]

Tom Service, while a good advocate and guide to the contemporary works, really does try and fit in as many words as he can in one breath, as fast as he can.

Agreed, but he could probably get even more words in if he didn't use up so much of his breath by bellowing...

[kernelbogey]

"We're live here at the BBC Proms [...]

I believe it was S M-P - whose presentation overall I liked a lot - who said in the back-announcement for the concert "...performed live here at the Proms'....

Well I can tell you how relieved I was to know that all the musicans had been alive during the broadcast. But of course she may have meant, 'The concert is being broadcast live'.

[muzzer]

"People continued to swing even when bombs were dropping on their head"

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

"People continued to swing even when bombs were dropping on their head"

No!! Really??!! Dear Lor' - who was responsible for that nugget?!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

"Always mention, each time you are on air:
"Radio Three, the home of the BBC Proms
"The hall is full
"We're live here at the BBC Proms
"You can listen to this again on iPlayer for thirty days...."

...we can blame Mr Murdoch and friends.

I blame MacDonalds. Their underpaid staff were given similar scripts for their customers when my son worked for them a few years ago. You might expect Radio 3 to be a cut above this, but sadly no. . .