Tom's new Listening Service.

[french frank]

Not much news coverage given that the new programme for children features - Beyoncé. One would have expected a few press articles to declare confidently that there would be apoplexies and spluttering among the Radio 3 'Old Guard' at the mere mention of her name.

I can't find a press release about this (it was in Saturday's Telegraph), so have no idea how the Beeb were marketing it.

My main concern is that the BBC should find some way first to make the programme widely advertised so that the potential audience knows about it, and second that they come up with some good ideas to make a Radio 3 programme a possible source of interest to younger people.


BBC details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/pro...tening-service

[mercia]

.... so 'The Choir' only 60 minutes from then on .. ?

[french frank]

.... so 'The Choir' only 60 minutes from then on .. ?

Hmmm - could be. Perhaps they'll drop 'Meet My Choir' ? I think this may coincide with the move to Sunday afternoons/evenings being prerecorded. Nobody living in the Radio 3 studios from Sunday lunchtime until Monday morning Breakfast. Spooky.

In fact, would The Choir be improved if there was just one big choral item (pref. a 'live' performance) with just a few shorter ones as needed to make up the hour? I don't see how they can have texts and tweets &c if the programme is prerecorded …

[ardcarp]

Beyoncé

Who?

[Flay]

Is the Listening Service to be directed at children? The press release doesn't mention its target audience, and it looks like it could possibly interest many of us. Hopefully Tom won't be too overburdening

[french frank]

Is the Listening Service to be directed at children? The press release doesn't mention its target audience, and it looks like it could possibly interest many of us. Hopefully Tom won't be too overburdening

It is intended to attract 'younger audiences'; but like Pied Piper, if it's successful it will also find an interested adult audience among R3 listeners.

[doversoul1]

Well, did anyone listen? I did and was concentrated on it but I have to confess I cannot remember anything very much of what Tom Service said. What I do remember is how I kept thinking ‘Stephen Johnson would have gone on to talk about….’ I think talking about the beginning of music makes better sense (or only makes sense) if it is explained how the beginning leads to what follows. Tom Service did mention the term ‘development’ but that was left undeveloped.

I’m not sure if how pop songs begin has any relevance here, as TS said, pop songs begin and end in three minutes. In that case there is little need of the thoughts about how to keep the listeners interested.

My overall impression is that there is too many bits thrown in as if Tom Service is/were trying hard to keep the listeners interested by not staying on one point too long.

I am by no means young but since I know little about how music works, I should be a good target listener.

Still, I am interested in how the programme develops.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm recording the complete series, though I'm already put off by the fact that it uses Radio 3's usual technique of putting the presenter first and the music second.

[DracoM]

Well, I'm not at all sure how big the vocab of the 'potential child' listener is, but I'd guess he / she / they would have struggled a bit in many places.
Impression VERY strongly is that this programme is NOT for children at all, but those new to music per se, particularly but not exclusively classical music. Hmm.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well, I got round to listing to the first programme. I wasn't impressed at all. It was like a lesson without a plan - trying to be impressive, but with no real direction.

A muddle throughout. It could have been so much better.

[french frank]

I think one idea was that it should integrate a number of different styles within a single theme, which I think - on the whole - a good idea; I just wish other 'pop-based' services did the same - integrating classical music with pop.

It seems more of an 'experience-based' potential audience than an age-based one. If it's for 'younger listeners', they're listeners under the age of 50-55 without a great deal of experience of classical music. Not a lot of interest for listeners who want a deeper analysis of major classical works - but it wasn't intended to be that (but that's still a gap in the schedule).

[DracoM]

Yes, see how it shakes down. I sincerely hope it's NOT tom Service every time. His breathless, flappy, button-holing can get a bit tiresome.

[doversoul1]

I think one idea was that it should integrate a number of different styles within a single theme, which I think - on the whole - a good idea; I just wish other 'pop-based' services did the same - integrating classical music with pop.

The bit about pop songs felt like something that was dropped in a glass jar which had nothing to do with the rest of the programme. It may be that those in pop songs are wise enough to know that there’s no point in trying to ‘integrate’.

Still, it is a brave attempt and after all this is only the first programme.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes, see how it shakes down. I sincerely hope it's NOT tom Service every time. His breathless, flappy, button-holing can get a bit tiresome.

I think with a title like "The Listening Service", that's a foregone conclusion. (They'd have to call it "The Listening Pietsche" or suchlike, otherwise.)

Shame there isn't a presenter called Booth on R3.

[ahinton]

I think with a title like "The Listening Service", that's a foregone conclusion. (They'd have to call it "The Listening Pietsche" or suchlike, otherwise.)

Shame there isn't a presenter called Booth on R3.

Maybe if and when the splendid Claire of that ilk decides to take a sabbatical, there might just be, although I hope not if for no better reason than that we no more need her to take such a sabbatical than we ever needed Morten Wensberg to give up euphonium playing and Nicola Ventrella piano playing (in each case in favour of conducting and teaching conducting), still less the utterly astonishing Corrado Canonici to give up double bass playing in favour of concert management...