BBC Radio 3 joins BBC100 celebrations with an eight-hour non-stop broadcast

Radio 3 is joining BBC100 celebrations with an eight-hour non-stop broadcast of music and archive speech, marking the first BBC radio broadcast in November 1922.

This is just one of the special events to mark the BBC’s centenary year, along with live broadcasts at major events such as the Venice Music Biennale, The 20th Ivors Composer Awards, the EFG London Jazz Festival and Edinburgh International Festival

The station will also host road-trips around Northern Ireland with Music Matters, performances from Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Lammermuir, Dartington and Oxford Lieder Festival, West Cork Chamber Music Festival as well as Radio 3 in Concert live from cities across the UK.

One of the features is ‘Radio of the Future’ – A new radio poem from Paul Farley that takes its inspiration from a 1921 essay by Russian Futurist poet Velimir Khlebnikov, The Radio of the Future, which imagined all the world-changing possibilities of this new invention.

Alan Davey, Controller BBC Radio 3, says: “After a fantastic BBC Proms season, Radio 3 gets back to presenting the best of live music from around the country in its autumn season, bringing a range of amazing and inspiring concerts from some of the UK’s best festivals and venues, new Music from the Venice Biennale and great performances from our New Generation Artists, providing a way in to experiencing great performances of great music for anyone who wants it.

“We also celebrate 100 years of Broadcasting and the way Radio uniquely affects the lives of audiences, using sound to celebrate and reflect the work of radio pioneers who changed the world through the glorious multi-tonal and multi-dimensional experience radio offers. Come and join us at Radio 3 for an adventure in sound that’s like no other.”

Also this Autumn, BBC Radio 3’s Breakfast Christmas Carol Competition returns with submissions welcomed in a wide range of styles, from gospel to pop, rap to folk, jazz, classical and beyond. Providing this year’s carol text for adaptation into music is Scottish poet Niall Campbell with The Winter’s Brightening, inspired by the warm glow of homes at Christmas time. In charge of shortlisting the initial entries is a judging panel chaired by Choirmaster Gareth Malone.

And Tearjerker returns for a third series, this time helmed by the singer and songwriter, Sigrid. Focusing on the music that moves and supports us, Sigrid dives deep into her own emotions and personal experiences with an eclectic mix including the likes of Max Richter, Mazzy Star and Alice Coltrane.

See the full list of special programmes this autumn here.