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Capital and Steve Wright at Radio 2 offer choice Christmas soundtracks, while a true tale of cryonics is chilling listeningCapital’s Jingle Bell Ball | Global The Most Streamed Christmas No 1s (Radio 2) | BBC Sounds Lights Out (Radio 4) | BBC Sounds Frozen Head | Wondery Naughty | Wondery The Essay (Radio 3) | BBC Sounds Everyone has their own “start of Christmas” trigger: putting up the tree perhaps, or a celebratory office party, or spotting the first drunk person in tinsel accessories crying on public transport. For about 40,000 people, Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball concerts are the pop gun that sets off all seasonal festivities. The gun is packed full of confetti, by the way, and is actually more of a cannon; it’s blasted at regular intervals while stars including Lewis Capaldi, Sam Smith, Coldplay, Aitch, Dua Lipa and Stormzy take turns to do a hit-packed, abbreviated set. Live, it’s a fabulous sugar rush, like too much Christmas icing all at once. On catchup audio it’s pretty much the same, but in snack portions. Recommended, if the Christmas spirit is yet to arrive your way. Continue reading...