Programme Information

Lynn Parsons sits in for Zoe Ball this week. She is joined by Hilary Oliver, who reviews the new film West Is West – the sequel to East Is East – which stars Jimi Mistry and Om Puri.

Lynn also looks at the original Brighton Rock, starring Richard Attenborough.

Presenter/Lynn Parsons, Producer/Mark Simpson for the BBC

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Tony Blackburn counts down the charts from this week in 1968 and 1987, which include hits from The Beach Boys, The Love Affair, Simply Red and Carly Simon.

Presenter/Tony Blackburn, Producer/Phil Swern for Unique Productions

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Tonight's programme features Athlete in session to celebrate their first retrospective collection.

Athlete are a group of four young men from South London who sprang to prominence when their first album, Vehicles & Animals, was nominated for the 2003 Mercury Music Prize.

Presenter/Bob Harris, Producer/Charlotte Worth for the BBC

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Andrew McGregor introduces what's new in the world of classical music recording.

In Bruckner Symphonies, Julian Johnson assesses some recent releases of recordings new and old, including: the Eighth symphony from Klaus Tennstedt with the Berlin Philharmonic; Rafael Kubelik with the Bavarian RSO; and Christian Thielemann with the Dresden Staatskapelle.

And Daniel Hope talks about his tribute recording to fellow violinist Joseph Joachim – a mentor to the likes of Brahms, Schumann, Liszt and Max Bruch.

The Disc Of The Week is Mozart Keyboard Music Vol. 2 from forte pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout.

Presenter/Andrew McGregor

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Lucie Skeaping presents highlights of a concert given in Bruges by the Sarband Ensemble and Armonico Tributo, which evokes the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683.

The music includes works by Johann Schmelzer, Georg Muffat and Johann Kerll, as well as Turkish music from the 17th century.

Presenter/Lucie Skeaping, Producer/Les Pratt

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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Dinah Washington was only 39 when she died of an accidental overdose of barbiturates in 1963. However, in her short life, she was one of the most successful of all jazz singers, also crossing into blues and pop territory.

Gwyneth Herbert joins Alyn Shipton to pick the essential recordings by Dinah, starting with her bluesy repertoire of the mid-Forties and tracing her career as she became one of the finest interpreters of American popular song. The programme includes her collaborations with Quincy Jones and the fourth of her eight husbands, Eddie Chamblee.

Presenter and Producer/Alyn Shipton

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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Opera On 3 – Live From The Met

Saturday 26 February

6.00-9.00pm BBC RADIO 3

Soprano Susan Graham plays Iphigénie and baritone Plácido Domingo plays Oreste

Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride stars Plácido Domingo and Susan Graham.

Ever since its 1779 Paris première, Gluck's potent take on post-Trojan War practical and psychological family problems has gripped audiences and attracted the great singers of the day.

Soprano Susan Graham and tenor-turned-baritone Plácido Domingo play the siblings who unexpectedly wind up together and have to contend with all the usual predicaments of ancient Greek drama. Margaret Juntwait presents.

Iphigénie is sung by soprano Susan Graham; Oreste by baritone Plácido Domingo; Pylade by tenor Paul Groves; and Thoas by bass Gordon Hawkins.

Patrick Summers conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Presenter/Margaret Juntwait, Producer/David Papp

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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Paul and Anna wake up one morning to find their neighbourhood has been enclosed by a wall, in this drama by Ed Harris for BBC Radio 3's The Wire. The gates are guarded and anyone wanting to cross into the rest of the city has to apply for a pass.

They are told The Wall is there to protect them against violence between rival postcode gangs. They are told that their local community is being challenged by central government to do more for themselves. They are told that only certain individuals will qualify for a pass – and that they don't.

The Wall takes a provocative look at growing social inequality, using an image we're more used to seeing as a symbol of divided cultures abroad – in Gaza, Baghdad, Berlin or the ghettoes of the Second World War – to explore the unseen divisions in today's cities.

The Wall doesn't just divide neighbourhoods – soon it is tearing apart the people enclosed by it. The Wall is written by Ed Harris, who has recently been Writer on Attachment at the Chichester Festival Theatre and is currently writing a new play for the Soho Theatre.

Paul is played by Javone Prince; Anna by Louise Brealey; Joyce by Dona Croll; Hugh by Sam Dale; Kasey by Jessica Raine; Dylan by Nyasha Hatendi; Clarence by Sean Baker; and Alex by Stuart McLoughlin. The Wall also features Jo Monro.

Producer/Jonquil Panting

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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Ivan Hewett presents a concert given earlier today at the BBC Symphony Orchestra's Total Immersion day – which is devoted to the music of Brian Ferneyhough.

This concert spans the broad range of Ferneyhough's invention, from the Missa Brevis for 12 solo singers of 1969 to the UK première of Plötzlichkeit, a 20-minute masterpiece for large orchestra. The programme also includes a rare chance to hear the third part of his Carceri d'Invenzione cycle, a seminal work of the Eighties, inspired by Piranesi's etchings of imagined dungeons and infernal places of imprisonment.

Martyn Brabbins conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and James Morgan conducts the BBC Singers.

Presenter/Ivan Hewett, Producer/Philip Tagney

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

Toby Stephens is the fast-talking, trouble-seeking Californian private eye, Philip Marlowe, in Playback, part of the landmark series bringing all Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels to BBC Radio 4.

Marlowe is hired to tail the mysterious Betty Mayfield all the way to the seaside town of Esmerelda, without knowing the reason, or knowing the identity of his employer. It's not long before he realises that he's not the only one on the trail, and that he too is being watched.

The cast features Toby Stephens as Philip Marlowe, Sarah Goldberg as Betty Mayfield, Iain Batchelor as Larry Mitchell, Sean Baker as Clyde Umney, John Guerrasio as Clark Brandon, Sam Dale as Goble and Claire Harry as Lucille. Playback is dramatised by Stephen Wyatt.

Producer/Claire Grove for the BBC

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Author and critic DJ Taylor presents The Spanish Civil War as told by the International Brigade volunteers who fought against Franco.

The Spanish Civil War began in 1936. Its commemoration led to a large number of monuments, dedicated to the fallen, spanning a remarkably high number of nations. This broad reach was due to the International Brigade, whose volunteers travelled across the globe to join the fight against Franco. DJ Taylor recounts the events of that civil war through new interviews with the last remaining British Brigaders and archive interviews with many others.

With these new and archive interviews, the documentary covers the events in Spain from the human, day-to-day perspective. Richard Baxell, historian and author, talks through the political side of events. Professor Paul Preston, of the International History department at the London School of Economics, gives a perspective of events in Europe running up to the outbreak of the civil war and details of Franco's motives. And there are new interviews with volunteers Jack Edwards, Paddy Cochrane and Thomas Watters.

DJ Taylor also looks at how the volunteers were regarded by others. He considers whether they were terrorists, idealists, atheists determined to undermine Catholic Spain or heroes, many of whom gave of their lives to fight in what some have called the first battle of the Second World War.

Presenter/DJ Taylor, Producer/Angela Sherwin for the BBC

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

5 Live Sport

Saturday 26 February

12.00noon-6.45pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Mark Pougatch previews the day's sport, including Six Nations rugby fixtures for England and Wales, and the action from the Premier League.

From 12.45pm, there's live Championship commentary on Swansea City versus Leeds United, along with regular Six Nations rugby updates from Italy versus Wales (kick-off 2.30pm) and Cricket World Cup reports on Sri Lanka versus Pakistan in Colombo.

At 3pm, there's live coverage of all the 3pm kick-offs, including Wigan Athletic versus Manchester United in the Premier League. There are also regular Six Nations updates from Italy versus Wales and reports from today's Premiership rugby ties.

Six Nations rugby union commentary on England versus Frances comes live from Twickenham from 5pm.

Presenter/Mark Pougatch, Producer/Mike Carr

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

World Cup Cricket

Saturday 26 February

8.45am-5.00pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE SPORTS EXTRA

Listeners can enjoy uninterrupted commentary on the group match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Cricket World Cup, live, from the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Producer/Jen McAllister

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra Publicity