In praise of radio 3

[GuyMontag]

Radio 3 has kept me sane these past few years. Regardless of what's going on in the world I know I can tune in to good music and people discussing - for example - the schism between French and Italian opera. For real. With no interruptions about nonsense in Downing Street or the rest of the hell in a handcart outside.

Eg right now I'm listening to Andy Kershaw's home recordings of various people and groups he's encountered playing music and got on tape. For no other reason than that he likes them.

This is a good thing. Radio 3 can save us all.

It can be very calming, I find. Great for when R4's repeats get to be repeats of programmes I didn't want to listen to once.

One of the many things I love about Radio 3 is retiring to bed with my book and having their late night programmes on in the background. It's about half reasonable, a third utterly unlistenable, and a small fraction just great music you'll not hear anywhere else.

We listen to Today on Radio 4 for a few minutes first thing while having our tea in bed, but once I am up and about I go over to Radio 3 for a calming time. I love it. I don't end up shouting at the radio, which is a big plus.

Radio 3 is a gem. I too was a convert during lockdown. Calming and on a different intellectual plane from other stations. The BBC at its best. Petroc at breakfast is always worth a listen and the whole station opens your mind to music you might ordinarily not choose to listen to.

It's a special 100th anniversary day on Radio 3 and they're dedicating the whole day to each of the decades in turn with music, archive recordings, and, most importantly, no presenters wittering away:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dpvx/episodes/guide

I've started having radio three on first thing in the morning while I drink my coffee and write my morning pages. It's very soothing.

I also like the fact that my parents are probably also listening 120 miles away, it makes me feel connected to them.

@nauticant yesterday was absolutely brilliant, I'll be listening to the decades I miss on BBC Sounds. Do you think it might be the best radio you've heard all year?

It was superb @Lio. It could well be the best radio thing I've heard in years. By good fortune I was having a sorting out at home day and just put it on at 11am and let it run through till half 4 when commitments took me away.

They've done similar things before, such as the #riverofmusic day: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b081c6j5, but the structure of splitting by decade with corresponding archive recordings made yesterday so much better.

The only radio programme that comes to mind as being in my top 5 in the past 5 years would be this: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kftt

Well I managed to miss both of those - note to self, less telly, more radio.

It was totally brilliant! Recommend accessing it on catch-up

It was an amazing listen. Especially the 1930s and 1940s sections at the time of the war. The sort of programme you can revisit time and time again. Well done radio 3.

Many thanks for mentioning this, @nauticant. I'm just listening now. What a triumph! I hadn't heard the clip from Belsen with the British Jewish chaplain to the forces. Incredibly moving. The choice of music is excellent.

The audience feedback reported on Feedback just now is heartening. It was so good to hear universal praise there too.

It's like they read this thread and the one before and took the words right out of our mouths.

Oops. Wrong thread. Sorry about that, I thought it was about The Archers.

Today is one of my favourite things on the run-up to Christmas, a day of live music from around Europe on Radio 3:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001g3dp (click on Show more to see the fantastic treats on offer)

Yes my favourite station

Aah, brilliant, thanks @nauticant

A treat to hear the Amsterdam Sinfonietta - the artistic director was the leader of the youth orchestra I was in, in the 1980s.

It's the only radio station I can bear to listen to, love Petroc's breakfast show but I miss Ian Skelly on Essential Classics with his brilliant dry humour. Georgia Mann is good though.

Lockdown would have been hellish without it.

Don’t forget to listen to the entries and vote in the Radio 3 Christmas Carol competition. Some lovely entries and evidence of what composing talent there is out there. Voting closes at 6 pm this evening.

Thanks for the reminder, @dnac. I have voted.

So good to wake up this morning listening to Radio 3

I listen to Radio 3 when I work from home and it keeps me sane.
I have discovered the 'through the night' programme recording that has really good choices of music and is six hours long!

My cat likes Radio 3.

I’ve loved the music in a different language feature on radio 3 breakfast that has been running since January. Some great sounds. Worthy of a special programme in their own right.
devastated to hear about the axing of the BBC Singers. What is wrong with this country that any venerable institution has to be abandoned!