Weekend Word, BBC Radio Wales ahead of the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation.
The illustration is from a pro-Luther illustration of the alleged corruption of the Roman Catholic church of his day.
Category Archives: Radio
Artistry & Poetry on the Jamie Owen Show
I first worked in radio for the BBC in Wales in 1981. I’m still learning. On the 2nd July 2017 on the Jamie Owen Show I learned: always have your opening prepared, no matter how informal the programme. The right blend of spontaneity and clarity flows more easily after that.
This show mixes recorded music, live performance, two guest commentators and two interviewees. The brief is weird and wonderful angles on the week’s news so, along with fellow commentator, comedian, Frank Honeybone, I enjoyed sharing some ‘couldn’t-make-it-up’ stories with listeners.
Meaning and the Media – the Sandford St Martin Awards 2017
Contestable Funding for PSB genres – good for Wales?
A pot of £60 million to boost production in under-served genres of Public Service Broadcasting on TV and Radio sounds like good news but the DCMS consultation document gives cause for concern to the Nations and Regions.
Nowhere in the document is there evidence of an adequate understanding of the position of PSB output in Wales. Continue reading Contestable Funding for PSB genres – good for Wales?
Fear and Faith – Radio Wales
I was a guest on ‘All Things Considered’, going out on BBC Radio Wales on Sunday 13th March at 9am here. The topic was Fear. Also in the discussion were Dr Richard Hain, a specialist in Paediatric Palliative Care; Shereen Williams, Director of the Henna Foundation and the Jesuit, Fr Roger Donovan, Director of St Beuno’s Ignatian Spirituality Centre. Continue reading Fear and Faith – Radio Wales
Gen Verde – On the Other Side
All Things Considered Radio Wales – Gen Verde On the Other Side
Roy Jenkins interviews the members of the Gen Verde performance group who spent a week with pupils from two secondary schools in Torfaen preparing them for a concert at the Newport Centre on 12th November. Impressive contributions to the programme from the young people about this experience of seeing life from someone else’s point of view. It was a privilege to help organise this fantastic project.
Radio 4: Prayer for the Day
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Angela Graham
July 25th, 27th -31st
Defence against Terrorism
Podcast: All Things Considered: How To Defend Against Terrorism
BBC Radio Wales 5th July & 9th July; iplayer till 3rd August
With the tenth anniversary of the London bombings being marked this week, the man who ran the Metropolitan police at the time made a stark admission. Lord Blair said he did not believe the west would be able to defeat such extremism in his lifetime.
Meanwhile the defence secretary seeks parliamentary authority to extend to bombing of ISIS targets to Syria, the prime minister speaks of ‘the struggle of our generation’ and the families of 30 British tourists mourn after the massacre on a beach in Tunisia.
What’s at the root of these atrocities? To what extent is this a religious crisis? And what can be done to prevent such things happening again? Continue reading Defence against Terrorism
All Things Considered: Annual Film Review
BBC Radio Wales Sunday 7th December
Unanimous praise for Calvary but disagreement over whether religion has ‘moved to the periphery of Irish life’
Fun being among the reviewers but I found myself at odds with them on this point.
Far from religion being on the side-lines, this film presents it as being so close to Irish hearts that its betrayal by clerical abuse of children results in a seething anger against clerics and the Catholic Church. Religion has failed but faith, in this film, is precious.
My favourite film, Bresson’s ‘Diary of a Country Priest’ is the model here. In both films a good priest is surrounded by embittered, suffering parishioners who taunt and confront him with the monstrosity and absurdity of suffering. There is plenty of jeopardy of the usual who-dunnit type but even more hangs on the risk that the priest will compromise his principles from sheer fellow-feeling.
A key role is that of the newly bereaved French wife whose clear-eyed acceptance of enormous loss proves a touchstone. Integrity, the coherence between what a person believes and what he or she does, is a major theme.
A great cast. Brendan Gleeson and his son, Domhnall are powerful in one of the many one-to-one encounters.
Why do we get angry at suffering as though it is something unexpected? That’s a question I feel this film put in front of me.
iPlayer Radio: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04snkt6
Of Mourning and Memory
Listen Online I devised and presented this documentary on First World War Memorials in Wales
Wales Remembers / Cymru’n Cofio
BBC Radio Wales, Sun 9 Nov 2014 10:30
With Contributions from:
- Prof. Jay Winter, Yale University.
- Dr. Lester Mason, University of Wales Trinity St David.
- Prof. David Machin, Orebro University, Sweden.
- Prof. Sir Deian Hopkin, Adviser to First Minister on Commemoration of WW1.
- Michelle Darby, Grangetown Local History Society.
- Chris Parry, Communities Officer, Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery.