TODAY’S RADIO

BEHIND THE SCENES

11.30AM, RADIO 4 ★★★ Joyce dido na to was born in kansas to a large family. After studying to become a music teacher, she took the road to Santa Fe to sing in the opera, and her career took off; now, she’s an international star. Joyce, like so many performers, has found her career has suddenly ground to a halt. This morning, she talks about finding a new audience, and keeping her voice in shape until curtain-up.

COMPOSER OF THE WEEK

12 NOON, RADIO 3 ★★★ Towards the end of his short life, Schubert became convinced that he was being poisoned. He probably was. Schubert may well have been given doses of mercury as a supposed treatment for his syphilis. The combination of a terrible illness with deadly doses of mercury often stopped Schubert from composing, yet, as we hear today, he still managed to produce wonderful though sad music during the final part of his life.

THE RIVER

1.45PM, RADIO 4 ★★★ Scotland’s River Tay winds round a hill before meeting the fastflowing waters of the River Earn and emptying into the Firth of Tay. Here, the river leaves behind its green banks, and meets a landscape of sandy beaches and mudflats that are alive with wildlife. In this fourth of a week-long series about British rivers, Kathleen Jamie takes to the water in a kayak, and describes her view of this confluence of two rivers.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

6.30PM, RADIO 4 ★★ The comedian Sarah Millican is in the chair for this comedy panel show, which has Sarah asking her guests questions to see who on the panel is the most average of all. Sadly, the one thing that is fairly average is the show itself.

Sarah Millican (6.30pm, Radio 4)