Thursday, May 14, 2020

Classic FM draws 196,000 new listeners ...

... who flock to classical music for reassurance and comfort

Classic FM offers uplifting music, presented by the likes of Charlotte Hawkins. Picture: Classic FM

New audience figures show that more and more people are turning to the World’s Greatest Music for comfort, relaxation and reassurance in uncertain times.

Classic FM has welcomed a huge 196,000 new listeners over the last year, according to new figures released by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research).

The survey, which covered the first three months of 2020, coincided with the first stages of lockdown and self-quarantining due to the coronavirus epidemic. The figures suggest that millions turned to classical music as a means of finding solace, reassurance and relaxation in a highly uncertain time.

The research also shows they spent more time with us than ever before – listening for a combined 2.6 million hours longer, as people turned to programmes of uplifting music presented by the likes of Bill Turnbull, John Suchet and Charlotte Hawkins.

The popularity has crossed the generations too. Classic FM has seen a surge in younger listeners, with Under 25s now numbering 497,000 – up 100,000 compared to the same time last year.

Bill Turnbull, who presents Saturday mornings, has the biggest single programme on Classic FM. Picture: Classic FM

The station’s impressive numbers are driven by growth across the schedule. On a Saturday morning, with a total reach of 1.2 million – up 126,000 listeners on the year – Bill Turnbull has the biggest single programme on Classic FM.

Classic FM’s More Music Breakfast, presented by Tim Lihoreau, is up by 90,000 listeners on the year, as Tim now wakes up 1.9 million people every week with fantastic music and friendly company.

Alexander Armstrong on a Sunday adds 100,000 listeners to his programme – now up to 687,000. Alan Titchmarsh reaches over a million listeners again, with further impressive increases for broadcasters Charlotte Hawkins and John Humphrys, whose Sunday afternoon programmes now reach 407,000 and 612,000 respectively.

On weekdays, both John Suchet and Anne-Marie Minhall have added listeners, with yearly increases of 98,000 and 128,000 respectively. Elsewhere on Saturdays, Moira Stuart’s Hall of Fame Concert, Beethoven: The Man Revealed presented by John Suchet, and Smooth Classics with Myleene Klass, have all seen brilliant yearly increases.

Health authorities say choir practice ...

... caused the ‘superspread’ of 52 coronavirus cases

By ClassicFM London

By Helena Asprou, ClassicFM London

The infamous choir rehearsal, held two weeks before Washington State’s lockdown, infected 52 singers with coronavirus and resulted in two deaths.

A choir practice that infected 52 singers with coronavirus and resulted in two deaths is now being described by US health authorities as a “superspreader” of the virus.

The outbreak, first reported in the LA Times in March, occurred during a two-and-a-half-hour rehearsal at a church near Seattle.

Now a new study, led by staff at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, confirms the practice was attended by 61 members of Washington State’s Skagit Valley Choral, including a symptomatic patient, 32 confirmed cases and 20 probable secondary COVID-19 cases. Of those members, three were hospitalised.

The study suggests the outbreak was ‘likely facilitated by close proximity (within 6 feet) during practice and augmented by the act of singing’.

Click here to view the NHS’s latest coronavirus advice >

Study warns ‘superspread’ of 52 coronavirus cases in US town caused by choir rehearsal. Picture: CDC

At the rehearsal, choir members had no physical contact but sat close together. The study says a fine mist of virus particles, emitted through singing, might have contributed to the outbreak.

It also transpires that one singer felt unwell at the time of the practice, but was unaware they had the virus.

Although the choir members said they had no physical contact, some snacked on cookies and oranges towards the back of the church during the 15-minute break and others arrived early to help set up chairs – which were arranged in six rows of 20 chairs each, spaced 6-10 inches apart.

The singers who fell ill with COVID-19 – who were mostly women, with an average age of 69 – reported flu-like symptoms from one to 12 days after the rehearsal.

Self-isolating choir members sing new psalm ‘in time of coronavirus’

To control the spread of COVID-19, the scientists have concluded that “superspreader” events such as choir and orchestra rehearsals are best avoided in the current climate, saying in the case of this rehearsal: “choir practice attendees had multiple opportunities for droplet transmission from close contact”.

If music groups must get together, scientists advise “physical distancing” and “wearing cloth face coverings”.

They also suggest bringing awareness to music groups, to discourage symptomatic patients from attending rehearsals and potentially infecting other singers and musicians. And where social distancing and wearing masks is not possible, singers are being advised to “wash hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, and frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.”