Programme Information

Mike Harding presents an hour of the very best in folk, roots and acoustic music, including news from the world of folk and the latest album releases.

Mike also interviews Debbie and Stu Hanna, also known as Megson, and plays tracks from their forthcoming album The Longshot.

Following two successive BBC Radio 2 Folk award nominations for best duo and a string of critically acclaimed releases, The Longshot is themed around work and many of the selected songs originate from the couple's native North East of England.

Megson are supporting the album with a UK tour and appearances at several top UK folk festivals this summer.

Presenter/Mike Harding, Producer/Kellie While

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Paul Sexton tells the tangled tale of one of the most celebrated albums in rock history, the Rolling Stones's epic Exile On Main Street.

As the album is reissued, 38 years after its 1972 release, Paul speaks to Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts and finds out how, and why, the celebrated band became rock's first tax exiles, and wound up making an album with producer Jimmy Miller in the dingy basement of Keith's villa in the south of France.

Amid chemical indulgence, technical problems and the presence of endless hangers-on, the sessions dragged on for months, before the whole project was transported to Los Angeles for final mixing. What emerged, at last, was what some fans call the greatest album the Rolling Stones ever made.

"There's no flim-flam on this record," observes Richards. "It's a bunch of guys trying to say 'Hey, we're more than just pop stars.'"

The programme features classics from the original album, such as Tumbling Dice, Happy and Rocks Off; plus recently-discovered out-takes; and newly completed tracks like Following The River.

Listeners can also hear Huey Morgan interview Mick Jagger for digital radio station BBC 6 Music by listening again at bbc.co.uk/6music.

Presenter and Producer/Paul Sexton

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

From the Barbican Hall, the London Symphony Orchestra, under Sir Colin Davis, perform contrasting symphonies.

First, Haydn's Symphony No. 97, one of the masterworks he wrote and premièred in London. The second concert, Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 4, the "inextinguishable", is a passionate reflection on the unquenchable will to live.

Between these two symphonies, there's Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 with star pianist Mitsuko Uchida as soloist.

Presenter/Jonathan Swain, Producer/Juan Carlos Jaramillo

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

Neil MacGregor continues his historical account through objects in the British Museum by describing a power struggle in ancient Egypt revealed in the story behind one of the most familiar and controversial objects at the Museum – the Rosetta Stone.

This week, Neil's theme is shifting empires and the rise of legendary rulers around the world over 2,000 years ago and this story features the Egypt of Ptolemy V.

He also tells the story of the Greek kings who ruled in Alexandria, explains the struggle between the British and the French over the Middle East and their squabble over the stone and describes the astonishing contest that led to the most famous decipherment in history – the cracking of the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone.

Historian Dorothy Thompson and writer Ahdaf Soueif help untangle the tale.

Presenter/Neil MacGregor, Producers/Philip Sellars, Paul Kobrak, Anthony Denselow and Jane Lewis

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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MiraclesRUs Ep 1/4

Wednesday 19 May

11.30pm-12.00noon BBC RADIO 4

Actress Anna Massey

Two diverse women run a service together, MiraclesRUs, offering to fulfil whatever domestic task might arise that any hard-pressed modern household might want to delegate.

In the opening episode, Flux, Caroline, played by Deborah Findlay, is running Household Solutions on her own from the student rooms she is renting – just leafleting through doors, offering a family back-up service.

After a chance meeting with Sylvia (Anna Massey), Sylvia is sure she could be helpful to the business; Caroline is sure she couldn't.

Sylvia persists and, against her better judgement, Caroline gets drawn in. And gradually, throughout the series, a mutual respect is formed and a strong business, MiraclesRUs, is built up.

Written by Lesley Bruce, MiarclesRUs stars Anna Massey and Deborah Findlay.

Producer/Katie Tyrrell

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Heresy Ep 1/6

Wednesday 19 May

6.30-7.00pm BBC RADIO 4

Victoria Coren returns as host of the show which dares to commit heresy.

Victoria and guests Rufus Hound, Grayson Perry and Julia Hartley-Brewer challenge received opinion, expose the wrong-headedness of received wisdom and kick back at knee-jerk reactions.

Each week a panel of three writers, comedians, broadcasters and artists combine with Victoria to demonstrate that some of the most deeply held beliefs are all plain wrong. It's a rich mix of thoughtful discussion and irreverent humour.

Guests in the first programme in the series are comedian and Sport Relief Let's Dance champion Rufus Hound; the artist best known for his ceramic vases and habit of cross-dressing, Grayson Perry; and newspaper columnist and political journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer.

They will be challenging, among other things, the received wisdom that an artist who doesn't make his own work is a fraud and that women look better in men's clothes than men do in women's.

Presenter/Victoria Coren, Producer/Brian King

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

5 Live Sport

Wednesday 19 May

7.00-10.30pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Mark Chapman presents all the day's sports news and, from 7.45pm, live coverage of the second leg of the first League Two play-off semi-final.

Presenter/Mark Chapman

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

It's the middle of the week which can only mean another new favourite band in the studio chatting with Steve Lamacq.

Steve is also joined by Los Angeles based four-piece Warpaint who are mid-way through their UK tour.

Presenter/Steve Lamacq, Producer/Paul Sheehan

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Marc Riley is joined for a live studio session this evening by nu-folk singer Johnny Flynn.

It's been nearly two years since the folk sounds of Johnny Flynn last graced Marc's studio. Since then he's been busy touring, both solo and with his band the Sussex Wit.

He's also found time to record a new album, Been Listening, which is out in June. The multi-talented Flynn not only plays guitar, mandolin, violin, organ, accordion and trumpet, but has also acted with Propeller theatre company.

From a family of actors, Johnny received his musical education at Bedales school which also produced Lily Allen, Patrick Wolf and Luke Pritchard of the Kooks. Fact fans will also be interested to know that he's also the step brother of actor Jerome Flynn of Robson And Jerome fame.

Presenter/Marc Riley, Producer/Michelle Choudhry

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Everything But The Girl's Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn join Gideon Coe for an hour of chat and tunes.

Tracey's new album Love And Its Opposite is due for release on Ben's label on 17 May.

Presenter/Gideon Coe, Producer/Mark Sheldon

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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The Live Hour features Bruce Springsteen recorded in 1992 playing live at Thrill Hill. There are also sessions from the Aloof from 1997 and Pussycat Trash from 1993.

Presenter/Chris Hawkins, Producer/Claire Slevin

BBC 6 Music Publicity