TODAY’S RADIO

Yiddish: Reclaiming A Lost Civilisation

9AM, WORLD SERVICE ★★★ For hundreds of years, European Jews spoke Yiddish, a language of great subtlety and nuance that fused High German with elements of Hebrew and Aramaic. Millions of Yiddish speakers were slaughtered in the Holocaust, and the speaking of Yiddish was discouraged in Israel, so it is in rapid decline. In this programme, historians, musicians and authors celebrate the language, and share ideas about how Yiddish might be kept alive.

The Hunting Of The Snark

11.15AM, 9.15PM, RADIO 4 EXTRA ★★★

‘Just the place for a Snark!’ the Bellman cried/as he landed his crew with care. Lewis Carroll’s inspired epic nonsense poem – Rick Astley (7pm, Radio 2) about a motley crew in search of an elusive creature called the Snark – is narrated by Tony Robinson. Songs, music and sound effects have been thrown in to add to the entertainment. Silly, but fun.

Rick Astley Rocks

7PM, RADIO 2 ★★★★

Rick Astley spent his early years in the music business with the recording and production team Stock Aitken Waterman, so he knows a hit when he hears it.

Rick, who’s had plenty of big hits himself, presents this selection of rocking tracks for this first evening of the New Year. Primal Scream, Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon, The Clash and Rick’s one-time stage-mates, Foo Fighters, are all on Rick’s rock ’n’ roll call.

The Full Works Concert

8PM, CLASSIC FM ★★★

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. This selection of top-class recordings of the great composer’s work opens with the Egmont Overture, and includes Alfred Brendel playing the deceptively simple and utterly beautiful Moonlight Sonata. SJ