Alan Davey - First Week at Radio 3
Alan Davey
Controller, BBC Radio 3
End of week one. Pinch myself. I now have the magic pass that gets me into the studios. And I can find them, even the lovely one on the 8th floor where In Tune weaves its magic. I’ve even got cards that say I’m Controller, so it must be true.
I’ve found inside Radio 3 a new reason to believe – to believe in the power of music, the power of culture and ideas, and the powerful role the BBC and Radio 3 does and will play in the cultural life of the country. The reason – the intellectual curiosity and generosity of the people working here and their skill in making remarkable things happen. Their knowledge of music and culture, and their dedicated pursuit of doing things in the best way possible.
It is a privilege to be working here, and my excitement at what we are doing, and my ambition about what we will do remains huge.
BBC Director-General Tony Hall announces The Year of Song and Dance 2015
During my first week we launched BBC Four’s Year of Song and Dance, and Radio 3 will be linking up with some programmes around BBC Young Dancer; a whole Classical Voices Season will herald the return of the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. And I ended the week at the Barbican with the BBC Symphony Orchestra performing Nielsen’s 3rd Symphony. Sakari Oramo is proving to be one of the great Nielsen interpreters – if you missed it, you can find it on the BBC iPlayer... I am also looking forward later on to listening to Radio 3’s Celtic Connections from Glasgow.
So bring on week two… With the prospect of hearing on Radio 3 the previously unbroadcast Simon Rattle Beethoven cycle with the CBSO – I was at the live concerts many years ago in a previous life – can’t wait to hear them again after all those years.
