RADIO CHOICE

ACCUSED of murdering her younger lover, an elegant woman stands in the dock, hardly bothering to defend herself. Her motives and obsessive nature become clear as the story unfolds in JEZEBEL (RADIO 4, 10.45AM, 7.45PM), a dramatisation of a novel by Irene Nemirovsky, starring Frances Barber (pictured). THOUGH apples came here from Kazakhstan, apple trees have been very much at home in England for centuries. The conditions suit them; an English apple orchard is a lovely thing. Pete Brown loves orchards and thinks, quite rightly, that apple trees are a yearround delight. In THE APPLE ORCHARD (RADIO 4, 9.45AM, 12.30AM), Pete will be reading from his recent book in praise of apples, orchards, fruit and cider.

JULIA EISNER and her sisters sat by their mother’s bedside as she lay dying. In THE VIGIL (RADIO 4, 8PM), Julia hears about the various ways that other families have spent those final hours.

CATHERINE and Lizzy Ward Thomas are twin sisters whose voices harmonise beautifully. They were born in Hampshire, but their sound is American country, served up Englishstyle. They join JOOLS HOLLAND (RADIO 2, 11PM) for a studio singalong around the piano, featuring tracks from their new album, Cartwheels.