Train Tracks ("live", 27 September 2025)

[Ein Heldenleben]

Can I still moan about Breakfast or Essential Classics?

With pleasure - but maybe try a new line ?

[hmvman]

Even with today's technology, 'Train Tracks' must've been a complex and challenging broadcasting exercise. I wonder if it was all worth it, though, from the bits I heard in the afternoon. Given that it was to tie-in with the 200th anniversary of the first train to run on the S&D Railway maybe it would've been better to have done it from Shildon and/or Darlington and maybe the National Railway Museum too, which was also celebrating its 50th anniversary at the weekend.

[smittims]

Sorry, jonfan , but you are quite wrong about 'complete works' .Not long ago someone posted a page from Radio Times in the 1980s I think, and all the music on Radio 3 was complete works . I well remember this from 1967 till the last few years. Nowadays it's only on Through the Night , the lunchtime concert, part (not by any means all) of the rest of Classical live and Radio 3 in Concert. All morning, much of the afternoon ,etc. is short pieces or single movements.

Since you ask, classical music is about the enjoyment and satisfaction one can gain by putting in a little effort and attention, something shamefully out-of -fashion in this 'instant-gratification' age. Here's an example . This morning on TTN we heard Haydn's 'Rider' quartet. The whole four movements less than a quarter of an hour, One needs to hear the whole piece ,. But for most of the day , on Breakfast, Essential Classics, Sunday Morning,etc. etc. they'd play only one movement , but still announce it as "that was Haydn's 'Rider' quartet". They're misleading their listeners and failing classical music.

Another example is the reappearance, in the finale of Dvorak's ninth symphony, of the opening and closing passage from the second movement , but transformed in character. One could not grasp the significance of this unless one heard the whole work. To take up Petroc Telawny's sneer about people with a muscial education, surely this is a golden opportunity for Radio 3 to give people a little musical education? They used to do this. It used to be one of the reasons for having Radio 3 , not merely to entertain but to inform and educate also.

[oddoneout]

Even with today's technology, 'Train Tracks' must've been a complex and challenging broadcasting exercise. I wonder if it was all worth it, though, from the bits I heard in the afternoon. Given that it was to tie-in with the 200th anniversary of the first train to run on the S&D Railway maybe it would've been better to have done it from Shildon and/or Darlington and maybe the National Railway Museum too, which was also celebrating its 50th anniversary at the weekend.

I didn't hear this, not least because I didn't realise it was on; I hadn't had the radio on much during the week and as I am now quite good at either anticipating the need to employ the mute button or simply tuning out I hadn't picked up the date of this 'event'. I had turned on the radio in the morning as I knew Hannah French was due to be presenting Breakfast, and that was the point at which I realised that 'today was the day', as the slot was cut short(and I had already been late tuning in) and someone else took over. Doing a quick online check and seeing that Tom Service was due to make an appearance I switched off. Was busy the rest of the day, radio not on, as is usual for my Saturdays.
As you say a lot of work and perhaps not the best use of resources. It would seem to me that being based in Shildon and doing a day/shortform version Petroc peregrination of the key 'start of the story' locations might have been a better way to proceed. I'm sure that, given this

https://x.com/DurhamCouncil/status/1971907685168902627?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

there would have been help available ...

[jonfan]

A bit wicked smittims I know asking for a definition of classical music, hard to do but other genres are also rewarding after care and attention is lavished on them. The unsung Ten Pieces project is much appreciated in schools and introduces children at an early age the joys of seeing and hearing an orchestra. I agree more can be done on an adult level, I’m thinking of programmes that study a piece in detail, eg ‘Talking about music’ and Interpretations on Record.’ I agree with PT, music education is in a parlous state, the BBC is the main promoter now. Local authorities have slashed their leisure spending.

[french frank]

Even with today's technology, 'Train Tracks' must've been a complex and challenging broadcasting exercise. I wonder if it was all worth it,

Or possibly, even, better things for R3 (as distinct from the much wealthier Radio 2, Radio 4 or Radio 5 Live), to spend its effort and money on: another way to take up a lot of time not playing full-length (I''ll go with smittims's 20-min +) pieces of classical music. It's the kind of item which gets press coverage and generally attracts attention to R3 as a station covering all sorts of delightful, non-musical subjects of general interest.

In answer to jonfan's query about cost per llstener hour: on that metric the minority language stations are far and away the most expensive (but much cheaper in overall cost). On the other hand, Radio 3 is much less expensive than any of the other four network stations (but gets far fewer listeners). So on both counts Radio 3 is at a disadvantage. 'Quality' is measured on the basis of how many people listen and enjoy something. The BBC does not concern itself with invidious comparisons of whether the music of e.g. Beethoven is intrinsically of more 'value' than the music of Radio 6 Music artist St Vincent - former Artist in Residence (also available to hear at the world's greatest classical music festival). Arguably, Radio 3 might possibly score quite well on this metric - but it's harder to work out than how much? and how many?.

This is all about marketing Radio 3 to get the widest possible audience. The objective analytical considerations are: what effect does this have on Radio 3? In what ways might this be considered to improve Radio 3? Is there, objectively, any downside to this?

[Cockney Sparrow]

A bit wicked smittims I know asking for a definition of classical music, hard to do but other genres are also rewarding after care and attention is lavished on them. The unsung Ten Pieces project is much appreciated in schools and introduces children at an early age the joys of seeing and hearing an orchestra. I agree more can be done on an adult level, I’m thinking of programmes that study a piece in detail, eg ‘Talking about music’ and Interpretations on Record.’ I agree with PT, music education is in a parlous state, the BBC is the main promoter now. Local authorities have slashed their leisure spending.

Music education is "leisure spending" ?. Have you bought the line, consciously or otherwise, that all children need as a core to education is maths, science(/tech.) and English? Maybe PE, Health and personal as well.....

(Unless that is, education is at a fee paying school - in which case I suggest a majority of parents expect rather more, including Music).

[jonfan]

Music education is "leisure spending" ?. Have you bought the line, consciously or otherwise, that all children need as a core to education is maths, science(/tech.) and English? Maybe PE, Health and personal as .

I certainly have not, teaching from 1968 in the West Riding where the arts were highly valued. The great Director of said authority, Sir Alec Clegg, asked parents what they wanted education to do for their children. The overwhelming answer was to make them happy, so hence a huge spending on the fine arts, music, drama and sport. The big red flag to this was the National Curriculum which justified music, for example, if it supported the three core subjects you mention.
Down hill from then; look at the terrible condition of the mental health of young people today and the pressures they are put under. It makes we weep to see what’s been jettisoned.

[vinteuil]

...
Unless that is, education is at a fee paying school - in which case I suggest a majority of parents expect rather more, including Music.

... my (cynical) experience of parents sending their children to fee-paying schools is that they expect their children to get in to Oxford (Cambridge at a pinch) and to make the contacts among their peer groups (parents and children) so that eventually young Tristram and / or Esmeralda can get internships / placings at Goldman Sachs , McKinsey, and / or 'Magic Circle' law firms...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Circle_(law_firms)

[James Wonnacott]

The whole thing made me turn over to CFM. Saturday is the only day I get a chance to listen properly to the radio and it's always a load of talk and guests at the best of times, to the extent that I've renamed it Chatterday. But this Chatterday was the worst ever! and they are still rabbiting on about it all through the week.

I do love trains by the way.

[jonfan]

The whole thing made me turn over to CFM. Saturday is the only day I get a chance to listen properly to the radio and it's always a load of talk and guests at the best of times, to the extent that I've renamed it Chatterday. But this Chatterday was the worst ever! and they are still rabbiting on about it all through the week.

I do love trains by the way.

DRC makes CFM intolerable listening. There was over 3 hours of a Verdi opera.
PS On R3, not CFM of course!

[AuntDaisy]

DRC makes CFM intolerable listening. There was over 3 hours of a Verdi opera.
PS On R3, not CFM of course!

DRC? Can't be the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[oddoneout]

DRC? Can't be the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Where it's not just CFM that's intolerable... I had to look it up too, as the country was the only thing I could think of.

[AuntDaisy]

Where it's not just CFM that's intolerable... I had to look it up too, as the country was the only thing I could think of.

I'm still perplexed.

Google's AI Overview also gave in:

"DRC" likely refers to the Democratic Republic of Congo, but this is not relevant to Classic FM, which is a UK-based radio station playing classical music.

[jonfan]

Sorry ‘Dynamic Range Compression’, making a solitary flute as loud as the whole of Black Dyke Band.