18/12/2016: BBC Radio 3 Christmas Around Europe

[DaveHarries]

Afternoon all,

 

Currently have BBC Radio 3's annual feast of music that they broadcast in partnership with other national broadcasters who are members of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union). The first two hours are / were:

 

1300: Christmas Around Europe (Part 1)

1300-1400: Kallio Church, Helsinki (Finland)

1400-1500: Freiburg Cathedral (Germany) (organ solo concert: on air as I write this)

 

There is then a break for Choral Evensong. In terms of venues the rest of the CAE schedule for today is:

 

1600: Christmas Around Europe (Part 2)

1600-1700: United Methodist Church, Tallinn (Estonia)

1700-1800: Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht (Holland)

1800-1900: Knights' Hall, Pardubice Castle (Czech Republic)

 

There is then a second interlude until later in the evening. Then:

 

2230: Christmas Around Europe (Part 3)

2230-2330: Auditori, Gerona (Italy)

2330-0030: Vigado Concert Hall, Budapest (Hungary)

 

The first hour of part 1, which featured the YLE (Radio Finland) youth choir of the year, was extremely good. As I write this the second hour is on of part 1 and is a solo organ recital by Freiburg Cathedral's Organist and Kantor Albert Koch on the 1714 Silbermann organ. If you aren't listening to this then why not??! The Christmas Around Europe broadcast is the one day of the year when BBC Radio 3 dominates my day's radio listening without fail.

 

Dave

[handsoff]

Why wasn't I listening?

 

1) A carol service at 16.00 and

 

2) another at 18.00 after

 

3) an early afternoon spent practising

 

4) and after that no wish to hear any more Christmas music...