Just in: BBC Radio 3 retires key presenter - Slippedisc (2024)

lucas says:

Sean Flattery, as he is affectionately known, will be much missed. His passion for music is genuine.

On several occasions I had the pleasure of sitting next to him at the opera, not just at ROH it should be said, doing his research seeing the show so he could talk from experience about it the next day on In Tune.

Petroc is an old ham with a puffed up ego of his own self-impotance, whilst Katie D reads an autocue ably enough, I suppose.

A further nail in Aunty Beeb’s already over-nailed coffin.

henry williams says:

so he should retire at 76.
abroad you retire at 65.
the new generation need to
have work. not people that
who have worked over 50 years.

Malcolm James says:

Your headline suggests that he was eased out, rather than it being his own decision. Do you have any evidence for this? At 76, it may well be his own choice. We know nothing about his health and/or family circ*mstances (nor should we), but these might well be behind the decision.

Baroness Millhaven says:

More absolutely terrible news. R3 is going to the dogs even more quickly than I thought. Constant brass band music, even more creep from film and TV music and the departure to InTune of Petroc Trelawney is going to alienate the breakfast audience.

Alastair Miles says:

Why don’t they get someone new outside of Radio 3? I’m free…

Mark says:

That’s me off to R4 of a morning, then.

Skylark says:

Pity they retired the wrong half of the In Tune team.

Donald Hansen says:

This may be considered an off-topic comment but I am a little perplexed at all the negative feelings about Radio 3. I am a regular listener to Radio 3 in Concert broadcasts at 7:30PM. A recent one, recorded on the 24th of May at the Barbican with the BBC Symphony, Chorus and two outstanding soloists conducted by Sakari Oramo, featured VW’s A Sea Symphony. This work has always been a favorite of mine. I have of course the two Boult recordings and others, but Oramo’s performance and the recorded sound is so outstanding that each time I listen to it I get tears in my eyes. I hope that someday this performance will be issued on CD. In the meantime you have 17 more days to listen to it on their website. Please do so. You will be glad you did.

Another plus about these broadcasts is the excellent commentary.

Miv Tucker says:

I think that many will be dry-eyed at the news.

Jane H says:

A seriously tragic loss. Sean on In Tune has always been a regular Rad 3 highlight for me. I will really miss him and his unique style and approach

Marion Berghahn says:

I am sad to hear this. I always loved his voice and relaxed style. Great pity.

John Humphreys says:

Did an ‘In Tune’ with him once…wonderful (and knowledgeable) company.

Jack Liebeck says:

As a regular visitor to the In Tune studio I have to say that Sean is a legend and we will miss having a lovely chat and playing for such a friend, live on air.

Philip says:

Many years ago Sean Rafferty welcomed Nikolai Demidenko as a guest on his show. Demidenko played a sonata by Scarlatti, at which point he asked the Russian pianist if he had ever considered changing his name and suggested “Nikolai Domenico Demidenko” as an option. Demidenko wasn’t amused and informed Mr Rafferty that he was quite happy with his name and didn’t want to change it.

Brad Mitchell says:

Have to be honest and say that more often than not I switch off In Tune these days. I am fully aware that Mr R has many fans; I am not one. When we have had other, stand-in presenters they have all been better interviewer. So I look forward hugely to Petroc taking this on.

James says:

I’m very sorry to hear that he is leaving.As well as his great musical knowledge he hasa very endearing speaking voice unlike the awful Tom McKinney.