Composers and Their Dogs

Poodles

Composers' links to certain dog breeds. Haydn’s poodle tale and Chopin’s poodle myth.

• 14 mins

Composers and Their Dogs

Dachshunds

Famous composers’ devotion to dogs. Britten and Bernstein were obsessed with dachshunds.

• 14 mins

Composers and Their Dogs

Cocker Spaniels

Famous composers devoted to dogs. Edward Elgar was inseparable from his spaniel, Marco.

• 14 mins

Jazz Among the British

On Not Being a Jazzer

Geoffrey Smith reflects on perceptions of jazz in Britain and questions the term 'jazzer'.

• 14 mins

Jazz Among the British

The British Audience

Geoffrey Smith looks at the how the audience for jazz in Britain has evolved over time.

• 14 mins

Jazz Among the British

Americans in Britain

Geoffrey Smith on how Britain influenced the work of two celebrated American jazz artists.

• 14 mins

Jazz Among the British

Stan Tracey

Geoffrey Smith on the work of Stan Tracey, paragon of British jazz and of jazz in Britain.

• 14 mins

Jazz Among the British

Sonny Rollins

Geoffrey Smith on the connection Sonny Rollins forged with his British audience.

• 14 mins

New Generation Thinkers at 10

Should biographers imitate their subjects?

Deep diving into the trail of an Indian guru: Martin Goodman's adventures in life writing

• 14 mins

New Generation Thinkers at 10

Byron, celebrity and fan mail

Would Byron have embraced twitter? Corin Throsby considers the letters fans sent him.

• 14 mins

New Generation Thinkers at 10

Beastly Politics

Alasdair Cochrane re-imagines a political world that takes animal rights seriously.

• 14 mins

New Generation Thinkers at 10

Politician and Pioneer: Writing the Life of Arthur Kavanagh

Clare Walker Gore on what a C19th MP without hands and feet tells us about stereotypes.

• 14 mins

New Generation Thinkers at 10

When Shakespeare Travelled with Me

New Generation Thinker Islam Issa looks at Shakespeare in 1916 Egypt to Arabic pop songs.

• 14 mins

Secret Admirers

Hannah French on Barbara Strozzi

Radio 3 presenter Hannah French celebrates the Venetian composer Barbara Strozzi

• 14 mins

Secret Admirers

Elizabeth Alker on Sofia Gubaidulina

Radio 3 presenter Elizabeth Alker celebrates the Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina

• 14 mins

Secret Admirers

Ian Skelly on Jean Mouton

Radio 3 presenter Ian Skelly celebrates the French composer Jean Mouton

• 14 mins

Secret Admirers

Jumoké Fashola on Nina Simone

Radio 3 presenter Jumoké Fashola celebrates the American singer-songwriter Nina Simone

• 14 mins

Secret Admirers

Jess Gillam on Bach

Radio 3 presenter Jess Gillam celebrates German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

• 14 mins

The Frozen River

First Flight

A perilous winter pilgrimage to the source of Britain’s highest river.

• 14 mins

The Frozen River

Cairn Toul

A perilous winter pilgrimage to the source of Britain’s highest river.

• 14 mins

The Frozen River

The Sundial

A perilous winter pilgrimage to the source of Britain’s highest river.

• 14 mins

The Frozen River

Garbh Choire

A perilous winter pilgrimage to the source of Britain’s highest river.

• 14 mins

The Frozen River

The Wells of Dee

A perilous winter pilgrimage to the source of Britain’s highest river.

• 14 mins

Mug Shots

Know Thy Selfie

Polly Coles reads the first of her essays on portraiture and our obsession with ourselves.

• 14 mins

Mug Shots

Portraits of Love and Hate

Polly Coles reads the next of her essays on portraiture and our obsession with ourselves.

• 14 mins

Mug Shots

Fame and Infamy

Polly Coles reads the third of her essays on portraiture and our obsession with ourselves.

• 14 mins

Mug Shots

Sitting - Our Place in the World

Polly Coles reads the next of her essays on portraiture and our obsession with ourselves.

• 14 mins

Mug Shots

Heads, bodies and legs

Polly Coles reads the last of her essays on portraiture and our obsession with ourselves.

• 14 mins

Odes to Essex

Metropolitan Essex

Billy Bragg explores the London-Essex borderland that fuelled his childhood imagination.

• 14 mins

Odes to Essex

Washed Up in Essex

Writer AL Kennedy takes us on a watery journey through the county she now calls home.

• 14 mins