Christmas Carol Service
As Christmas Eve turns to Christmas Day, HRB takes you to the Milborne Chapel in Northumberland to join Dave Nicholson for a carol service recorded especially for hospital radio listeners.
The A to Z of Your Traditional Christmas
Christmas Day 7am
An hour of more traditional Christmas music to celebrate the start of Christmas Day.
Christmas Morning Live
Christmas Day 10am
Sarah Beattie is your host for an hour of Christmas Morning requests including 2 Sainsbury’s prize draws.
Neil Ogden’s Sound of Sunday Sainsbury’s Winners Special
Christmas Day 11am
Every week, someone wins a goody bag donated by Sainsbury’s at Liphook having been entered into a prize draw just for having a request at the weekend. The winner is normally given their prize on the air and this show will repeat some of those prize deliveries from the last few months. There will also be the Tadley Band recorded live at the Tadley Christmas Lights switch-on and the cast from the Anvil Christmas Panto.
Vernon Pearce’s Christmas Postcard from Spain
Christmas Day 1.30pm
A taste of sunshine as Vernon brings you Christmas in sunny Spain including some Spanish Christmassy music.
Postcard From New Zealand
Christmas Day 2.30pm
Andy McCormick is here on Christmas Eve to give listeners a taste of Christmas down under where the temperature is about 25 degrees and shorts on Christmas Day are normal!
The Queen
Christmas Day 3pm
It wouldn't be Christmas without Her Majesty's message to the Commonwealth on Christmas Day at 3pm.
Alton College Jazz Band Live
Boxing Day 10am
Recorded at Alton’s Classic Car Show in 2014, Paul Le Feuvre introduces a special performance from this local band.
The Sound of Sunday Goes to Guernsey
Boxing Day 10.30am
Neil Ogden took The Sound of Sunday to Guernsey in May 2016. This is another chance to hear that show which was recorded in and around the Peninsula Hotel and St Peter Port.
Boxing Day Music on Demand
Boxing Day 12 – 2pm
John McCay keeps you entertained on Boxing Day lunchtime with more requests and Christmas features plus the Boxing Day sport.
Dream Lover, Mack the Knife and Things – The Bobby Darin Story
Boxing Day 8pm
Iain Smith presents the programme which won gold in the 2005 HBA awards, Specialised Music category – a documentary on the life and career of singer Bobby Darin.
We are Not the BBC
Tuesday 27 December 2016 9am
A light-hearted look at the radio drama production process as seen by the members of an amateur dramatics society in a sleepy suburb of Swansea.
It can’t be difficult to make your own play for radio can’t it? And with a LAMDA-trained professional actor at the helm, surely nothing could go wrong? After their attempt at Mike Leigh-inspired improvisation doesn’t exactly produce satisfactory results, things start to look up when a visiting celebrity agrees to step in and play the lead role.
Starring : Adam Hall, Susan Casanove, Andrew Macbean, Nick Lucas, Katharine Waugh, Ceri Gifford and Christopher Timothy.
Queen – We Will Rock You
Tuesday 27 December 12pm
It’s hard to believe that its now 25 years since the passing of vocalist Freddie Mercury, but in the past two decades the music of Queen has remained very much alive, and remains as fresh as it did decades ago.
In this two hour special, original members Roger Taylor and Brian May talk about the making of some of their biggest hits including Radio Gaga, We Are The Champions, I Want To Break Free, Somebody To Love, Don't Stop Me Now and of course the blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody.
Brian May also talks about the formation of the band, his first meeting with Freddie and the how the band's sound evolved over the years.
Packed with lots of great music and some great stories, this is the perfect 2 hour tribute to one of Britain's finest rock bands.
Top 40 Most Requested of 2016
Tuesday 27 December 3pm
Neil Ogden counts down the chart that is compiled from requests collected over the last 12 months. There are almost 4000 requests that will make up this chart and a prize is on offer to anyone who correctly guesses the number one, which will be revealed just before 6.
The Story of Disco
Tuesday 27 December – Friday 30 December 10pm
Keith Graham tells the story of disco music in 4 parts.
The Alton Herald Classic Car Show 2016
Wednesday 28 December 2016 3pm
Another of Alton’s big annual events. Neil Ogden along with Paul Le Feuvre talk to some of the many owners who bring their cars along and there’s live music too.
The Happy Hour Beatles Bonanza
Wednesday 28 December 6pm
Jim Stevens play the favourite Beatles songs of 15 British and American celebrities and explains why they chose them. The show finishes with a run-down of the Top 10 songs chosen by listeners.
Matt’s Kind of Music
Wednesday 28 December 4pm
A hospital radio special in which Matt’s daughter Michelle remembers the music of her father.
We Are The BBC
Thursday 29 December 2016 9am
We Are The BBC is the sequel to We Are Not The BBC
Rob Sterling Davies is on the crest of a wave: a celebrated scriptwriter, actor, TV personality, the new doyen of Just a Minute, and apparently, Stephen Fry’s new best friend. But all isn’t quite as it seems, and when Stephen discovers that Rob’s BAFTA-winning script was stolen, he undertakes to expose Rob for the fraud he is.
We Are The BBC is the follow-up to We Are Not The BBC, and features Nicholas Parsons and Stephen Fry as themselves.
Starring: Adam Hall, Susan Casanove, Simon Stanhope, Andrew Macbean, Nick Lucas, Ann Theato, Alison Mead, Claire Wyatt, Cheska Moon, Katharine Waugh and Silas Hawkins with Nicholas Parsons and Stephen Fry.
Turn it On Again – The Genesis Story
Thursday 29 December 3pm & 5pm
Genesis are one of the most successful rock acts of recent times, this remarkable two part documentary explores the characters and the pulsating music that came from this most English of groups. Featuring interviews with members Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks revealing life inside the ranks also features comments from Daryl Stuermer, Ray Wilson and Chester Thompson.
The programme explores the groups early years (1966 to 1975) hearing about their progressive rock triumphs pioneering stage theatrics and atmospheric music on the albums 'Foxtrot and 'Selling England By The Pound'. The programme hears lead singer Peter Gabriel explaining his departure after the release of the concept album 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The programme culminates with band returning to the studio as a quartet and the release of their Trick of the Tail' a surprisingly up beat album which confounded critics and confirmed Genesis's long term future.
Later, we continue to hear how Genesis recorded their multi platinum selling albums, 'Duke', 'Abacab' and 'Invisible Touch' growing into one of the great stadium rock bands of the 90's. The band's comment about Phil Collins all conquering solo career and its impact inside the ranks. We hear about Collins departure and the recruitment of Stilskin front man Ray. Part two culminates with how Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford reformed for their European and American tour of 2007.
The 1000th Sound of Sunday from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with Neil Ogden
Thursday 29 December 6pm
This show was originally broadcast live from the home of London 2012 in March 2016, visiting all the main venues such as the VeloPark, the Aquatic Centre and the Orbit.
Mary Tamm: The Original Doctor Who Girl
Friday 30 December 9am
Mary Tamm was perhaps mostly known for her role as Romana in Dr. Who, but she had had a long and varied career in TV, film and theatre.
Fellow actress and friend Jenny Runacre speaks here with Mary about her work in this touching and funny interview – one of the last she did before sadly passing away in 2012.
In Conversation: Nicholas Parsons
Wednesday 30 December 9.30am
Nicholas Parsons (OBE) began his theatrical career as a Carroll Levis Discovery doing impressions and working in small repertory theatres in Glasgow, whilst serving an engineering apprenticeship on Clydebank.
He became very successful in cabaret in the Fifties and was a resident comedian at The Windmill Theatre in 1952. He worked a lot in West End revues, was part of BBC Drama Repertory Company, and in 1956 teamed up with Arthur Haynes, forming a successful comedy partnership that ran for ten years on ITV and included a season at the London Palladium in 1963.
Nicholas appeared in many British comedy films in the Fifties and Sixties but returned to the West End stage in 1967 to star in Boeing-Boeing. He later starred in Say Who You Are and Uproar In The House.
More recently, he has appeared in the big West End musicals Charlie Girl, Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods and The Rocky Horror Show. He has presented three different one-man shows at the Edinburgh Festival and the latest, The Nicholas Parsons Happy Hour, played to great acclaim on the Fringe for two years. His successes on the small screen include regular appearances on The Benny Hill Show, hosting The All New Alphabet Game on LWT, Laughlines and, for a record 14 years, The Sale Of The Century on ITV.
Parsons has been the host of the BBC Radio 4 panel game Just A Minute since its first broadcast on the 22nd December 1967. His autobiography, The Straight Man – My Life In Comedy, was published in 1994.
In this interview, he talks about his time on Dr. Who, The Rocky Horror Show and some very witty and inspiring advice to anyone wishing to get into showbiz!
G Floor Jukebox: The Nutcracker
Friday 30 December 3pm
A Storynory production of the classic story with music by Tchaikovsky from his famous ballet.
Clara and Fritz have a very special godfather who makes inventions out of clockwork (or perhaps they are magical) and his Christmas presents are always amazing and wonderful. This year he gives them something rather small and simple – a nutcracker-doll in the form of a soldier. It’s rather ugly, and soon it is broken, but Clara loves it all the same. And then it comes to life and proves himself to be a true hero.
The original book in German, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” was by ETA Hoffmann, who wrote it in 1816. This is a Storynory adaptation, with music and magic.
The Sound of Sunday: It Started with Swap Shop
Friday 30 December 4.20pm
Another chance to hear this special show that tells the story of shows that changed TV, made for the 40th anniversary of when Saturday Morning Tv started with Swap Shop in October 1976.
The History of Superman
New Year’s Eve 9am
He’s one of the world’s most popular superheroes and has been around since the 1930s. This special documentary tells the story of Superman back from the beginnings of the comic and the radio series up to the big films of the 70s and 80s.
HRB’s Most Requested Ever
New Year’s Eve 11am
This chart is compiled from every request received by HRB since 1984 – more than 96,000. Every time this chart has been counted down in the past Sir Cliff Richard has been number one. Could it that someone else has taken over at the top?
Dame Esther Rantzen In Conversation with Bob Lowe
New Year’s Day 11am
Esther started Silverline and Bob is an ambassador of that charity. He talks to Esther about Silverline and the other projects she has been involved in and plays some of her favourite music.
Catch a Wave – The Beach Boys Story
Monday 2 January 2017 2pm
Phil Smith's documentary on Brian Wilson's highly successful group from America's west coast, The Beach Boys. Their music is guaranteed to lift the spirits and get toes tapping.
