Today’s radio

FOUR THOUGHT

9.30AM, RADIO 4 HHHH

On a clear night, the stars shine bright above the Dark Sky Reserve in the Brecon Beacons. Light pollution is kept to a minimum, giving residents and visitors a chance to see stars and planets against a dark velvet sky. During a festival held here earlier this year, the writer Lora Stimson gave a talk on grief and the consolation she felt while gazing at constellations after her father’s death. This is a recording of that talk.

SOUL MUSIC MIXTAPES

11AM, 9PM, RADIO 4 EXTRA HHHH For nearly 20 years, Radio 4 has been running an occasional series about music that touches the soul. In this round-up, Cerys Matthews picks some of the Cerys Matthews (11am, R4 Extra) tracks featured in the series. It’s a fine and diverse selection that includes Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, The First Cut Is The Deepest and Mozart’s Requiem In D Minor.

THE COLD WAR LEGACY

1.30PM, 10.05PM, WORLD SERVICE HHH Thirty years ago, the peaceful ‘velvet revolution’ freed Czechoslovakia from the iron fist of Soviet control. Chris Bowlby, who was familiar with Czechoslovakia before and after it was under Communist rule, considers the changes in what has been, since January 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

IN TUNE

5PM, RADIO 3 HHHH Live music-making is treasured and promoted every weekday on this music and arts programme. This afternoon, Sean Rafferty invites the band Classico Latino into the studio for a live session. Their new album was inspired by the music of Cuba, and they worked with some of the island’s great musical talents. Here, the band play music that mixes the passion of great Cuban artistes with classical elegance. SJ