John Singer Sargent recognised one of the hazards facing artists. "Every time I paint a portrait", he commented wryly, "I lose a friend". Yet, as Simon Parkes notes, having one's image painted still ranks as one of Life's Little Luxuries (11.0am, Radio 4). For the Queen, of course, it's just another chore. But portraits can arouse considerable passion. When Parliament commissioned a picture of Winston Churchill from Graham Sutherland, Lady Churchill hated it so much that she had it burned.
With the nation undergoing its decennial survey on Sunday, the Afternoon Play offers Census ... 915 Years And Still Counting (2.15pm, Radio 4), a light-hearted reflection on the process. What happened in 1086, of course, was the completion of William the Conqueror's Domesday Book, ensuring that he knew about every taxable person and property. Donald Sinden guides us through official nosey-parkering after that.
There's a rare chance to hear the multi-talented Senegalese instrumentalist and singer Baaba Maal. Andy Kershaw (10.15pm, Radio 3) plays highlights from the concert Maal gave in Cambridge last weekend. The singer originally intended to be a lawyer but was increasingly drawn to the music he heard as a child from his mother. The switch was not an easy one, not least because Maal's family was not of the region's traditional musical caste.
