Key Changes confounds expectations — which, given what Radio 3 needs right now, is exactly what it needed to make.
BBC Radio 3’s new classical music history twelve month series gets underway on 4 April on Radio 3 and BBC Sounds. A safe, polished illustrated guide to classical music that demonstrates Radio 3’s commitment to public service broadcasting and its present-day interpretation of its own legacy.
A hybrid of Composer of the Week, a Classic FM guide written by John Suchet, and some of the more superficial specials you’d hear on Radio 2 or see on Channel 5, each one-hour-long episode is a commitment — a longer listen than most of the BBC’s podcast output.
What sustains attention is the natty editing, short sequences, and Gillian Moore’s warm delivery — producer David Fay has created something warm. Moore’s co-host historian Michael Wood makes a good fist of things, though at times it feels like he’s reading from his own book. Moore’s delivery of the heavily scripted naturalism saves this from becoming a substitute for the dwindling music curriculum, though older vociferous listeners will no doubt bemoan this as more evidence of the death of a much-loved eccentricity.
Is it a hookable listen? It might be, though it may not be bingeable. Its simple premise, carefully executed, gives the whole thing a very podcast feel, which likely makes this an on-demand listen rather than a broadcast one. In this way, the taut direction, dynamic musical illustrations and fast-paced storytelling make this charming. It also acts as a potpourri for the playlist you’ll likely find on Radio 3 today. But the narrative thread that each episode depends on makes it difficult to dip in and out, even if the crushingly short musical excerpts might suggest otherwise.
In birthing a confidently educational if not informative twelve-month series, Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson could easily be bringing to audio what Classic FM brought to digital — a valuable resource that exists in perpetuity. Don’t expect the moon on a stick. As is frequently stated about Radio 3 now, if you don’t like it, it’s probably not for you. If you do, then Radio 3 has, despite its many vocal critics, done the very thing it needed to do.
Key Changes is broadcast on Radio 3 on Saturdays at 1pm, from 4th April. It’s available on BBC Sounds now.
