| Genre | Big band music |
|---|---|
| Running time | Sundays, 10:00pm-11:00pm |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Languages | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 2 |
| Starring | Clare Teal |
| Producers | Bob McDowall (Executive producer) Caroline Snook |
| Air dates | since 1995 |
| Audio format | FM and Digital radio and online |
Sunday Night At 10, also known as The Age of Swing,[1][2] is a weekly hour long programme on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom. Aired on Sunday evenings at 10pm, it features big band music from the late 1930s and early 1940s through to the present day. Presented by jazz singer Clare Teal it regularly draws a weekly listening audience of 360,000.[3]
Contents |
The programme begins shortly after the news at 10:00pm has concluded. Clare Teal outlines some of the artists who will be featured on that particular evening. The show often has a theme running through it by which many of the songs played are connected. The details of each song, such as composer, album on which it is available, etc, are given after it has been played and the information is placed on the show's website after Sunday Night at 10 has finished. The show generally ends with the presenter reading out a list of big band concerts which are to be held at venues around the United Kingdom during the coming week, after which the show concludes and hands over for the 11:00pm news. The edition is then available on the BBC website to be listened to again for the following seven days.
The programme began in 1995 and based its format on the long-running Dance Band Days presented by Alan Dell. Following Dell's death Malcolm Laycock began to present the show on Sunday evenings,[4] and for many years it featured a mixture of music from British dance bands of the 20s and 30s and from the big band era.[5] The first half of the show was usually dedicated to the British dance bands of artists such as Jack Hylton and Geraldo, while the second half would feature the music of bandleaders such as Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. In addition, the show would feature interviews with occasional guests from the big band genre and a "Mystery Disc" where a piece of music would be played and listeners would be asked to guess the identity of a mystery artist. It would conclude with Laycock reading out a list of big band concerts taking place around the United Kingdom.
In November 2008 the show's format was altered, switching the focus to mostly big band music,[4] though it continued to close with the concert announcements. The decision to alter the show led to complaints from the programme's traditional listeners who believed Radio 2 was turning its back on its older listeners,[6] something that was echoed by Laycock himself,[2] and who later claimed that he had been ordered to drop the British dance bands part of his show.[2]
In July 2009 Laycock announced his departure from the station.[5] He had been due to take a four week holiday,[3] but instead took the impromptu decision to leave after failing to negotiate a new contract.[7] His announcement took his bosses by surprise.[3] He presented his final edition of Sunday Night At 10 on 26 July 2009.[5] His sudden departure prompted outraged listeners to write to Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan and even their local MPs in an attempt to bring him back.[7] Shennan later said that he had tried to persuade Laycock not to resign, but without success.[6] Laycock went on to claim in a newspaper interview that he had been constructively dismissed by Radio 2. The BBC denied this was the case and said his departure had occurred because they were unable to meet his demand for a 60 percent pay rise.[1]
Clare Teal took over the show from the following Sunday, 2 August. The BBC said that the programme would continue, while Bob Shennan said that it would not be scrapped.[5]
British dance band music made a return to the show from November 2009, albeit not to the same extent as previously. An entire show was also dedicated to the genre in December 2009.[8]