On Friday, 主播大秀 Radio 3鈥檚 drivetime programme In Tune will be broadcast from the Media Caf茅 in New Broadcasting House, 81 years to the day of the first broadcast from Broadcasting House in London. In Tune producer Freya Hellier explains what鈥檚 in store for the special Red Nose Day themed broadcast.
Producing In Tune is such a treat, the programme comes from 80A, the penthouse suite right at the top of Old Broadcasting House.聽There鈥檚 a beautiful piano, lots of space, a mixing desk that wouldn鈥檛 look out of place on the Starship Enterprise and the safety of the sound proof production cubicle where we can panic, problem solve and feed information to presenter Sean Rafferty.聽It makes the live musicians sound great and it鈥檚 in stark contrast to the amazing new part of Broadcasting House with its acres of glass and huge vistas.
A really striking aspect of the new building is just how much of it is on show.聽The massive, open plan news room in the heart of the building sets the scene and you can always see pieces to camera being recorded right in the thick of day to day work. It made me think about how we could open up In Tune for Comic Relief.
The thing that strikes me about Red Nose Day is that it feels like all bets are off, chaos is embraced, guards are dropped and something special happens.聽At least that鈥檚 what it should feel like.
What better way to embrace the organised chaos than to take Radio 3鈥檚 In Tune out of the comfort zone of the studio and move it into the coffee shop in New Broadcasting House?聽
There's only one piece of music I know that was actually designed to be performed in a coffee shop and it's a good one: Bach's Coffee Cantata Schweight Stille, plaudert nicht BWV 211.聽It鈥檚 a light-hearted work which tells the story of a worried father鈥檚 attempts to get his daughter to give up her newly fashionable addiction to coffee.聽It鈥檚 also substantial: 21 minutes long and scored for a minimum of nine performers.聽John Crace of the Guardian鈥檚 Digested Read worked the 鈥榬ecitative鈥� sections into three parts of snappy dialogue which set the scene. Radio 4鈥檚 Susan Rae and acting legend Timothy West will be our fictional father and daughter with the Royal Academy of Music primed to provide the music.
Add to that a coffee drinking audience, cameras to stream the event live on the 主播大秀 Radio 3 website and no sound proof glass to hide behind. What could possibly go wrong?聽Whatever does happen, the music is going to sound great.
Freya Hellier is a producer for 主播大秀 Radios 3 and 4.
As part of this special Red Nose Day In Tune Sean Rafferty will announce the winners of 主播大秀 Radio 3鈥檚 Top of the Baroque, as our five presenters go head-to-head to battle it out to convince listeners to vote for their choice of Baroque work. View the presenters videos and pitches on the . 聽
This broadcast is part of 主播大秀 Radio 3鈥檚 Baroque Spring 鈥� a month-long season of music, drama and comedy dedicated to shedding new light on the Baroque era. For more information visit 听听
The About the 主播大秀 team will be attending the In Tune live broadcast on Friday 15 March. Read more about it on the blog shortly after.