BBC Radio 2 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Light Programme.

BBC Radio 2

Sarah Kennedy

The show for early risers - Pause for Thought, Swing Time, Showtune,& entertainment news.

The show for Dawn Patrollers with Pause for Thought, Swing Time, the Showtune,& entertainment news.

The show for Dawn Patrollers with news, Pause for Thought, Swing Time, the Showtune, your comments, travel and entertainment news.

Sarah Kennedy: 22/12/2009

22/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Sarah Kennedy, 22/12/2009

On the Dawn Patrol. With a review of the newspapers and Pause for Thought.

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

Johnnie Walker's Breakfast Show

Johnnie Walker presents a morning mix of music and conversation

Johnnie Walker's Breakfast Show: 22/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Johnnie Walker's Breakfast Show, 22/12/2009

Music, news and travel on Johnnie Walker's Breakfast Show.

Johnnie Walker presents a morning mix of music and conversation, with the latest news from Alan Dedicoat, Lynn Bowles with travel updates, and Pause for Thought.

Johnnie Walker's Breakfast Show, with travel reports every 30 minutes from Lynn Bowles, the latest news stories from Alan Dedicoat, Pause for Thought at 9.15am, and a quality choice of classic music and new releases.

Johnnie Walker

Ken Bruce

The best in music every weekday with Ken Bruce, with live sessions.

Ken Bruce: 22/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Ken Bruce, 22/12/2009

Shirley Bassey picks two Christmas-themed songs in Tracks of My Years.

Ken Bruce gets another 150 minutes older and simultaneously provides more radio magic. Dame Shirley Bassey picks another two Christmassy songs on Tracks Of My Years.

Another two valiant competitors slug it out on champions league PopMaster. We play you a love song at 10:15, play some more music and hear two more Christmas choices from Dame Shirley Bassey in Tracks Of My Years after 11:30.

Jeremy Vine

Jeremy Vine and guests discuss the news headlines and talk to the people making them

Jeremy Vine: 22/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Jeremy Vine, 22/12/2009

Jeremy discusses travel chaos, Gareth Thomas, doctors and Squeeze play live.

Jeremy asks whether your Christmas has been affected by the travel chaos? We discuss Gareth Thomas coming out, how doctors avoid false allegations, and Squeeze play live.

Jeremy asks has your Christmas been affected by the travel chaos? We discuss Gareth Thomas coming out; we ask how doctors avoid false allegations and Squeeze play live.

Steve Wright in the Afternoon

Steve Wright's afternoon show with special guests, music and a host of other features

Steve Wright in the Afternoon: 22/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Steve Wright in the Afternoon, 22/12/2009

Craig Charles sits in for Steve Wright with a host of Christmas features!

Craig Charles sits in for Steve Wright. Listeners can pick the music in Craig's Stocking Fillers and get help with their Christmas shopping in Craig's Last Minute Shopping feature.

It's Christmas week and Craig Charles sits in for Steve Wright on the afternoon show until Thursday. Get involved and pick your own musical Christmas presents in Craig's Stocking Fillers, get help with your Christmas shopping in Craig's Last Minute Shopping feature, and hear Craig chat with some of the people 'behind the scenes' of Christmas.

Craig Charles

Chris Evans

Chris Evans' drivetime slot, with laughter-inducing chat and music

Chris Evans: 22/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Chris Evans, 22/12/2009

Chris counts down to Xmas, and it's the turn of Gran and Gramps to pick the tunes.

Chris counts down to Xmas. Today it's the turn of Gran and Gramps to pick the tunes on this very special All Request Tuesday!

Radio 2 Live

BBC Radio 2 presents exclusive live concerts from the best singers, songwriters and bands

Radio 2 Live: Yusuf

06/06/2009

Yusuf

BBC Radio 2 - Radio 2 Live, Yusuf

Yusuf (previously known as Cat Stevens) in concert for BBC Radio 2 in June 2009.

Another chance to hear Yusuf, previously known as Cat Stevens, recorded in concert at the BBC Radio Theatre in 2009.

Another chance to hear Yusuf, the man previously known as Cat Stevens, performing an exclusive show for Radio 2.

The session features classic hits and tracks from his latest album, Roadsinger (To Warm You Through The Night). The concert was recorded in June at the BBC Radio Theatre and is introduced by Johnnie Walker.

A Radio 2 concert exclusive by Yusuf, who until 1978 was known as Cat Stevens - the folk-pop star whose backlist includes Matthew and Son (1967), the early 70s US and/or UK hits Wild World, Moon Shadow, Peace Train and Morning Has Broken, and music for Hal Ashby's 1971 film Harold and Maude. Recorded in June at the BBC Radio Theatre, Yusuf performs known works and songs from his recent album. (R)

The Radcliffe & Maconie Show

BBC Radio 6 Music

A late-night mix of live sessions, celebrity guests and listener interaction

Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie with a late-night mix of live sessions, celebrity guests and listener interaction

The Radcliffe and Maconie Show

The Radcliffe & Maconie Show: 22/12/2009

BBC Radio 6 Music - The Radcliffe & Maconie Show, 22/12/2009

A RadMac Flashback Special! Mark and Stuart pick their Top 20 Tunes of the last decade.

It's a RadMac Flashback Special as Mark and Stuart pick their Top 20 Tunes of the last decade.

Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie

Keeping Tradition Alive At Christmas

Keeping Tradition Alive At Christmas: Episode 2

Episode 2

BBC Radio 2 - Keeping Tradition Alive At Christmas, Episode 2

Julie Fowlis celebrates local voices and festive traditions in Wales.

Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis celebrates local voices and festive traditions in Wales.

Radio 2 goes on a journey to celebrate local voices and different caroling traditions around England and Wales. Across the country, pockets of people have been keeping alive Christmas traditions that were lost to most hundreds of years ago. This Christmas, they're inviting you to step into their homes, pubs and churches, to share their festive sounds.

In part two, the Gaelic folk singer Julie Fowlis discovers ancient Welsh traditions. In tiny villages dotted across North Wales there's a local Christmas tradition that will transport you over the hills, into the valleys, and back in time. In a hushed church Plygain singers step forward to present the Christmas hymn that has been in their family for generations, the unaccompanied sound of small Welsh choirs echoing in the stillness of the service.

In the final episode, Bellowhead's Jon Boden joins a good old knees-up in Leigh-on-Sea.

Celebrating local voices and different carolling traditions around England and Wales

BBC Radio 2 goes on journey to celebrate local voices and different carolling traditions around England and Wales

Keeping Tradition Alive at Christmas

2/4. Billy Bragg with West Country carolling traditions.

The Best Christmas Present Ever

BBC Radio 2 - The Best Christmas Present Ever

Hugh Dennis celebrates the work of The Salvation Army's Family Tracing Service.

Hugh Dennis celebrates the work of The Salvation Army's Family Tracing Service, founded 125 years ago, with stories of painstaking searches and some happy endings.

The Salvation Army's Family Tracing Service restores family relationships by tracing long - and recently - lost relatives. Hugh Dennis celebrates their work - begun 125 years ago by William Booth - as he meets some of the people who, out of the blue one Christmas, received "the best Christmas present ever". 

Full of Christmas music from Salvation Army choirs and bands, alongside other seasonal musical treats, Hugh shares poignant stories of painstaking searches and a significant number of happy endings. We hear from mother and daughter, Kathleen and Claire. Kathleen left Claire when she was a young toddler, having suffered a breakdown after years in an abusive relationship. Over 30 years later Claire decided to look for her mum via the Salvation Army family tracing service; they have been reunited and spend so much time together you would never know they had been apart. They tell their story and look forward to the future. 

We also hear from father and daughter Steve and Rebecca. After his divorce Steve kept in contact with his daughter Rebecca, but she was not coping with the tension in the family. Rebecca asked him to stop visiting, Steve stayed away for a few years and then tried again to make contact, and things did not work out. Twelve years later, Rebecca went to the Salvation Army to find her Dad, they are now reunited answering each others difficult questions and Steve is a proud grandad; a discovery that brought him great joy. 

Alexandra - at the age of 53 decided to search for her father. They'd been separated since she was 8 and she had only seen him a few times by the time she was a teenager. The Salvation Army found her dad for her and, after writing to each other, they had their first meeting. But it was to be the only one. 

The Salvation Army enjoys an 85% success rate in their work yet they also have renowned expertise in dealing with the many issues raised by this important work; such as understanding why people lose touch, what it's like for those left behind, how families go about rebuilding trust and broken relationships and, critically, how to assist with making the all-important first contact.

The Salvation Army's Family Tracing Service restores family relationships by tracing recently and long-lost relatives.
Hugh Dennis celebrates 125 years of the organisation's work.

Hard Times: The Short, Sad Life of Stephen Foster

Hard Times: The Short, Sad Life of Stephen Foster: Episode 2

BBC Radio 2 - Hard Times: The Short, Sad Life of Stephen Foster, Episode 2

Michael Feinstein pays tribute to the groundbreaking American songwriter Stephen Foster.

Michael Feinstein pays tribute to the songwriter Stephen Foster, who died aged 37 with only 38 cents in his wallet but whose legacy was the foundation of American popular song.

Michael Feinstein pays tribute to the first great American songwriter Stephen Foster. Stephen (1826 - 1864) was the first songwriter to earn his living solely through his music rather than subsisting, as other songwriters did at the time, by teaching or performing. His life marks the start of popular music as we recognize it today.

It was the whirlwind success of Oh Susanna, written when Foster was 21, which led him to his chosen career. The song spread like wildfire from his native Pittsburgh to New York, then to California where it became the anthem for the Gold Prospectors - "the '49ers". Probably no single song had ever been so popular before but, despite that, Foster never saw a cent from the 30 arrangements which 16 different publishers copyrighted. 

As well as Oh Susanna, Foster was the author of Camptown Races, Beautiful Dreamer, Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair, My Old Kentucky Home, The Old Folks At Home, Hard Times Come Again No More? He drew on African-American sources; European balladry; Italian opera; as well as utilizing polka, waltz and even blues in his melodies. Foster was also determined to replace what he called "the trashy and really offensive words" of the ubiquitous black-faced minstrels. His 1850 Nelly Was A Lady was a breakthrough: no white songwriter had ever called a black woman "lady" before.

Personally, Foster's life was a tragedy: his marriage broke up, he roomed in poverty on the Bowery, and ended up selling his original songs for the price of his next drink. And when the martial beat of the Civil War took hold, his beautiful but sentimental songs seemed out of step with the times. 

Stephen Foster died at the age of 37, after a fall; in his wallet was 38 cents and a scrap of paper that read, "Dear Friends and gentle hearts." But his real legacy was the foundation of American popular song; without Stephen Foster, no George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter or Bob Dylan even. 

Artists such as Nanci Griffith, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Roger McGuinn have all done versions of Foster songs.They tell us what they personally love in his music and why they feel it's still so relevant today. Biographer Ken Emerson talks about the key aspects of Foster's personal life and Deane L Root, musicologist and director of the Center for American Music explains the musical context of the time and why what Foster was attempting to do was so groundbreaking.

A tribute to the groundbreaking American songwriter Stephen Foster

Hard Times: the Short, Sad Life of Stephen Foster

2/2. Michael Feinstein presents a tribute to American songwriting giant Stephen Foster (1826-64), the first in his field to earn a living solely through his craft, rather than from teaching or performing. His 1848 tune Oh! Susanna became the anthem for the Gold Rush. Drawing on international music, Foster took songwriting to a new level, but his story is not a happy one, with a failed marriage, poverty and death at 37.

Janice Long

Great music and chat, with a weekly interview and Spoken Word Session every Wednesday

Music you love, plus great guests and a weekly Spoken Word Session that you won't hear anywhere else

Janice Long: 23/12/2009

23/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Janice Long, 23/12/2009

Tim Smith sits in for Janice Long with music and chat.

Alex Lester

Weekday morning music and entertainment with Alex Lester

Alex Lester: 23/12/2009

BBC Radio 2 - Alex Lester, 23/12/2009

With Lester's and the Listeners' Libraries, plus listeners' contributions via text and email and Pause for Thought.

Witty conversation and music in the early morning. Also on the Best Time of the Day Show, Alex - The Dark Lord - delves into his own record collection to pick something new or obscure from Lester's Library- and your contributions from your own personal music archives in the Listeners' Library.

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22/12/2009

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