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hope to be moving to the charente maritime full-time early in the new year.  does anyone know which is the best way of getting radio 3 there?  my husband gets withdrawal symptoms once we get south of, say, nantes.  he enjoys the french classical music channel but, still, i suppose radio 3 on a saturday morning is unique
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[quote user="Bugbear"]

Bring a Sky box with you and you can receive all radio channels via your satellite.

Don't tell Sky, because they will cut you off.

[/quote]

No they won't because 'they' have no control over the BBC programmes. Radio 3 (indeed all the radio channels) are free-to-air, and can be picked up on any old digial satellite box you can buy in any old French Brico.

p

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[quote user="Gyn_Paul"]

No they won't because 'they' have no control over the BBC programmes. Radio 3 (indeed all the radio channels) are free-to-air, and can be picked up on any old digial satellite box you can buy in any old French Brico.



[/quote]

Sorry I didn't make myself clear....................if you have a purchased Free to Air Card or a Sky Contract Card and use it anywhere other than the UK. Sky can, if they find out, turn off the card. Is that OK...GP...................[:P]

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thanks for your replies.  will definitely get hold of a digital satellite box.  not a birtwhistle fan but do like SOME modern music.  i surprised myself by loving massaen (spelling?) the first time i heard him!  husband will be one very happy man.
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[quote user="sweet 17"]thanks for your replies.  will definitely get hold of a digital satellite box.  not a birtwhistle fan but do like SOME modern music.  i surprised myself by loving massaen (spelling?) the first time i heard him!  husband will be one very happy man.[/quote]

Olivier Messiaen (IPA: [mɛsjɑ̃]; December 10, 1908April 27, 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 11, and numbered Paul Dukas, Maurice Emmanuel, Charles-Marie Widor and Marcel Dupré among his teachers. He was appointed organist at the church of La Trinité in Paris in 1931, a post he held until his death. On the fall of France in 1940 Messiaen was made a prisoner of war, and while incarcerated he composed his Quatuor pour la fin du temps ("Quartet for the end of time") for the four available instruments, piano, violin, cello, and clarinet.

The piece was first performed by Messiaen and fellow prisoners to an

audience of inmates and prison guards. Messiaen was appointed professor

of harmony soon after his release in 1941, and professor of composition in 1966 at the Paris Conservatoire, positions he held until his retirement in 1978. His many distinguished pupils included Pierre Boulez, Yvonne Loriod (who later became Messiaen's second wife), Karlheinz Stockhausen, Iannis Xenakis, William Bolcom, and George Benjamin.

Messiaen's music is rhythmically complex (he was interested in rhythms from ancient Greek and from Hindu sources), and is harmonically and melodically based on modes of limited transposition,

which were Messiaen's own innovation. Many of his compositions depict

what he termed "the marvellous aspects of the faith", drawing on his

unshakeable Roman Catholicism. He travelled widely, and he wrote works inspired by such diverse influences as Japanese music, the landscape of Bryce Canyon in Utah, and the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Messiaen experienced a mild form of synaesthesia manifested as a perception of colours when he heard certain harmonies. For a short period Messiaen experimented with "total serialism", in which field he is often cited as an innovator. His style absorbed many exotic musical influences such as Indonesian gamelan (tuned percussion often features prominently in his orchestral works), and he also championed the ondes Martenot.

I page-turned for the music master at school when he was practicing a Messian organ piece. (insert joke here)  phew! I thought I could read the dots well enough to turn pages but boy does that stuff fly !

It's like trying to read a page of retreating stag beetles !

Happy listening

p

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We now use a WiFi radio using ADSL via a router. The advantage over the satellite system is that one person can listen to the radio whilst others watch television. We use it mainly for Radio 3 and 4 but over 300 UK stations are available including the commercial ones such as Jazz FM.

ian

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[quote user="Ian 56"]

We now use a WiFi radio using ADSL via a

router. The advantage over the satellite system is that one person can

listen to the radio whilst others watch television. We use it mainly

for Radio 3 and 4 but over 300 UK stations are available including the

commercial ones such as Jazz FM.

ian

[/quote]

And you don't have to strap a dish to your chimney. Or pay someone else to do it.

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ian and jon

thanks for the tip.  will get all sorted because this will greatly increase our enjoyment of being in france.

 glyn_paul

thank you for the info on messiaen.  i was first introduced to his music at a bbc prom concert and i was COMPLETELY blown away by it.  after that, i knew i had to be a little more adventurous in my listening.

 

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[quote user="Ian 56"]

We failed to get our Wifi Radio to connect with a France Telecom Livebox. It works perfectly with a Belkin modem router.

ian

[/quote]

Ian, I've yet to meet anyone who has had total success with a Livebox, most seem to be a dismal failure and I'm told that their after sales helpline is not good.

Go the independant Moden / Router route, absolutely.

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ian

have taken on board what you said about a belkin modem router (will find one, whatever it is).  i'm a bit of a technophobe really; i hasten to say NOT because i don't like technology, it's more a case of technology not liking me.

ian, what is the sound quality like?  it's not reliant on the rubbishy speakers on my computer, is it?

regards

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We have an Acoustic Energy Wifi Radio which is mono but the sound quality is very good. Acoustic Energy are loudspeaker manufacturers first and foremost. I believe that a lot of the radio feeds via ADSL are mono anyway. AE seem to be first in the field although I believe other manufacturers are now producing sets. If you want more details send me a PM.

ian

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