These clips from the series showcase the project and feature audio taken from the following episodes (in order); Newcastle, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff / South Wales, and Manchester…

“As a nation, we’ve started to talk to our neighbours, we’ve actually chatted to those walking past with the dog. And life has been so busy in the past, we’ve not had time for this. We’ve stood outside and we’ve clapped hands with people, we’ve chatted, and it think it makes us a little bit more friendlier… We looked to engaging with people more, perhaps, than we ever had time to before. It’s going to be a very strange 12 months or two years ahead. The pandemic is raging, and I think we’ve really got to just concentrate on looking after ourselves and those around us. Being Kind. Engaging with people. Not forgetting people that are on their own and lonely…”

Greatest Hits Radio listener

The ‘Cities of Sound’ project was designed as a response to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic and aimed to fulfil two key objectives; to support the listeners of Greatest Hits Radio during lockdown, and to provide work experience for media students struggling to find radio industry placements.

With assistance from the UK’s Audio Content Fund’s ‘Coronavirus Support Round’ (grants which sought to “improve lives during Covid 19”) I worked with Greatest Hits Radio to devise an eight-part documentary series which celebrated the musical legacies of major cities across the GHR network. Each episode gave listeners the opportunity to reminisce about their city and pay tribute to local venues which had been forced to close. Musicians, authors and academics also offered insight into each city’s unique musical history, alongside an eclectic regional soundtrack. Presenters included the broadcaster Janice Long, actor Joanna Page, and musicians Rick Astley and Ricky Wilson. 

The challenge of securing contributors during Covid restrictions was solved by employing media students from across five UK Universities, who reached out to listeners and recorded audio using online technologies. Students also carried out research roles and sourced historic archival audio (with assistance from British Pathe). Support from the Audio Content Fund allowed the students to be paid an industry wage for their work on the project. Detailed feedback and guidance from the production team and station management provided them with feedback throughout the series.

Listeners were encouraged to reflect on the challenges of living in isolation, which helped build a sense of community in uncertain times. As the series was produced in ‘real time’, the content was able to reflect the constantly changing nature of lockdown and the public mood.

Episodes were aired Wednesday nights at 7pm with an audience reach of 87,000, and then repeated on Sunday evenings at 9pm with an audience reach 54,000 (source Rajar Q4 2019). The programmes were then made available via ‘Listen Again’ functionality and as an online audio ‘boxset’.

By focusing on the loss of live music during the pandemic, the project was a gateway for listeners to share their wider experiences of life in lockdown and provided companionship and a sense of civic pride to UK radio listeners during the Covid-crisis of 2020. ‘Cities of Sound’ also provided University students with meaningful industry experience and financial support during this difficult time.

Episodes and broadcast dates:

• Birmingham (first broadcast 29th July 2020)

• Liverpool (first broadcast 5th August 2020)

• Glasgow (first broadcast 12th August 2020)

• Newcastle / Sunderland (first broadcast 19th August 2020)

• Sheffield (first broadcast 9th September 2020)

• Manchester (first broadcast 16th September 2020)

• Cardiff / Swansea (first broadcast 23rd September 2020)

• Leeds (first broadcast 30th September 2020)

 Links:

https://www.audiocontentfund.org.uk/projects/cities-of-sound/

https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/shows/cities-of-sound/