Sleep Until the Dawn Comes

2017-05-07: Last night (6th May), Jarvis attended a performance of Max Richter's project 'Sleep' at Old Billingsgate Market in London. He aims to give us a flavour of the event, describing the atmosphere, sharing conversations with musicians and audience members, and ending with a drowsy meeting with Max in the morning. Max talks about the challenge of keeping in time with the slow tempo and explains how the ensemble keeps going for eight hours. This is all interspersed with somnolent music and poems, a previous interview with Max, and extracts from the radio play The Dreams. Later, we are roused by clips from International Dawn Chorus Day over on Radio 4, with a poem about the dew, an account of medieval sleep patterns and a star-fade song for the larks. Birthdays: Matt Helders, Anne Dudley (on orchestration) and Michael Rosen (midnight feasting).

Spring Cleaning

2017-04-30: Jarvis decides it's high time for a spring clean. He ventures into an attic untouched for 15 years, sifting through records and books of poems to dust off hidden treasures. He also sorts out mislaid bags of records brought home from work and plays the new music he's discovered. Alongside this, we think about: the Gaelic May Day festival of Beltane; Honesty Day; poetry; and the best music to accompany a tidying spree. Birthdays: Alice B Toklas, Serafina Steer, Tony Harrison and Jane Campion (with dialogue from her Keats biopic Bright Star). 

Marina Abramovic

2016-11-20: During an art-themed weekend across the station, Jarvis chats to performance artist Marina Abramovic. Her work explores the relationship between performer and audience, the limits of the body and the possibilities of the mind. She has just written her memoir, Walk Through Walls, and talks to Jarvis about her tough childhood; discovering art; the compulsion to create; and the discomfort of her most famous piece, The Artist Is Present (2010). She also explains how Asian meditation techniques inform her work and how she has used them to help others. Plus, we hear a recording of a speech by Leonard Cohen, in which he remembers his first steps in playing guitar and songwriting. Jarvis highlights an interesting exhibition in Paris, The Great Animal Orchestra, a celebration of art, science and the music of the natural world. And listeners suggest a song with an arty connection.

Sonic Harvest Festival

2016-10-23: Autumn is upon us, so Jarvis celebrates a 'sonic harvest festival', gathering together new music from the past six months. We revisit some odd facts about the number 23 from 2011, and Jarvis thanks the stranger who treated him to some eggs. He also pays tribute to Desmond Carrington, now retiring from a long broadcasting career. Carrington's The Music Goes Round on BBC Radio 2 strongly influenced the concept of the Sunday Service — Jarvis salutes him and his cat, Golden Paws Sam. Next there's music composed for cats: creator David Teie explains the theory behind it and later listeners submit their feline feedback. And we hear highlights of an interview with Leonard Cohen. He discusses his last album, the pleasure of collaborating with his children, spirituality, songwriting… and hummingbirds. Birthdays: Anita Roddick (considering how to be a happy person).

Chris Packham Sits In

2016-05-29: To tie in with the new series of Springwatch on TV, BBC 6 Music celebrates the spring bank holiday with naturalist Chris Packham. Happily roaming the trails of RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, Chris and wildlife sound recordist Gary Moore discuss birdsong, music and all things vernal.

Richard Hines

2016-02-28: It's the Oscars tonight: we're led onto a 'red carpet of the mind', where we hobnob with stars past and present. Jarvis remarks that his personal Best Film award would go to Kes (dir. Ken Loach, 1969). His guest is Richard Hines, brother of A Kestrel for a Knave author Barry Hines. Richard has written a memoir, No Way But Gentlenesse: A Memoir of How Kes, My Kestrel, Changed My Life. He reveals how his boyhood fascination for falconry inspired the story, shares anecdotes about working as an advisor on the film, and talks eloquently about his love of hawks and his passion for education. On This Day: the final episode of M*A*S*H aired. Birthdays: Harry H Corbett, Brian Jones and Mike Figgis. 

News Time: Jarvis will be away from the Sunday Service for a few months and he will return in October.

States of Mind

2016-02-07: Curator Emily Sargent talks to Jarvis about States of Mind, an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection. It explores issues around consciousness, including identity, perception, synaesthesia, somnambulism and memory disorders. Throughout the show, Jarvis reads from the book which accompanies the exhibition; and the music bed comes from William Basinski's Disintegration Loop series, music archived on magnetic tape which has deteriorated rather beautifully. And listeners suggest music tracks that can alter our own states of mind. On This Day, a film premiered about a puppet who gains consciousness, Disney's Pinocchio. We also hear an extract from Stephen Hawking's recent Reith Lecture. Birthdays: Danny Goffey, Ray Mears (on his fascination with forests), Charles Dickens (Armando Iannucci enthuses about the author), King Curtis, Ashton Kutcher, Emo Philips (on visiting the school psychologist), Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Juliette Gréco and Eddie Izzard. Valete: Maurice White.

Film Music, Bees and the Sea Organ

2016-01-31: Inspired by some graceful Vivaldi on a Bond soundtrack, Jarvis asks listeners for a piece of music that we discovered thanks to a film. He shows us a strange track composed by film director and meditator David Lynch. He also reads out the traits of Aquarius, and shares a hippy record he picked up in Hamburg. On This Day, Scotch Tape was first marketed. As the weather outside is so dreich, we imagine ourselves on a warm, sunny afternoon, surrounded by the buzzing of bees. (Find out more here about BE/One a 'transcendental drone symphony' created by 40,000 bees and 12 musicians.) We're also lulled by the sound of Croatia's Sea Organ, an architectural instrument which plays music using the waves of the sea. Birthdays: Philip Glass, Phil Manzanera, John Lydon, Alan Lomax, Tallulah Bankhead, Lloyd Cole, Norman Mailer and Derek Jarman. 

Taxi for Richard Brautigan - MICHAEL CURRAN

2015-12-06: Jarvis takes us for a ride in a taxi, because this day in 1897, London became the first city to have licensed cabs. We learn some facts about taxis and pit the mighty 'Knowledge' against new-fangled sat-nav. Michael Curran of Tangerine Press talks to Jarvis about a new book of previously unpublished photographs of writer Richard Brautigan. They discuss Brautigan and his career, and Michael explains how he discovered the pictures. Plus, we mark the climate change conference in Paris with some inspirational icy music, and Jarvis remembers his trip to the north pole with Cape Farewell. Birthdays: Nick Park, Dave Brubeck and David Lovering.

DAVID EAGLEMAN

2015-11-08: Jarvis is joined by neuroscientist David Eagleman to talk about his new book The Brain: The Story of You. They discuss how human brains develop, the amazing workings of the unconscious mind, how we perceive memories in slow motion, and the idea of uploading a personality to a computer. David also discusses his role in Max Richter's Sleep project, and talks about sleep and dreams. Birthdays: Bram Stoker, Gordon Ramsay, Nerys Hughes, Alain Delon, Parker Posey, Paul McKenna, Hermann Rorschach, Rickie Lee Jones and Ken Dodd.

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Mercy Mercy Me

2015-10-18: The Sisters of Mercy are playing tonight at the Roundhouse in Camden. Jarvis asks: can listeners suggest other bands named after songs, books or films? On This Day in 1922, the BBC was founded; and in 1954, the first transistor radio went on the market, transforming how people could engage with music. We hear the entire Mt Vernon and Fairway EP by The Beach Boys, a spoken word short story about a magic radio. And today is International Necktie Day. Birthdays include Martina Navratilova, Klaus Kinski, Chuck Berry, Jean-Claude Van Damme (talking about environmentalism), Anita O'Day and Rick Moody.

A Menagerie of Sound

2015-06-14: Jarvis reveals the results of the vote for Britain's favourite bird, and there's also some chat about pets and a song about going to the zoo. On This Day, the European Space Agency was formed — following the Yuri's Night show, the organisation contacted JCSS with some exciting news about a pop music quiz that they will be broadcasting from the International Space Station (see #spacerocks). Plus, famous songs that nearly ended up on the cutting room floor, and an intimate encounter courtesy of Holly Herndon. Birthdays include Che Guevara, Donald Trump, Boy George, Paul O'Grady, Rowan Williams and Shaun Keaveny. Valete: Jean Ritchie, Christopher Lee

Live from Sheffield

2015-05-03: Live from the Winter Gardens in Sheffield with snooker legend Steve Davis and a studio audience. Jarvis talks about a big election that's coming up: the vote to discover Britain's favourite national bird. What bird can challenge the reigning robin? Guest Steve Davis chats about his career in snooker and his love of progressive rock, and recommends some weird and wonderful lesser-known records. (If you liked Steve's taste in music, he has his own radio programme, the Interesting Alternative Show on Phoenix 98 FM.) He also gives Jarvis some cueing coaching. Jarvis asks listeners to suggest songs that are to do with the colour black. Birthdays include Rob Brydon, Henry Cooper, Ken Hom, Virgil Fox, James Brown and Pete Seeger. 

Midnight in the Haunted Wood

2015-03-29: Jarvis takes us on a stroll through a moonlit wood in a story which features lots of excellent facts about nocturnal animals, taken from one of his favourite childhood books.

World Water Day

2015-03-22: It's World Water Day, so there's a torrent of watery sounds to wash over us and remind us to treasure this precious resource. A cheeky co-presenter comes in and causes mayhem in the studio — Jarvis reads a passage from a Bret Easton Ellis story, about a talking toy with a far more sinister agenda than the critter sitting beside him chortling and refusing to do shout-outs and travel news. On This Day, the 1968 Paris student riots began, comet Hale Bop skimmed past Earth, and the laser was first patented. We also hear a tale by Lightnin' Hopkins, about a boy who can't talk but can maybe sing the blues. Birthdays: Stephen Sondheim (enthusing about lyric-writing), Tony Pope (voice of Furby), Jorge Ben, Keith Relf, William Shatner (pinpointing what made a good Star Trek), Andrew Lloyd Webber, Wilfred Bramble, Jockey Wilson (talking about teeth), Lightnin' Hopkins last week, and KS.

The Return

2015-03-01: Jarvis returns refreshed to the Sunday Service. Today in 1893, Nikola Tesla first demonstrated the radio, allowing us to make connections across the airwaves to this day. Also on this day: the alpha-bravo-charlie international alphabet was finalised; Albert Berry made the first parachute jump; Wikipedia reached its millionth article; Napoleon escaped Elba; the typewriter went into production; and the Salem Witch Trials began. We ponder what links CAN with David Niven, and enjoy some father-themed tracks and poems. This day in 1954, an H-bomb exploded on the Bikini Atoll. Music and found sound illustrates the event, and Jarvis reveals the unlikely link between nuclear testing and the two-piece swimsuit. Plus: today is Beer Day in Iceland and National Pig Day in the USA. Birthdays: Roger Daltrey (who thinks everyone's been a Tommy), Harry Belafonte, David Niven, Justin Bieber (remembering his big break), Robert Lowell and Burning Spear. Valete: Leonard Nimoy.

Autumn Equinox

It's the autumnal equinox, and as the nights begin to lengthen, we hear music and facts to do with darkness. Jarvis hopes that on dark Sunday afternoons, we will all stay in and cosy up by the radio — although ideally not playing sudoku... This day in history was significant for the founding of Mormonism; also On This Day, the UK television channel ITV launched. Arthur Lowe narrates another Mr Men story, the tale of trembling Mr Jelly. Jarvis teaches us how to bake scones, in a musical tribute to The Great British Bake-Off. Today is International Car-Free Day; and the listeners are asked which songs make us feel autumnal. Birthdays: Toni Basil, Joan Jett, Nick Cave (with clips from his Sunday Service interview), Tony Drago, Chesney Hawkes, Gideon Coe, Arthur Lowe, Fred and Richard Fairbrass, and Sue Perkins (remembering coming out).

September 1, 2013

Jarvis returns with tales of his summer adventures! Including surviving the absolutely boiling weather; the Venice Biennale; the Big Melt in Sheffield; the End of the Road Festival; a Beck-inspired concert at the Barbican; the Despacio project in Manchester; the Rory McEwen exhibition at Kew; and at a lakeside cocktail bar, an entertainer making a surprising song choice. Today in history, World War II began — Stephen Fry recites WH Auden's poem about that day — Martha the last Passenger Pigeon died, the Cod Wars started, and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea was published. Plus, what could replace The A-Z of Peel: perhaps recipes for Sunday lunch? Birthdays: Edgar Rice Burroughs (we learn Tarzan's language), AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (founder of Krishna Consciousness), Johann Pachelbel, Violet Carson (in character as Ena Sharples), Barry Gibb (recalling the Saturday Night Fever premiere), Bruce Foxton (on lyric-writing), Gloria Estefan and Armi Aavikko (video).

The John Peel Cassette

A whistling dawn chorus gently awakens us. There's an excerpt from The Ballad of Reading Gaol because today in 1897, Oscar Wilde was released. And in 1802, Napoleon established the Légion d'honneur. Jarvis presents almost a whole hour of the John Peel show from 19th May 1977. At that time, this enormously influential show was the only place to hear alternative music on the radio. Jarvis found the recording in his mum's garage while helping her to move house, and excitedly saved it for this Sunday. Lastly, we revisit This Day in 1962, when Marilyn Monroe sang a sultry Happy Birthday to JFK, and finish with a little more birdsong. Birthdays: James Fox, Pete Townshend (on songwriting), Grace Jones (being self-effacing), Joey Ramone (discussing glue-sniffing), Martyn Ware (on how steelworks inspired the synth beat), Malcolm X (expressing some radical views), Mickey Newbury and John F Kennedy.

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

Jarvis meets natural history film-maker Sir David Attenborough. They discuss the origins of singing and the significance of music and rhythm to every human culture. David remembers his 1950s series The Song Hunter, produced with ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax. It was an early showcase for folk and popular music on BBC television — although David recalls one disastrous performance! He also reads out advice from Victorian explorers, hints at a forthcoming project with Björk and explains how elaborate songs and plumage can attract a flighty female. They consider our amazing, sometimes daunting, ability to access music written throughout history. Jarvis asks David about the importance of connecting with nature, and how he feels about the closure of BBC Television Centre. David has dedicated his broadcasting career to sharing science and culture with everybody, and for that Jarvis thanks him. Birthdays: Florian Schneider and Andrew Sachs (talking about his love of animals).