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BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

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The Essay Podcast

The Essay

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

The Essay: Get Playing

The Essay: Get Playing: Episode 1: Alistair McGowan on playing the Piano

Get Playing: Alistair McGowan on playing the Piano

Episode 1

Episode 1: Alistair McGowan on playing the Piano

Get Playing

Alistair McGowan on playing the Piano

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Impressionist and actor Alistair McGowan describes his attempts to relearn the piano.

Impressionist, writer and actor Alistair McGowan describes his attempts to relearn the piano and why short pieces mean so much to him.

As part of the BBC Music Get Playing, supporting amateur music making around the UK, 5 leading writers and artists contribute an Essay in this series, in which they talk about their little-known passions for playing an instrument. 

In the first programme, the impressionist, actor and writer Alistair McGowan describes his attempts to relearn the piano. He started learning as a child but gave it up to play football instead. He tried it again in his 30s but stopped when his TV series "The Big Impression" took over. Then, later on, after a midnight piano lesson on a cruise ship, he began in earnest again and discovered a new world of music-making. 

Alistair is fascinated by short pieces in particular. His special favourites are the pieces he heard his mother play and also ones he has discovered on piano courses and through hearing them on the radio. A tiny nugget of Satie, Mompou or John Field carries for him all the weight of human experience and channels a musical history into one small but perfect form. 

more info visit bbc.co.uk/getplaying 

Producer: Emma Kingsley.

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Writers and artists they talk about their little-known passions for playing an instrument.

As part of the BBC Music Get Playing scheme, leading writers and artists they talk about their little-known passions for playing an instrument

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Episode 1: Alistair McGowan on playing the Piano

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