Radio choice Charlotte Runcie

Book of the Week: Erebus RADIO 4FM, 9.45AM

Michael Palin’s voice made a welcome return to the radio on Monday as he reads from his new nonfiction book about the great exploring ship, the HMS Erebus, which disappeared in the Arctic in 1848 – having already made a successful journey to the Antarctic – and was only found again in 2014. Palin’s account encompasses the colourful cast of crew members who sailed on board, and who would eventually freeze to death one by one, as desperate rescue missions tried in vain to reach them and bring them to safety.

The Sound Odyssey RADIO 4, 9.30PM

 In this invigorating series, British artists have been paired with musicians from around the world for mutually enlightening collaborative music projects. For the final episode, Charlotte Church, the Welsh classical singer turned pop star and political activist, travels to Georgia to learn more about polyphonic singing. The discipline was recognised by UNESCO as a Human Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage in 2001. Church collaborates with a polyphonic choir in Kutaisi and explores the area’s historic links to Wales.