Time for the annual Christmas radio preview. What are you going to listen to this festive season? Here are a few suggestions.
Christmas Eve Pilgrimage for a Pint Radio 4, 4.30pm In which two of Scotland’s finest folk singers, Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart, journey to the Old Forge in Inverie, the most remote pub in mainland Britain on the Knoydart Peninsula. Is 4.30 in the afternoon too early for a drink? It’s Christmas Eve, so why not?
The Christmas Story with Stephen Fry, Classic FM, 6.45pm One of Britain’s national treasures reads from the Gospel of St Luke to accompany Incantation, composer Thomas Hewitt Jones’s new Nativity suite as played by the Scottish Session Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Earis.
Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone, 6 Music, 8pm This festive Freak Zone celebrates the Christmas ghost story. What’s that noise? Probably just the radio. Probably.
Christmas Day A Night at the Musicals, Radio Scotland, midday Ahead of the Scottish premiere of Hamilton next year, Billy Differ kicks off this festive series on popular modern musicals with an examination of the show’s success by talking to, among others, theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh and the show’s creator Lin Manuel-Miranda. On Boxing Day, Differ takes a look at Sunshine on Leith, and there are programmes on Blood Brothers and Phantom of the Opera on Hogmanay and New Year’s Day respectively.
READ MORE: Taylor Swift and Spotify Wrapped taught me so much about myself
The Wombles, Radio 4, 6.15pm Where would Christmas telly and radio be without a dollop of nostalgia? Looking at empty schedules, I hear you say. Indeed. And here’s another spoonful. Richard E Grant reads from Elisabeth Beresford’s classic children’s books to mark the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of The Wombles on the BBC. You’re singing the theme tune even now, aren’t you? “Underground, overground, Wombling free …”
Boxing Day A Single Act, Radio 4, 2.15pm Fresh from sitting in for Iggy Pop on 6 Music on Christmas Eve, Bill Nighy returns to the day job in this new radio drama written by AL Kennedy. Nighy plays an accountant turned podcaster and grandad to a recovering addict (Sebastian Croft). Amelia Bullmore also stars.
December 27 Bob Servant Says Cheerio, Radio 4, 11.30am A last hurrah for Neil Forsyth’s legendary comic creation? This is the first of two programmes (the second airs on January 3) in which Broughty Ferry’s favourite son (or is it least favourite?) looks back on his life as he retires from public life. Brian Cox, Jonathan Watson, Phyllis Logan and Lulu (playing herself) make up the cast as Bob looks back on his time as a romantic fiction writer. Fifty Shades of Broughty Ferry, in other words.
Billy Sloan Meets Pete Townshend, Radio Scotland, 10.30pm The Who’s driving force pops into the studio for this rare interview which once again proves just how impressive Billy Sloan’s contacts book is. The perfect post-Christmas present for the old man in the corner. And if you don’t know who that is, that means it’s probably you.
Hogmanay Stuart Maconie’s Northern Soul Party, 6 Music, 8pm How do you intend to see out the year? There are various radio options. Michelle Visage’s Fabulous New Year Party on Radio 2 will be the populist choice with Madonna, ABBA and S Club 7 on the playlist. Charlie Tee is hosting the Radio 1 party, while David Lloyd steers Boom Radio into 2024. The safest bet might be the special Hogmanay edition of Get It On hosted by Bryan Burnett on Radio Scotland. But if you’re hankering after an early night, call it a day after this Northern Soul Party presented by Stuart Maconie (him again). It knocks off early at 10pm. Which leaves you plenty of time to see in the New Year in bed with a good book.
New Year’s Day New Year’s Day Concert from Vienna, Radio 3, 10.15am The annual concert broadcast live from the Vienna Musikverein. Celebrate the music of Strauss – both father and son – as the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Christian Thielemann, helps waltz us into 2024.
Your Ultimate Madonna Song, Radio 2, 2pm In which the favourite ever Madonna track as chosen by Radio 2 listeners is revealed. We all know the correct answer is Like a Prayer, don’t we?
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here