Christmas Crackers, Requests, special guests and the return of The BIG Broadcast are all part of HRB’s line-up for Christmas and New Year 2021.
The schedule starts on December 12th with fast moving festive fun in Neil Ogden’s Sound of Sunday Big Christmas Show featuring the first of two Christmas Cracker Dashes with local care homes.
There will be live request shows throughout the holiday period, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, making sure that HRB continues to play the music our listeners want to hear.
As well as request shows, there are plenty of other programmes of interest.
The stars come out for a special concert to celebrate the work of MacMillan’s Cancer Support in the 25th anniversary Follow the Stars concert.
And there’s another chance to hear our Queen special plus a brand new special celebrating the music and life of George Michael 5 years after he died on Christmas Day 2016.
Richard Smith plays plenty of Christmas music from each decade from the 60s onwards in special editions of The A to Z of Pop and returns with his team on 31 December for the annual BIG Broadcast.
There’s special festive editions of many of our regular shows such as Vinyl Impressions, After Hours, The Sound of Country and The Retro Radio Show.
Andy McCormick presents his annual Christmas Day Postcard from New Zealand and Vernon Pearce presents his festive Postcard From Spain.
Neil Ogden will count down the most requested artists of 2021.
Here are more highlights of the 3 weeks of festive holiday shows:
Music On Demand
Throughout Christmas
We have request shows (Music on Demand) throughout Christmas. Patients can call free from their bedside phones, staff can call extension 4 3 5 2 1 and requests can also be made via the HRB website at www.hrbasingstoke.co.uk
Mike Read In Conversation
Sunday 12 December 12.30pm
Radio and TV presenter has recorded a brand new rendition of the classic Christmas poem ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas with brand new music. He talks to producer Elliot Frisby about the project, Christmas songs and Christmas in general.
The Sound Of Sunday Big Christmas Show
Sunday 12 December 1pm
The show that traditionally kick starts Christmas on HRB with special guests, competitions and crackers. This year there are two Great Christmas Cracker Dashes with the staff and residents of Cherry Blossom Manor care home in Bramley and Ashcombe House care home in Basingstoke, which will be on 19th December.
Vinyl Impressions Christmas Specials
Throughout Christmas
Martyn Brown presents a selection of Christmas music all on vinyl.
Richard Smith’s A to Z of Pop for Christmas
Throughout Christmas
Christmas songs galore with a show for each decade from the 60s plus a Motown Christmas special.
Looking Back with Terry Firth
A look back at the local and national news stories and the music from December and Christmas from the past.
December 1986 British Gas Privatised Sunday 12 December 9pm
Christmas 1962 Wednesday 15 December 7pm
Christmas 1993 Thursday 16 December 7pm
Christmas 1941 Sunday 19 December 9pm
Christmas 1984 Wednesday 22 December 7pm
Christmas 1961 Sunday 26 December 9pm
Folk At Christmas
Sunday 19 December 4pm
Terry Firth plays a hour of festive folk music both old and new.
Matt Monro’s Christmas Box
Thursday 23 December 6pm
Matt Monro’s daughter Michele presents this special show produced especially for hospital radio, which contains some of Matt’s favourite festive songs.
Follow the Stars Concert for MacMillan’s Cancer Support 2021
Thursday 23 December 6pm
A stellar cast of celebrities give support to a much-loved Christmas Celebration concert to raise greatly needed funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. This year those taking part include Mary Berry, Toby Jones, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Aimee Lou Wood and more.
The A to Z of Your Traditional Christmas
Christmas Day 6am
An hour of more traditional Christmas music to celebrate the start of Christmas Day.
Music on Demand Live for Christmas Day
Christmas Day 8.30am – 12pm
Dave Sanger and Dave Leonard are your hosts for Christmas morning requests.
A Chapel Royal Christmas Celebration
Christmas Day 12pm & 10pm
In the spirit of Christmas, the Chapel Royal Choir, St. James’s Palace, presents a service of words and music exclusively for NHS hospital staff and patients within the HBA network. Featuring well-loved carols, hymns and readings to lift the spirits and heal the soul, the service is a musical offering of gratitude, hope and joy.
Postcard From New Zealand
Christmas Day 12.30pm
Andy McCormick is here on Christmas Day to give listeners a taste of Christmas down under where the temperature is about 25 degrees and shorts on Christmas Day are normal!
Vernon Pearce’s Christmas Postcard from Spain
Christmas Day 2.00pm
A taste of sunshine as Vernon brings you Christmas in sunny Spain including some Spanish Christmassy music.
The Queen
Christmas Day 3pm
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Her Majesty’s message to the Commonwealth on Christmas Day at 3pm.
Picture Postcard – The Real Spain
Boxing Day 10am & New Years Day 3pm
Vernon Pearce presents short stories told by the writers of visits to Spanish towns and places of interest and other colourful stories of Spanish life.
Chesney at Christmas
Boxing Day 11am
90s singer Chesney Hawkes returns to HRB for Christmas.
Chesney Hawkes is one of the icons of the early 1990s. Singer, songwriter, actor and now hospital radio presenter!
With grateful thanks to everyone at Hawkes Productions, he’s taken time out of his busy schedule to record a very special Christmas-themed programme from his studio in Los Angeles dedicated to the listeners to hospital radio in the UK and Ireland.
The show features some classic Christmas hits introduced by The One and Only himself.
Music on Demand for Boxing Day
12 – 2pm
John McKay is your host for 2 hours of lunchtime requests.
Neil Ogden’s Sound of Sunday at the Alton Classic Car Show
Boxing Day 2pm
This popular Alton event was back in the High Street on a sunny September day with over a hundred classic (and modern) vehicles on display plus live music and entertainment too.
The Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein – In Concert Special
Boxing Day 7pm
In a concert produced especially for hospital radio, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play some of the music made famous by some of our best known and loved musicals.
Top 40 Most Requested of 2021
Monday 27 December 3pm
Neil Ogden counts down the chart that is compiled from requests collected over the last 12 months. Once again the number of requests we’ve been able to play is much less than normal but the chart will be the usual variety of artists and groups.
George Michael – The Man and His Music
Tuesday 28 December 4pm & Monday 3 January 3pm
It’s exactly 5 years since George Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016. This special documentary presented by Terry Hughes tells his story and plays his music.
Broadway Melody with Michele Monro
Tuesday 28 December 10pm
Michele is back playing some of her father’s favourite songs from the musicals of Broadway.
Sound of Country Willie Nelson Special
Wednesday 29 December 7pm
Vernon plays an hour of the music of Willie Nelson and profiles the iconic country music singer.
Call Me Number 1 Top 20 Best Selling Singles of All Time
Wednesday 29 December 10pm
Richard Smith counts down the singles that have sold the most
The BIG Broadcast 2021
New Year’s Eve 6pm
The biggest hospital radio party of the year brings you entertainment and music with Richard Smith and his team live on over 40 hospital radio stations in the UK and Ireland. There’ll be live music in the Live Lounge, the infamous Big Broadcast Panto, and requests from hospitals around the country. The show will be on air for 48 hours this year and we’ll be dipping in and out of it all weekend.
Power Anthems at the Movies
New Year’s Day 4pm
Paul Baker presents a special edition of the show that plays the biggest power anthems and ballads, this week all the tracks are taken from films.
Led Zeppelin Special
New Year’s Day 7pm
Alan Rowett presents another chance to hear this special programme with the surviving members of the band talking about their music.
Queen – We Will Rock You
Sunday 2 January 1pm
The music of Queen has remained 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 and a great way to spend your Christmas evening.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play Mozart
Sunday 2 January 7pm
A concert produced especially for hospital radio featuring some of the most famous music of Mozart played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Coast to Coast Challenge
Monday 3 January 8pm
Tells the story of my adventure on my recent coast to coast trip, and includes music and healthcare dedications from the TAP platform
