TODAY’S RADIO

The Matter Of The North

9AM, 11PM, RADIO 4 The dramatic scenery of the Yorkshire moors and the Lake District became a source of inspiration to many 18th- and 19th-century writers. In the fifth of his ten-part series on the role of the north in the shaping of modern Britain, Melvyn Bragg looks at Wordsworth, the Brontes and other writers whose work reflects the landscape they lived in.

Sushi Marriages

11AM, RADIO 4 In Britain, a marriage between a Sunni Muslim and a Shia Muslim is sometimes referred to as a ‘Sushi’ marriage. Wars, politics and a widening religious divide can make such relationships difficult. Here, Zubeida Malik talks to some Muslims who have married partners from outside their branch of Islam, and hears how they cope with their religious differences.

Radcliffe & Maconie

1PM, BBC 6 MUSIC Neil Hannon, the lead singer of The Divine Comedy, whose hits include National Express and Something For The Weekend, joins Mark and Stuart to discuss the band’s new album, Foreverland.

Nature’s Great Invaders

1.45PM, RADIO 4 In the fifth of this series on invasive species, we hear about the telltale signs of ash dieback fungus and its fatal effect on certain trees.

BBC Proms 2016

7PM, RADIO 3 Mahler’s innovative Symphony No 7 is seen as a journey from dusk to dawn, and is often called his ‘night music’. Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic take this journey, from night to day, this evening.

Friday Night Is Music Night

8PM, RADIO 2 Young artists – dancers, musicians and composers – from all over the UK joined the BBC Philharmonic for a Prom concert back in July. Ten pieces of music – aimed at children of all backgrounds – were on the bill, and the conductor was the 26-year-old Alpesh Chauhan. Matilda Lloyd and Esther Yoo were among the soloists, and the pieces included Mambo from West Side Story and Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending. This is a recording of that Prom. SJ

Melvyn Bragg (9am, Radio 4)