Edith Bowman opens up about replacing Sound of Cinema legend Matthew Sweet: “I hope that it does bring people to Radio 3”

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Sound of Cinema has a new host. After twelve years, Matthew Sweet – the creator and original presenter known for his unique and insightful approach – has stepped down, and Edith Bowman will be taking over.

Based on her initial performances, Bowman seems more focused and less experimental than Sweet. New additions to her show, such as ‘Harmonising Hollywood’ and a music selection currently leaning towards impactful scores like Ludwig Göransson’s work on ‘Oppenheimer’, suggest she’s aiming for broader appeal.

“That’s not right at all,” she said strongly. “It’s not about simplifying things, if that’s what you mean. It’s about demonstrating the wide range of options available, and that doesn’t always mean sticking to classical examples. It can definitely include more modern choices too.”

Since 2024, Bowman has hosted Cinematic Soundtracks on BBC Radio 3’s Unwind program. He also hosts the popular film and music podcast, Soundtracking, which has featured interviews with major figures like Steven Spielberg. Bowman recalls being overwhelmed after speaking with Spielberg, saying he immediately burst into tears and exclaimed, ‘I’ve just spoken to Steven Spielberg!’

Now in her fifties, Bowman grew up in Anstruther, a town on the coast of Fife, Scotland, where her parents owned a hotel. Like many, she first encountered orchestral scores through movies. She recalls her father running a weekend film club. “I helped him as his assistant, even making membership cards,” she says. While he showed films like Bugsy Malone, it was the music from Star Wars, E.T., and Raiders of the Lost Ark – composed by John Williams – that truly stuck with her.

I’ve always been so impressed by her career! She’s worked at so many amazing stations – MTV, Channel 4, Virgin Radio, and all across the BBC, from Radio 1 to 6 Music and 5 Live. It wasn’t easy, though. She faced a lot of rejection, even early on. I remember her saying someone at Radio Forth told her they couldn’t use her on air because of her accent, and she was heartbroken. But she learned to toughen up with every challenge. Even getting let go from her 6 Music show in 2013 didn’t stop her. In fact, it pushed her to create Soundtracking, which is brilliant, and she launched it with Hans Zimmer as her very first guest – incredible!

Although there’s no indication Sweet was forced to leave, Bowman wondered if she’d feel sympathy for her, especially considering Sweet had significantly shaped the show. Bowman says she immediately told Radio 3 she wanted to contact Sweet. “I just wanted to send him a message,” she explains. “Whether he responds or not, we’re all people with connections to our work, and I’ve been in a similar situation – it’s never easy.”

Most speakers don’t have Sweet’s level of expertise, but Bowman believes her less traditional background is an advantage. She explains, “I can only discuss music based on my emotional connection to it—how it moves me—instead of getting bogged down in technical details like notes and rhythms.”

The current series of Sound of Cinema aims to introduce classical music to a wider audience – people who might not be familiar with it but could grow to appreciate it. The host explains this is how they personally discovered classical music: through discussing film on Radio 1, they began exploring the creative process behind the music and its role in enhancing storytelling. They believe introducing music through film is a fantastic way to spark interest.

With new segments like Pick of the Flicks, Bowman can now feature popular celebrities such as Emma Thompson and Graham Norton, discussing the movie soundtracks that have personally resonated with them. This focus on the personal connection to film music – seeing it as a part of life’s story, not just a movie’s – is a fresh approach compared to the show’s earlier format.

Is popular music necessarily simplistic? As demonstrated by Norton’s choice of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s beautiful electronic score from “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” mainstream appeal doesn’t have to mean a lack of depth. Bowman explains, “I’m truly passionate about this kind of music. I hope it attracts new listeners to Radio 3, introduces them to this world, and makes them feel included.”

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2025-11-24 21:23