The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Review
CHARLOTTE RUNCIE
RADIO CRITIC
Fifty years since men first walked on the
Moon, there’s plenty going on in radio to mark the anniversary of one of the greatest achievements in the history of humanity. In Archive on 4: James Burke: Our Man on the Moon (Saturday, Radio 4, 8.00pm), the broadcaster James Burke, who provided thrilled commentary for the BBC at the time, revisits his coverage to relive the dramatic moments as they happened and the drama of the memorable night as it unfolded behind the scenes.
Celebrations continue across TV and radio, and Eno and Cox on the
Moon (Sunday, 6 Music, 1.00pm) should be particularly fun: the two Brians, Eno and Cox, who often broadcast together on 6 Music, come together for an hour of Moon-themed music and discussion. They plan to consider the science and technology behind the Apollo 11 mission as well as the art and music it inspired, picking their favourite tracks and talking about how the Moon figures in our collective imagination.
And The Documentary (Sunday, World Service, 2.06pm) also takes up the musical Moon baton, as Beatriz De La Pava tells the story of the space race through song lyrics, from Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon to songs by The Byrds, Deep Purple and Public Service
Broadcasting.
Edward Adoo grew up strongly influenced by his grandfather Julius Sarkodee-Adoo, a former Chief Justice of Ghana who was called to the bar in London in 1832. However, a recent Department of Justice review showed that ethnic minority groups now comprise only seven per cent of judges, but 25 per cent of the England and Wales prison population. What’s the reason for the racial discrepancy, Adoo asks in The Colour of Justice (Monday, Radio 4, 8.00pm), and what could be done about it?
There are several programmes on crime and punishment this week, including From College to Clink (Tuesday, Radio 4, 8.00pm), which takes a look at the Graduates Unlocked scheme, recruiting bright young graduates fresh from university into prison jobs that require a high level of energy and resilience. The point is to raise the status and reputation of prison officers and improve conditions, but the reality of prisons, some of which are in a state of borderline crisis, might be too much for even the most idealistic of graduates to take on.
The seductive rhythms of dance pulse through Wednesday’s Prom (Radio 3, 7.30pm), with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Péter Eötvös in a performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird, Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, and Bartók’s Dance Suite. There is also the UK premiere of Péter Eötvös’s Alhambra violin concerto with violinist Isabelle Faust, described by this newspaper in the past as “one of the leading players of her generation”. In the interval, Hannah Conway hosts a discussion about Bartók with musicologist and broadcaster Erik Levi.
And CrowdScience (Friday, World Service, 8.30pm) explores why, when we concentrate, do we stick out a tongue or deeply furrow a brow?
And does it help? Or is it just about showing everyone else how hard we’re working? This edition of the programme also looks at why it’s nigh-on impossible to talk without moving your hands, and why even if you learn a second language to the point of fluency, you’ll probably still prefer to count in your mother tongue.
Read The Week in Radio by Charlotte Runcie every Wednesday in
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