TODAY’S RADIO

Radio 3 In Concert

7.30PM, RADIO 3 There’s a wealth of concerts on radio tonight, including this choral farewell from the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge to their Director of Music, Stephen Cleobury. Stephen is to retire after 37 years of providing sacred and secular music, much of it for broadcast in King’s College’s Chapel. Tonight’s valedictory music comes from Vaughan Williams, Howells, Elgar and Britten.

Friday Night Is Music Night

8PM, RADIO 2

Keane front man Tom Chaplin and the Leo Green Orchestra blast their way through some of Queen’s greatest hits in a recorded concert from the London Palladium. The wonderful Bohemian Rhapsody is Tom Chaplin (8pm, Radio 2)

on the bill, along with We Will Rock You, Another One Bites The Dust and Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Cheltenham Festival Opening Concert

8PM, CLASSIC FM The young British composer Dani Howard has written a roof-raising new work for the opening of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. She’s called her piece Gates Of Spring, and it begins this concert by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Elim Chan.

The young violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian is the soloist for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto In D Major, and the programme – which comes live from Cheltenham Town Hall – concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.

Radio 4 Comedy Award

10.30PM, R4 EXTRA This comedy competition gets batted backwards and forwards between the stations, giving the impression that the BBC wishes it would go away. Yet some fine talent emerges, though not all the good stuff gets to the finals. Jen Brister hosts the contest’s opening round tonight.