Sean Rafferty (16 February)
A much-loved and familiar voice on the airwaves, Sean Rafferty is best known as former presenter of Radio 3’s drive-time programme, In Tune, a programme from which he is much-missed.
Belfast-born but growing up as an adopted child in Newcastle, County Down, he read Law at Queen’s University in Belfast, and while pursuing a career as an accountant, he met the head of BBC Northern Island at a conference, which led to his becoming a researcher for the BBC. While working on Gloria Hunniford’s afternoon programme, he made his television debut standing in for a news reader scheduled to read a story about Christmas presents for men - an endearing start to a busy television career which included TV programmes for BBC Northern Island such as Scene around Ulster and Inside Ulster, interviewing Beirut hostages Brian Keenan and John McCarthy. Margaret Thatcher was another recipient of his (on this occasion no doubt deceptively) relaxed and genial style.
Other appearances included a make-over show, Room for Improvement and a drivetime programme of music and current affairs on Radio Ulster – a career precursor for In Tune. He is a keen amateur musician and has sung in a Renaissance chamber choir. This evening, he turns his interlocutory skills on the Director of the Wigmore Hall, John Gilhooly.
