Programme Information

Listen To The Band moves to Thursday evening and visits the Festival Of Brass at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for the first time.

Frank Renton introduces exclusive BBC recordings from this year's Festival Of Brass and features David Childs and the Cory Band in the English première of Karl Jenkins's Euphonium Concerto and the world première of Brass Triumphant by Gareth Wood.

The programme also features David and Gareth talking about the music.

Presenter/Frank Renton, Producer/Terry Carter

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

To top

Sir Tim Rice has always been fascinated by the history and geography of the United States, even before he became obsessed with its music.

"The sheer romanticism of the names of the 50 States is poetry to my ears," he says, "and the opportunity to explore every State of the union through its music, musicians, composers, lyricists and performers is irresistible for me."

Each week, Tim looks at the music and musicians of one of the 50 States in the Union. Some, like New York and Tennessee, have a well-known musical history and heritage; others, like Alaska and Delaware, do not have instantly recognisable musical traditions or narrative. But every one of the States has a wonderful and individual tale to tell through its songs, tunes, words, music, performers and writers.

Sir Tim begins his trek in the top-left-hand corner of the US map, in Washington State, and features artists including Jimi Hendrix, Kenny Loggins, Bing Crosby, Nirvana, Fleet Foxes and Oleta Adams.

He progresses snake-like, up and down the mighty nation from the Pacific to the Atlantic, taking a break from the 48 mainland States somewhere along the way to touch down in Alaska and Hawaii.

"I hope each broadcast, through music old and new, familiar and unexpected, proves an enjoyable slice of American Pie, none quite like the 49 others," he enthuses.

Presenter/Sir Tim Rice, Producer/Anthony Cherry

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

Over two nights in Performance On 3, young violinist Julia Fischer performs JS Bach's complete works for unaccompanied solo violin in two concerts recorded earlier this year at London's Wigmore Hall.

Tonight's programme features Bach's Sonatas 1-3, while tomorrow evening's performance concludes with his three Partitas.

Although still in her mid-twenties, Julia is recognised around the world as an exceptionally gifted performer, reflected in the many awards she has received, including Artist Of The Year at the Gramophone Awards in 2007.

Bach's three sonatas and three partitas for solo violin occupy the summit of the violin repertoire. Poetic expression and technical virtuosity are allied to structural discipline, raising the music to an exalted plane.

Bach uses the baroque dance forms of his time – the stately sarabande, the sprightly jig – but these are just a starting point for his exhilarating inventions played on the fragile yet agile, profoundly expressive solo violin.

Presenter/Petroc Trelawny, Producer/Philip Tagney

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

Nina Conti attends the third annual London Improvathon, a 50-hour marathon of improvisation.

She meets the Improvathon's creator, Dana Anderson, and watches 50 hours of improvisation in which the actors meet their "lizard brains".

It was Ken Campbell who first brought the idea of the Improvathon – a marathon of improvised drama and comedy – to Britain from Canada, where he'd been inspired by Dana Anderson and his Die-Nasty company at Edmonton's Varscona Theatre.

Twenty-five actors gathered for the 6pm start on a Friday, and most of them were still there when it ended at 9pm on Sunday. The theme was loosely Victorian and on stage at various times were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen and many fictional characters.

Once the actors have been improvising for 30 hours they experience what Dana calls "Stargate" and find themselves "being" rather than acting. They no longer have to think about what to do or say on stage – it just happens. They define this as being in touch with their "lizard" or instinctual brain.

Dr Mark Lythgoe, Director of The Centre For Advanced Biomedical Imaging at University College London attributes the experience to a combination of sleep deprivation and a creative high which leads to "dis-inhibition".

For actors and audience, the Improvathon proves an extraordinary and compelling experience. Nina is most struck by the sense of community and support it engenders, as the actors pull together to keep each other going and, by saying "yes" to every new idea, take themselves and the production to new levels.

Presenter/Nina Conti, Producer/Marya Burgess

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

Richard Bacon – 5 Live In Liverpool

Thursday 8 April

2.00-4.00pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Richard Bacon introduces his programme live from Aintree on the opening day of the Grand National meet, part of 5 Live In Liverpool. Richard will be joined by special guests as he introduces live coverage of the day's racing action.

To celebrate this year's Grand National, BBC Radio 5 Live is broadcasting live from Liverpool John Moores University in front of local audiences, as well as hosting off-air events in the city between Thursday 8 and Saturday 10 April.

Other programmes featured include Tony Livesey, Fighting Talk and Kicking Off With Colin Murray on 5 Live Sport, plus all the action from Aintree. For full details visit bbc.co.uk/5live.

Presenter/Richard Bacon, Producer/Robin Bulloch

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

To top

5 Live Sport

Thursday 8 April

7.00-10.30pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Eleanor Oldroyd introduces all the day's sports news and reports from the first day of golf's US Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

From 8pm there's live coverage of one of this evening's Europa League quarter-finals.

Presenter/Eleanor Oldroyd, Producer/Ed King

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

To top

Tony Livesey – 5 Live In Liverpool

Thursday 8 April

10.30am-1.00pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Tony Livesey hosts his late-night show live from John Moores University, as part of 5 Live In Liverpool.

Tony will be joined by special guests for his usual mix of topical chat on some of the big issues of the day.

Presenter/Tony Livesey, Producer/Jonathan Aspinwall

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

Golf

Thursday 8 April

9.00pm-12.30am BBC RADIO 5 LIVE SPORTS EXTRA

Listeners can enjoy live uninterrupted commentary of the first round of The Masters 2010, live from Augusta, Georgia.

BBC Radio 5 Live's golf correspondent Iain Carter leads the commentary team accompanied by Andrew Cotter, John Murray and Alistair Bruce Ball. Expert analysis comes from former European and PGA player Jay Townsend and former PGA tour winner Andrew Magee, who has played in seven Masters.

Producer/Jen McAllister

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra Publicity

Thursday is Roundtable day and Steve Lamacq welcomes actor and comedian Mat Horne and two other guests into the studio to chat about the pick of the week's most interesting releases.

Presenter/Steve Lamacq, Producer/Paul Sheehan

BBC 6 Music Publicity

To top

Gideon Coe's archive selection this evening includes live highlights from The Cure's 1985 outing at the Camden Palace. Depeche Mode are in session from 1981 with further archive from Kristin Hersh, American shoegazers Smashing Orange and melodic Sixties-tinged Rhode Island trio Velvet Crush.

Presenter/Gideon Coe, Producer/Frank Wilson

BBC 6 Music Publicity

To top

BBC 6 Music presenters Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish

6 Music Plays It Again offers another chance to catch up on the Adam And Joe Podcasts from April 2008. This evening's offering is entitled "Stephen", which will also be available to download as a podcast after the show.

Presenters/Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, Producer/James Stirling

BBC 6 Music Publicity

Nihal presents his show from the Southbank Centre in London, home to the Alchemy Festival, a five-day event celebrating Indian culture in the UK.

This one-off show features a cook-off between Anirudh Arora, head chef of London restaurant Moti Mohal, and Sarbjit Grewal from Channel 4's reality TV show The Family. The battle is on to see if good old home cooking can better Indian fine dining.

BBC Asian Network Publicity