From 9am-12 noon Rob Cowan presents a selection of English rarities in The Cowan Collection after an English start to the day with Martin Handley on Morning on 3. A live edition of The Early Music Show featuring music by Purcell is followed at 2pm by a Sunday Gala recital of English song given by Thomas Allen.

At 3.30pm Brian Kay presents a special live edition of 3 For All with English music requests and an English-focused Music Matters precedes The Choir, in which Aled Jones explores the English Anthem and English music premiered at the Three Choirs Festival.

In the evening, Fiona Shaw introduces Shakespeare and English Music. Verity Sharp follows her with England in Ribbons, a two-hour celebration of English traditional music and story telling, to end the day. The music is performed and recorded specially for the show by many of the leading names in the field in the places where it would naturally be found. The programme also looks at one of the surviving festivities linked to Easter Saturday: the coconut dancing ceremony in Bacup. These stories are unfolded in a series of illustrated conversations with musicians and storytellers, such as Martin Carthy, Chris Wood and Hugh Lupton. 

• Playlist & programme details for the day
• Download readings of Shakespeare selected from Radio 3 programmes broadcast on 23 April 2006, English Music Day and Shakespeare's birthday.