Clare Teal: New venue and new radio show full of the big band sound

Great news for music and arts lovers! A wonderful new venue has opened in the fair town of Doncaster named Cast. We took our big band up there on Saturday and I am thrilled to report that not only was the event very well attended, there was a lovely buzz amongst the audience who were all happy to be enjoying good music in beautiful shiny surroundings – although I have it on good authority that seat 11 in the front row is surprisingly uncomfortable.

This is brilliant news for Yorkshire, so if you’re in the area have a look, the programme looks exciting.

Other big news in our world, this Sunday will see the launch of my new Radio 2 show. The theme is still very much the joyous world of big band old and new, with sessions and archive from the BBC Big Band plus lots of new features and the odd special guest, though I’m hoping they won’t all be odd.

So how do I seamlessly jump from a one-hour pre-recorded scripted radio show to a two- hour live unscripted radio show? Fortunately I have a marvellous team to help me, headed up by Barrowlands Boyd who many will remember as Terry Wogan’s producer on the breakfast show, ably assisted by one of my regular producers, Cali.

Practices have gone well on the whole. “Now Clare, all you have to do is push the fader up to open your microphone when you first open your mouth and push the fader down to close the microphone when you finish speaking – you’ll be fine, it’s just like driving.” Clearly neither of the producers has ever seen me drive.

I listened back to the very first hour, and a few seconds after every link you can hear the studio manager kindly, and always politely say, “…and close the mic.”

If I want to talk to the people in the glass box while the records are playing I have a small square talk back button. I am not to confuse my microphone fader with the talk back button. I must remember that if I do confuse my microphone fader with the talk back button the nation will hear what I’m saying: “Cali – are there any more Hobnobs left or are we down to fig rolls again?”

Is the world ready for this?

Find out this Sunday, 9pm on BBC Radio 2.