SATURDAY 04 JULY 2026
SAT 00:30 Through the Night (m002y0ss)
Bach, Buxtehude and Bruhns
From the International Contius Bach Festival, the Hildebrandt Consort, soloists and organist and conductor Wouter Dekoninck perform cantatas by Bach, Buxtehude and Bruhns. John Shea presents.
12:31 AM
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Prelude in C, BuxWV 137
Wouter Dekoninck (organ)
12:37 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Der Herr denket an uns, BWV 196, cantata
Sojeong Im (soprano), Clint van der Linde (counter tenor), Jan Van Elsacker (tenor), Tiemo Wang (baritone), Hildebrandt Consort, Wouter Dekoninck (conductor)
12:49 AM
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV 62, cantata
Sojeong Im (soprano), Clint van der Linde (counter tenor), Jan Van Elsacker (tenor), Tiemo Wang (baritone), Hildebrandt Consort, Wouter Dekoninck (conductor)
12:56 AM
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Prelude in G minor, BuxWV 149
Wouter Dekoninck (organ)
01:05 AM
Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697)
Hemmt eure Tränenflut, cantata
Sojeong Im (soprano), Clint van der Linde (counter tenor), Jan Van Elsacker (tenor), Tiemo Wang (baritone), Hildebrandt Consort, Wouter Dekoninck (conductor)
01:21 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4, cantata
Sojeong Im (soprano), Clint van der Linde (counter tenor), Jan Van Elsacker (tenor), Tiemo Wang (baritone), Hildebrandt Consort, Wouter Dekoninck (conductor)
01:41 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Aria No.8 from Weihnachtsoratorium
Peter Danilov (bass), Ivan Hadliyski (trumpet), Roman Hajiyski (trumpet), Kamerorchester, Alipi Naydenov (conductor)
01:47 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations, BWV.988
Glenn Gould (piano)
02:31 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Symphony No 1 in E minor, Op 39
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard (conductor)
03:07 AM
Paul Taffanel (1844-1908)
Wind Quintet in G minor
Matvey Demin (flute), Martin Frutiger (oboe), Fabio di Càsola (clarinet), Mischa Greull (horn), Matthias Racz (bassoon)
03:31 AM
Carl Czerny (1791-1857)
Fantasie for piano duet in F minor
Stefan Lindgren (piano), Daniel Propper (piano)
03:41 AM
Benedetto Pallavicino (c.1551-1601)
Cruda Amarilli, che col nome ancora - madrigal for 5 voices
Cantus Cölln
03:48 AM
Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884)
The Masque of Pandora (Two Intermezzi)
BBC Philharmonic, Ben Gernon (conductor)
03:57 AM
Fernando Sor (1778-1839)
Introduction and variations on a theme from Mozart's Magic Flute, Op 9
Ana Vidovic (guitar)
04:06 AM
Giles Farnaby (c. 1563 - 1640), Elgar Howarth (arr.)
Fancies, Toyes and Dreams
Brass Consort Köln
04:14 AM
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Hungarian Rhapsody No 6
Jenõ Jandó (piano)
04:22 AM
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Trio sonata in C major, Op 3 no 8
Il Seminario Musicale, Gerard Lesne (director)
04:31 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Overture in the Italian Style, D.590
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Marcello Viotti (conductor)
04:39 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
12 Variations for piano in B flat major K 500
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
04:48 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Rejoice in the Lord alway (Z.49) "Bell Anthem"
Robert Lawaty (counter tenor), Robert Pozarski (tenor), Mirosław Borczyński (bass), Sine Nomine Chamber Choir, Concerto Polacco Baroque Orchestra, Marek Toporowski (director)
04:57 AM
Paul Müller-Zürich (1898-1993)
Capriccio for flute and piano, Op 75
Andrea Kollé (flute), Desmond Wright (piano)
05:04 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Evening in the Mountains, Op 68 no 4; At the cradle, Op 68 no 5
CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
05:13 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
'Sabato' from 'Pyrmonter Kurwoche', TWV 42:g3
Albrecht Rau (violin), Heinrich Rau (viola), Clemens Malich (cello), Wolfgang Hochstein (harpsichord)
05:20 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Sonata for Violin and Piano No 9 in A major 'Kreutzer'
Mats Zetterqvist (violin), Mats Widlund (piano)
05:53 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Abegg Variations, Op 1
Zhang Zuo (piano)
06:01 AM
Antoine Reicha (1770-1836)
Oboe Quintet in F major, Op 107
Les Adieux
SAT 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002y5w4)
Launch the day with classical music live from York
Hannah French presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from York, as the York Early Music Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Morning (m002y5w6)
Tom Service, Jacob Collier, four trombones and a pianist
Tom Service provides the ideal soundtrack for Saturday morning, with the best classical music, in new and landmark recordings, and one or two surprise guests introducing their own releases.
On this semiquincentennial Independence Day, American pianist Simone Dinnerstein joins Tom to play live in the studio and talk about her love of the music of fellow American Philip Glass.
There's more live music from the four trombones of Slide Action, showcasing their unique mix of new commissions and arrangements.
And in his ongoing series, Tom meets another Creator, with the lowdown on the processes behind producing a memorable piece of work. This week the multifaceted musical adventurer Jacob Collier joins Tom to reflect on ten years since he released 'In My Room': the debut album recorded in his music room at the family home in North London.
SAT 12:00 Earlier... with Jools Holland (m002y5w8)
Jools meets Andrew Bird
Jools shares his lifelong passion for classical music and the beautiful connections with jazz and blues. With fascinating guests each week, who bring their own favourite music and occasionally perform live in Jools's studio.
Today, Jools's choices include music by Manuel de Falla, Schubert and Professor Longhair, with performances by James Gilchrist, Alfred Cortot and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. His guest is the songwriter, singer and violinist Andrew Bird who gives an impromptu performance with Jools in the studio and introduces music he loves by Beethoven, Dvorak, Lester Young and Ravel.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Earlier with Jools Holland".
SAT 13:00 Key Changes: Radio 3's Essential History of Classical Music (m002y5wb)
1722: Pitch Imperfect
1722, Köthen. In a palace music room, Johann Sebastian Bach is busy making adjustments to the royal harpsichord; setting it, quite deliberately, out of tune.
Bach's newest work is an ambitious cycle of pieces in every one of the 24 major and minor keys - a feat that's simply not possible on a keyboard instrument tuned in the traditional way. His revolutionary new tuning system dramatically extends the variety of keys and harmonies available to composers. The 24 preludes and fugues of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier will become the first significant steps into this new era of expanded possibilities - pointing the way for generations to come.
Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new BBC Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For Episodes 9 to 16, Gillian welcomes Suzannah Lipscomb to help her explore the fascinating stories and rich sound worlds of the Late Renaissance and Baroque.
Producer: Chris Taylor
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for BBC Audio: Emma Harding
Key Changes theme tune composed by Joseph Howard and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kerem Hasan.
MUSIC DETAILS
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1, Prelude No. 3 in C sharp major (BWV 848/1)
Trevor Pinnock (harpsichord)
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1, Fugue No.3 in C sharp major (BWV 848/2)
Trevor Pinnock (harpsichord)
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1, Prelude and Fugue No.22 in B flat minor (BWV 867)
Angela Hewitt (piano)
Johann Sebastian Bach: St Matthew Passion – Opening Chorus
Bach Collegium Japan
Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie, Act III, Prelude and Chaconne
Les Talens Lyriques
Christophe Rousset (conductor)
Muir and Tracey: Play That Barbershop Chord
After Hours
Frédéric Chopin: Prelude in E flat major, Op. 28 No. 19
Maurizio Pollini (piano)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Concerto Italiano
Rinaldo Alessandrini (conductor)
To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Key Changes."
SAT 14:00 Record Review (m002y5wd)
Falla's Three-Cornered Hat in Building a Library with Jonathan Cross and Andrew McGregor
Andrew McGregor with the best of the week's new classical releases, joined by guest reviewers Natalie Burch and Jonathan Cross, who surveys recordings of Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat.
2.10pm Pianist Natalie Burch joins Andrew to explore some new releases that have caught her ear.
3pm Building a Library. Jonathan Cross surveys recordings of Manuel de Falla's ballet The Three-Cornered Hat, and makes a top recommendation.
Commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes, Falla's ballet premiered in 1919. The story, based on a novel by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, is about a magistrate infatuated with a miller's faithful wife, whom he attempts to seduce. Falla's deeply evocative music brims with unmistakeably Spanish dance idioms.
Top choice:
Philharmonia Orchestra
Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor)
Chandos CHAN8904
3.45pm Record of the Week. Andrew's top pick of the week's releases.
SAT 16:00 Sound of Cinema (m002y5wg)
Reel Americana - A July 4th Special
Join Edith Bowman for a special Fourth of July edition as she celebrates the 250th anniversary of the USA, delving into the film archives to explore soundtracks which have captured the spirit of Independence Day across the decades. Expect music from legendary composers including John Williams, David Arnold, and Hans Zimmer that reflect a sense of American identity.
Edith talks to director, screenwriter and composer Mike Figgis about his score for Leaving Las Vegas - a film that examines the unravelling of the American dream, and composer Jon Opstad dissects the music in Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick's final movie which explores American class, privilege, and the myth of personal freedom.
SAT 17:00 This Classical Life (m002y5wj)
Jess Gillam with... Catrin Finch
Jess Gillam hosts a listening party with the Welsh harpist and composer Catrin Finch. In her early twenties, Catrin served as Royal Harpist to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and has gone on to push the boundaries of her instrument. Her musical curiosity has led her to numerous cross-genre collaborations, including with Colombian joropo group Cimarron, Irish violinist Aoife Ní Bhriain, and Senegalese kora virtuoso Seckou Keita, with whom she won Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2019. Catrin has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra.
Catrin's musical picks include a romantic song by Dvořák, a riotous Colombian track, and RAYE blending pop and symphonic sounds. Jess brings along a Swedish polka reimagined by Martin Fröst, a dreamy piano piece by Kristina Arakelyan, and a vintage jazz track from Oscar Peterson.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3”.
SAT 18:00 Opera on 3 (m002y5wl)
Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles
Bizet's the Pearl Fishers from the Vienna State Opera.
Set in ancient times on the coast of Ceylon, we follow the story of Zurga - the newly elected leader of the island's pearl fishermen - as his childhood friend returns and throws events out of balance. Having sworn to renounce a girl they both once loved in order to preserve their friendship, Nadir breaks his vow when it becomes apparent the object of their affection is the veiled temple priestess, Leila, who is supposed to protect the fishermen from the water spirits with her prayers and whose identity had remained unknown following a vow she had taken.
After the fishermen learn she has revealed her true identity to Nadir, they plead with her to continue protecting them, but she declines and tells Nadir she will now only sing for him alone. Consumed by jealousy, Zurga first orders both be executed for the double breach of oath, but softens after realising that Leila once saved his life, and sets them free under cover of commotion.
Ian Skelly presents, and is joined by opera expert Sarah Lenton. Recorded in May at the Vienna State Opera.
Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles
Leila ..... Kristina Mkhitaryan (soprano),
Nadir ..... Juan Diego Flórez (tenor)
Zurga ..... Ludovic Tézier (baritone)
Nourabad ..... Ivo Stanchev (bass)
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Daniele Rustioni, conductor (conductor)
SAT 21:30 Music Planet (m002y5wn)
Souad Massi in session
Lopa Kothari invites French-Algerian icon Souad Massi into the Music Planet studio to perform tracks from her latest album, Zagate. Since her solo debut in 1998, Massi has established herself as one of the leading female voices of the Maghreb musical world. Her sound defies categorisation, blending traditional Kabyle rhythms with rock and pop sensibilities; and her lyrics, sung in both French and Arabic, touch on themes of freedom, justice, and tolerance.
Produced by Silvia Malnati
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Planet.'
SAT 22:30 New Music Show (m002y5wq)
Farewell to Maida Vale (1/2)
With the BBC soon to be moving out of its famous music studios in Maida Vale, Tom Service presents the first of two final New Music Show concerts from this historic London recording venue. Tonight, the group Apartment House is featured with a typically eclectic mix of diverse musics including works by the young American composer Lila Meretzky and the UK’s own Tim Parkinson; we hear from iconic 90s composer duo Morison/Opit, classic grungy French spectralism from Michaël Levinas, and a surreal ramble through early Maida Vale recordings of The Fall, re-imagined by the group's director Anton Lukoszevieze. Plus a specially commissioned piece of electronic music from composer Sasha Scott created from recordings made over a single day in Maida Vale - orchestral tuning, the canteen vending machine, the goods lift and instruments synonymous with Maida Vale such as the celeste and an EMS synthesizer originally used by the Radiophonic Workshop.
To listen on most smart speakers just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play New Music Show" and for more on the history of the BBC at Maida Vale visit: canvas-story.bbcrewind.co.uk/maidavalelegacy
SUNDAY 05 JULY 2026
SUN 00:30 Through the Night (m002y5ws)
Lang Lang and the Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra from Shanghai
From the Concert on the Green Festival in Shanghai, the Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra under Ádám Fischer with Lang Lang play well-known Romantic pieces in the beautiful setting of the Chenshan Botanical Garden. Penny Gore presents.
12:31 AM
Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
Overture to 'Die Fledermaus'
Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
12:40 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Overture to Hermann and Dorothea, Op 136
Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
12:49 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Piano Concerto no 1 in G minor, Op 25
Lang Lang (piano), Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
01:09 AM
Traditional Chinese
Jasmine Flower (encore)
Lang Lang (piano)
01:14 AM
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
Danza ritual del fuego, from 'El amor brujo' (encore)
Lang Lang (piano)
01:17 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Slavonic Dance no 2 in E minor, Op 72
Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
01:23 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Wedding March, from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
01:28 AM
Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
An der schönen blauen Donau (The Blue Danube waltz), Op 314
Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
01:38 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hungarian Dance no 1 in G minor (encore)
Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
01:42 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hungarian Dance no 5 in G minor (encore)
Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Ádám Fischer (conductor)
01:44 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (author)
An die Entfernte, D.765 (To one who is far away)
Christoph Prégardien (tenor), Andreas Staier (pianoforte)
01:48 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
String Quartet no 11 in F minor, Op 95 'Serioso'
Merel Quartet
02:09 AM
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Symphony of Psalms
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Choir, Colin Davis (conductor)
02:31 AM
Joseph Rheinberger (1839-1901)
Horn Sonata in E flat major, Op 178
Martin Van der Merwe (horn), Huib Christiaanse (piano)
02:52 AM
Iris Szeghy (b.1956)
Cello Concerto
Andrej Gál (cello), Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marián Lejava (conductor)
03:19 AM
Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697)
Cantata: "O werter heil'ger Geist"
James Bowman (counter tenor), Greta de Reyghere (soprano), Guy de Mey (tenor), Max van Egmond (bass), Ricercar Consort
03:34 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Divertimento in E flat major, K.166
Bratislavska Komorna Harmonia
03:46 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Rondo for piano in C minor, Op 1
Ludmil Angelov (piano)
03:54 AM
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Pavane pour une infante défunte
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Jorge Mester (conductor)
04:01 AM
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)
Vlci stopa (The wolf's trail) for soprano, female choir & piano
Susse Lillesøe (soprano), Danish National Radio Choir, Per Salo (piano), Stefan Parkman (conductor)
04:09 AM
Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755-1824)
Duo concertante in C major
Alexandar Avramov (violin), Ivan Peev (violin)
04:19 AM
Bartlomiej Pekiel (?-c.1670)
I Missa senza le cerimonie
Camerata Silesia, Julian Gembalski (positive organ), Anna Szostak (conductor)
04:31 AM
Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006)
Peterloo Overture, Op 97
BBC Philharmonic, Ben Gernon (conductor)
04:41 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Cleopatra's aria: 'Piangero la sorte mia' - from "Giulio Cesare" (Act 3 Sc 3)
Emma Kirkby (soprano), Academy of Ancient Music, Andrew Manze (director)
04:48 AM
György Kurtág (b.1926)
Elö-Játékok (Pre-Games) (extracts)
Leif Ove Andsnes (piano)
04:59 AM
John Wilbye (1574-1638)
Draw on, sweet night for violin & viols
Ensemble Daedalus, Roberto Festa (conductor)
05:03 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Anders Hillborg (arr.)
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639, chorale prelude
Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Basel Symphony Orchestra, Ivor Bolton (conductor)
05:07 AM
Grace Williams (1906-1977)
Sea Sketches
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Roy Goodman (conductor)
05:26 AM
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Excerpts from Songs Without Words, Op 6 (1846)
Sylviane Deferne (piano)
05:36 AM
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736-1809)
Concerto for trombone and orchestra
Heiki Kalaus (trombone), Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Peeter Lilje (conductor)
05:54 AM
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Figure humaine - cantata for double chorus
Danish National Radio Choir, Stefan Parkman (conductor)
06:12 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Tadaaki Otaka (conductor)
SUN 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002y5zc)
Boost your morning with classical music
Mark Forrest presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
SUN 09:00 Sunday Morning (m002y5zf)
Three hours of classical sparkle
This week, Petroc Trelawny sits in for Sarah Walker with a playlist full of stories and surprises, travelling from Renaissance Spain and operatic Italy to the magical world of Aladdin.
There’s the exuberance of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro Overture, the lyrical slow movement from Bruch’s First Violin Concerto, and chamber music from Dvořák and Schubert.
Petroc also heads to 16th-century Spain for this week’s Choral Reflection, with music from Cristóbal de Morales’s beautiful Mass for the Armed Man, sung by De Profundis.
The programme also includes new releases, featuring music by Karl Weigl and the early recording pioneers Justin Ring and Frederick Hager. And for the morning’s chance to put down the to-do list and settle in for something a little longer, Petroc opens the pages of Nielsen’s colourful Aladdin Suite, a musical adventure inspired by the tales of One Thousand and One Nights.
A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3.
SUN 12:00 Private Passions (m002y5zh)
Leslie Cavendish, former Beatles hairdresser
Leslie Cavendish left school at the age of 15 years, without any artistic qualifications, and decided to become a hairdresser. Within three years, his clients included Terence Stamp, Keith Moon, the Bee Gees, Jane Asher – and the Beatles.
He began by cutting Paul McCartney’s hair - and soon became part of the band’s inner circle. He attended Beatles recording sessions and joined them on their Magical Mystery Tour. They even invited him to open a salon at their Apple Tailoring boutique on the Kings Road in Chelsea.
Leslie's music includes Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and Beethoven.
SUN 13:30 Music Map (m002y5zk)
Brahms' Four Pieces for Piano Op.119
Sara Mohr-Pietsch wends her way towards Brahms' melancholic late masterpiece, with swansongs from Faure and Mozart en route. Brahms had lost close friends and family towards the end of his life, but it's not all darkness: the set was composed on a lakeside summer holiday, and Brahms lets the light in with playful moments. On the way, Sara also explores the gentle rock of the lullaby, a disconcerting rhythm with Handel, and the knees-up of a nineteenth-century tavern in Vienna.
To listen to this programme on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Map'.
SUN 15:00 Music Matters (m002y5zm)
How to Listen
with Sakari Oramo
Ahead of this year's BBC Proms, Sakari Oramo, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra opens a window into the art - and the joy - of attentive listening. Today, Sakari takes us inside the listener's mind, and explores how context affects how we listen to music.
From where and how we listen to music, to what we listen to before and after a piece of music, to the historical context in which listeners might have first heard a particular piece, Sakari delves into the ideas which shape how we understand the music that we hear. He'll also explore the influence of language on our musical experience, and discuss the art of concert etiquette.
Presenter: Sakari Oramo
Producer: Sam Phillips
A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3
SUN 16:00 Jazz Record Requests (m002y5zp)
Jazz across the continents
Presenter Alyn Shipton marks the 50th anniversary of Australian radio’s Jazztrack with big band fireworks from trumpeter James Morrison, and celebrates British trumpet icon Henry Lowther ahead of his 85th birthday with a look at a brand-new double LP alongside the London Jazz Orchestra.
The show also features a tribute to traditional jazz stalwart Tom Osborne via the Humphrey Lyttelton band, freshly unearthed 1965 Bill Evans trio recordings from Finland, brand-new releases from saxophonists Dave and Judith O’Higgins and vocalist Heidi Martin, and a legendary, atmospheric 10-minute trip to the Village Gate with flautist Herbie Mann.
SUN 17:00 The Early Music Show (m002y5zr)
Live from the York Festival of Early Music
Hannah French is joined by a live audience at the National Centre for Early Music to celebrate the opening weekend of the 2026 York Festival of Early Music. There's live music from lutenist Thomas Dunford and from the young ensemble Contre Le Temps who specialise in French medieval vocal music. And we'll catch up with artistic director Delma Tomlin to find out more about the festival in this, its 50th year.
SUN 18:00 Choral Evensong (m002y0c1)
The Queen’s College, Oxford
From the Chapel of The Queen’s College, Oxford.
Introit: O brother man (Darke)
Responses: Radcliffe
Psalms 91, 93 (Woodward, Ley)
First Lesson: Nehemiah 6 v1-14
Office Hymn: Holy Spirit, ever dwelling (Salisbury)
Canticles: Gloucester Service (Howells)
Second Lesson: Romans 15 vv14-21
Anthem: Be strong and of a good courage (Darke)
Hymn: We have a Gospel to proclaim (Fulda)
Voluntary: Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, BWV 665 (Bach)
Owen Rees (Director of Music)
Rudyard Cook, Arthur Barton (Organ Scholars)
Recorded 27 April.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.
SUN 19:00 Sunday Feature (m002y5zt)
A Musical Evening at Monticello
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Michael Goldfarb takes a look at the role music played in the life of the primary author of that famous document, Thomas Jefferson.
“Music is the favourite passion of my soul, and fortune has cast my lot in a country where it is in a state of deplorable barbarism,” Jefferson wrote to Giovanni Fabbroni, an Italian friend living in Paris. In the letter, he goes on to ask Fabbroni for a recommendation for “someone who may be proficient in singing and on the harpsichord” to join in a musical evening at his home, Monticello, near Charlottesville in Virginia. The date of the letter is 1778, the Revolutionary War was at its height, its outcome uncertain. Jefferson acknowledges this event might not take place for a few years but expresses longing for it.
The Declaration’s author was a man of huge intellect but arguably none of his many avocations was more important to him than music making.
By the age of 14, he was an accomplished violinist and travelled everywhere with his fiddle and even made a special case for it so it would fit on his saddle. His skill on the violin helped him gain entry into the inner circles of political life in colonial Virginia while he was still a university student at the College of William and Mary. Chamber music evenings were an important part of life in Virginia's capital, Williamsburg. He courted his wife Martha by serenading her. He gave her a harpsichord during their courtship so they could literally make beautiful music together.
Michael also talks about the stain on Jefferson's reputation: his slave ownership. He wrote about the music of Monticello’s slaves and provided musical education for some of them. Eston Hemmings, thought to be his youngest son with Sally Hemmings, his slave and companion for the last four decades of his life, became a professional musician.
This programme is shaped around an imagined musical evening at Monticello, mixing Jefferson’s own words on music and interviews with Jefferson scholars, 18th-century original instrument performers and historians of American colonial social life.
Presenter: Michael Goldfarb
Producer: Julia Hayball
Sound design: Chris Maclean
A Certain Height production for BBC Radio 3
SUN 19:45 Words and Music (m002y5zw)
Bucket and Spade
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside in this week's words and music, so we're heading to the beach. The girls of summer drift by in Proust's Balbec and in music from The Beach Boys. We're building sandcastles in poetry from Jean Sprackland and AA Milne. And we're celebrating the very British seaside holiday with a passage from David Kynaston's social history Family Britain and RC Sheriff's portrait of a family on their annual holiday, The Fortnight in September.
We're visiting the South Pacific with music from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical and Guyana in Grace Nichol's poem Like an Heiress, The Hebrides with Mendelssohn's concert overture and Lyme Regis with Jane Austen in Persuasion.
Readings:
Robert Louis Stevenson - At the Seaside
Jean Sprackland – Split
David Kynaston - Family Britain
RC Sheriff - The Fortnight in September
Lewis Carroll – The Hunting of the Snark
Enid Blyton - Five on a Treasure Island
Bill Bryson - Notes from a Small Island
AA Milne - Sand Between the Toes
Jane Austen – Persuasion
Grace Nicols – Like an Heiress
George Mackay Brown – Beachcomber
Verna Allette Wilikins - A Memory Evoked
Ian McEwan - On Chesil Beach
Marcel Proust - Within a Budding Grove
Rabindranth Tagore - On the Seashore
Helen Dunmore - Terra Incognita
Helen Cresswell - A Gift from Winklesea
Produced in Salford by Jessica Treen
Readers: Hollie Chapman and Paul Rider
SUN 21:00 Sunday Selection (m002y5zy)
3. Róisín Ní Dhúill
In the first of two programmes, viola player Róisín Ní Dhúill chooses a selection of music for Sunday evening, and shines a spotlight on cellist Sterling Elliott. Roisin shares two of the recordings Sterling has made with the BBC during his time as a Radio 3 New Generation Artist.
SUN 22:00 Night Tracks (m002y600)
Dissolve into a nocturnal soundworld
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
SUN 23:30 Unclassified (m002y602)
Roger Eno's Listening Chair
Elizabeth Alker welcomes a giant of ambient music Roger Eno to the Unclassified Listening Chair, inviting him to select a track that transports him elsewhere. Since buying an upright piano with money he earned as a butcher’s boy, Roger has been a much revered and highly influential composer and musician, collaborating frequently and providing the soundtrack to numerous high profile films, TV shows and theatre productions over the decades. Endlessly curious, his most recent album Without Wind / Without Air is his most challenging and ambitious yet.
Elsewhere, Elizabeth offers a selection of fresh music from genre-defying artists including Manchester duo Space Afrika and visionary songwriter Julia Holter.
Produced by Geoff Bird
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Unclassified”
MONDAY 06 JULY 2026
MON 00:30 Through the Night (m002y604)
Berlioz and Sibelius from Oslo
Mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland sings Berlioz's poetic song cycle Les nuits d'été with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra playing without a conductor. After, the orchestra performs the emotionally charged second symphony by Sibelius. Penny Gore presents.
12:31 AM
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Les nuits d'été, Op 7
Marianne Beate Kielland (mezzo soprano), Norwegian Radio Orchestra
12:59 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Symphony no 2 in D, Op 43
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
01:46 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Eight Landler (German dances) (from D.790)
Leif Ove Andsnes (piano)
01:54 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto for 2 violins, 2 cellos & orchestra in D major, RV.564
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (director)
02:05 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Concerto no 23 in A major, K.488
Joanna MacGregor (piano), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Susanna Mälkki (conductor)
02:31 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Dixit Dominus, HWV.232
Hana Blažíková (soprano), Alena Hellerova (soprano), Kamila Mazalova (contralto), Vaclav Cizek (tenor), Tomáš Král (bass), Jaromír Nosek (bass), Collegium Vocale 1704, Collegium 1704, Václav Luks (conductor)
03:02 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet in F minor, Op 20 no 5
Chaos String Quartet
03:23 AM
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
Wind Sinfonietta, Op 73
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Jonathan Bloxham (conductor)
03:42 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Coriolan Overture, Op 62
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck (conductor)
03:49 AM
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Piano Sonata in C minor
Sylviane Deferne (piano)
04:04 AM
Robert White (c.1538-1574),James MacMillan (b.1959)
Christe qui lux es et dies (White) & A Child's Prayer (MacMillan)
Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh (director)
04:13 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Romance, Op 85
Adrien Boisseau (viola), Polish Sinfonia luventus Orchestra, José Maria Florêncio (conductor)
04:23 AM
Imogen Holst (1907-1984)
Leiston Suite for brass quartet
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)
04:31 AM
Eugen Suchoň (1908-1993)
Sinfonietta
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mário Košik (conductor)
04:44 AM
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (1665-1734)
Laetatus sum for 4 voices, 2 violins, 2 trumpets and organ
Olga Pasiecznik (soprano), Henning Voss (counter tenor), Wojciech Parchem (tenor), Mirosław Borczyński (bass), Sine Nomine Chamber Choir, Concerto Polacco Baroque Orchestra, Marek Toporowski (director)
04:49 AM
Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006)
Sonatina for clarinet and piano, Op 29
Fabio di Càsola (clarinet), Alexander Boeschoten (piano)
04:57 AM
Camilla de Rossi (fl.1707-1710)
Duol sofferto per Amore' (excerpt Sant'Alessio )
Martin Oro (counter tenor), Musica Fiorita, Daniela Dolci (director)
05:03 AM
Ferenc Farkas (1905-2000)
Ricordanze
Ensemble Pyramide
05:14 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Scottish fantasy, Op 46
James Ehnes (violin), Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
05:44 AM
Federico Mompou (1893-1987)
Impresiones intimas op 1
Marianne Richter-Beijer (piano)
06:02 AM
Antonio Rosetti (c.1750-1792)
Horn Concerto in D minor, C 38
Radek Baborák (french horn), Prague Chamber Orchestra, Antonín Hradil (conductor)
06:23 AM
Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762)
Lady Ann Bothwell's Lament / Sleepy Body
Ensemble Augelletti
MON 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002y62f)
Start the day strong with classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
MON 09:30 Essential Classics (m002y62h)
Refresh your morning with classical music
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
MON 13:00 Classical Live (m002y62k)
Soprano Camilla Tilling and pianist Paul Rivinius live from Wigmore Hall
Linton Stephens presents an afternoon of exceptional music-making, featuring a live concert from Wigmore Hall. Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling’s silvery tones and her sensitive response to poetic texts frequently earn her glowing reviews. She and regular duo partner, Paul Rivinius, preface the poignant Kindertotenlieder with beautiful songs by Mahler’s Swedish contemporary Emil Sjörgen and the aptly-named cycle Hjärtats Sånger (Songs of the Heart) by his much younger countryman, Gunnar de Frumerie.
Elsewhere in the programme, a focus on the BBC Symphony Orchestra prior to its Proms appearances. Today, Dvořák’s 7th Symphony, a powerful and dramatic piece often regarded as one of his finest; Five Études-tableaux blends Rachmaninoff's emotional lyricism with Respighi's colourful orchestration; and Vaughan Williams’ The Steersman, a reflective and lyrical work featuring baritone Jacques Imbrailo and the BBC Symphony Chorus.
From LSO St Luke’s, pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips is joined by violinist Malin Broman and soprano Sophie Bevan for the start of week of special recorded performances from there. And also specially recorded items from the National Centre for Early Music and BBC R3 New Generation Baroque Ensemble - Ensemble Augelletti.
Live from Wigmore Hall, London, presented by Andrew McGregor.
Emil Sjögren
Kärleks-sånger Op. 50
Gunnar Frumerie
Hjärtats Sånger Op. 27
Gösta Nystroem
Själ och landskap
Gustav Mahler
Kindertotenlieder
Camilla Tilling (soprano)
Paul Rivinius (piano)
***
Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No 7 in D minor, Op. 70
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Martijn Dendievel (conductor)
Lili Boulanger
D’un matin de printemps
Malin Broman (violin)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Camille Saint-Saëns
Violons dans le soir
Sophie Bevan (soprano)
Malin Broman (violin)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Sergey Rachmaninov/Ottorino Respighi
5 Etudes-tableaux
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Elena Schwarz (conductor)
Arcangelo Corelli
Trio Sonata in D major, Op.3 No.2
Ensemble Augelletti
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Steersman
Jacques Imbrailo (baritone)
BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Martin Yates (conductor)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live"
MON 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002y62m)
Fela Sowande and the Art Music of Nigeria
The British are Coming!
Donald Macleod begins a week on Fela Sowande and Nigerian art music by tracing its roots in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Nigeria. With Alexander Douglas, he explores the impact of European missionary education, the introduction of Western musical training, and the tensions this created with indigenous traditions. The programme follows how Nigerian musicians responded, from the 're‑Africanisation' of church music led by figures such as Josiah Ransome‑Kuti to the emergence of a new art-music tradition in Lagos. Alongside this story, we hear music shaped by both worlds, from piano works drawing on traditional drumming to Sowande’s blending of spirituals and Yoruba materials.
Music featured:
High Life
Fela Sowande
Talking Drums
Joshua Uzoigwe
William Chapman Nyaho, piano
Go Down Moses
Fela Sowande
Kevin Bowyer, organ
Obángíjì Iwo Lo to Sìn
Josiah Ransome‑Kuti, voice
African Suite: I-III
Fela Sowande
CBC Vancouver Orchestra
Mario Bernardi, conductor
Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales & West.
MON 17:00 In Tune (m002y62q)
Double bassist Strahinja Mitrovic and trumpeter Imogen Whitehead
Double bassist Strahinja Mitrovic plays live on In Tune with pianist Chloé Dumoulin, ahead of their Wigmore Hall recital.
Trumpeter Imogen Whitehead also pops into the In Tune studio to chat to Katie about her Ryedale Festival residency.
MON 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002y62s)
Half an hour of the finest classical music
Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical favourites. We begin in Norway with Ola Gjeilo’s Northern Lights, performed by the magnificent VOCES8. Pianist Signe Bakke evokes the shimmering movement of water in Karen Tanaka’s Water Dance, before the Neave Trio bring warmth and lyricism to the Lento from Cécile Chaminade’s Piano Trio No. 2 in A minor. The velvety sound of Gervase de Peyer’s clarinet shines in the first of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, while Sibelius captures the quiet beauty of Evening in Spring from his Suite, Op. 117 for violin and strings - a work thought lost until its rediscovery in 1992. Ralph Vaughan Williams showcases the often-overlooked beauty of the bass tuba in the Romanza from his Concerto in F minor, and we close tonight’s mixtape with a touching transcription of Samuel Barber’s Sure on This Shining Night for cello and piano, performed by Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason.
Producer: Zara Siddiqi
MON 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002y62v)
Bach's Mass in B minor
The BBC Singers draw their 2025/2026 season to a close with a concert from Milton Court, London in which they join forces with the Academy of Ancient Music under the baton of the Singers’ outgoing Chief Conductor, Sofi Jeannin, to perform Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor. Over the last eight years, Sofi has guided the BBC Singers through a transformative era which has produced some exceptional music-making, and tonight’s concert is a fitting celebration of that rich artistic partnership with an exhilarating performance of a work which Richard Wagner deemed "the most stupendous miracle in all music",
A Catholic Mass by a devout Lutheran composer, finished the year before Bach’s death despite his failing health and eyesight, the Mass in B minor was likely never performed in its entirety during Bach’s lifetime. Featuring choir and orchestra with extended wind section, strings and continuo, today it is widely regarded as one of the most extraordinary achievements in the classical repertoire. It occupies a unique position in Western music, not only for its scale but for the way it encapsulates the full breadth of Bach’s compositional language. The work’s architecture reflects both a deep engagement with tradition and a remarkable vision. The Credo, for instance, evokes the 'stile antico' of the past, while the Confiteor employs a strikingly chromatic language that looks toward the future.
Recorded on 10 May 2026 and presented by Martin Handley.
Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232
BBC Singers
Academy of Ancient Music
Rebecca Lea & Alice Gribbin, Ciara Hendrick, Clare Lloyd-Griffith & Peter Davoren, Rebekah Nießer-Jones, Timothy Dickinson, Eve McGrath & Nancy Cole, Jamie W Hall, Benjamin Durrant, Katherine Nicholson (soloists)
Sofi Jeannin (conductor)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert".
MON 21:45 The Essay (m002y62x)
Call of the Wild
The Whale, Cosmo Sheldrake
Composers talk to Verity Sharp about how their creativity has been shaped by an animal species, how it has formed their approach to making music, and what they’ve discovered about the natural world in the process.
Each episode explores how an animal has served as a muse or guide to expand their musical palette with diverse sets of thinking, ranging from personal healing to musical virtuosity and local ecological concerns. These musicians often incorporate field recordings or natural sounds into their work, treating nature as a collaborator.
Cosmo Sheldrake shares his experience of making music using whale sounds, and how this approach has given him insight into an underwater language not so dissimilar to our own. He also shares a new initiative which is seeking to grant legal rights to nature, as a co-creator?
Produced by Tess Davidson
Production support from Rebecca Lennon
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
Additional sperm whale field recordings by David Gruber
Featuring extracts from ‘Planketon’ from Wild, Wet World
MON 22:00 Night Tracks (m002y630)
Eclectic music for after dark
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
MON 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002y632)
Alex Hitchcock’s Flowers
This week, Soweto is joined by London-born saxophonist and arranger Alex Hitchcock. He is a distinctive improviser whose compositions draw deep musical and political inspiration from the radical tradition of Black American music. He is also part of the band LVDF, who listeners may remember performed at our 'Round Midnight showcase at the London Jazz Festival last November.
From Monday to Thursday, Alex is celebrating some of the contemporary artists that have influenced him, for Flowers. To begin his week, Alex gives a first bouquet to a renowned saxophonist, flautist and composer.
Also in the programme there’s music from Takeo Moriyama, Luke Rivard and Ernestine Anderson.
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'
TUESDAY 07 JULY 2026
TUE 00:30 Through the Night (m002y634)
Dvořák's Violin Concerto and Amy Beach's 'Gaelic' Symphony
Midori is the soloist in Dvořák's Violin Concerto with the German Symphony Orchestra, Berlin. The programme also features 'Earworms' by Vivian Fung and Amy Beach's 'Gaelic' Symphony. Penny Gore presents.
12:31 AM
Vivian Fung (b.1975)
Earworms
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Marie Jacquot (conductor)
12:43 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Violin Concerto in A minor, Op 53
Midori (violin), Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Marie Jacquot (conductor)
01:17 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Prelude, from 'Partita no 3 in E major, BWV.1006'
Midori (violin)
01:21 AM
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Symphony in E minor, Op 32 'Gaelic Symphony'
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Marie Jacquot (conductor)
02:06 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Five Scottish and Irish songs
Stephen Powell (tenor), Lorraine Reinhardt (soprano), Linda Lee Thomas (piano), Gwen Thompson (violin), Eugene Osadchy (cello), Vancouver Chamber Choir, Jon Washburn (conductor)
02:20 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Slavonic Dance, Op 46 no 2
Moshe Hammer (violin), Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi (cello), William Tritt (piano)
02:25 AM
Traditional, Fritz Kreisler (arr.)
Farewell to Cucullain 'Londonderry Air' - an old Irish melody arr for piano trio
Moshe Hammer (violin), Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi (cello), William Tritt (piano)
02:31 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Harpsichord Concerto in D minor, Wq 17
Andrea Buccarella (harpsichord), Kore Orchestra
02:53 AM
Česlovas Sasnauskas (1867-1916)
Requiem
Inesa Linaburgyte (mezzo soprano), Algirdas Janutas (tenor), Vladimiras Prudnikovas (bass), Kaunas State Choir, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Petras Bingelis (conductor)
03:27 AM
Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915)
Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op 9 no 2
Anatol Urgorski (piano)
03:34 AM
Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835), Unknown (arr.)
Oboe Concerto in E flat (arr for trumpet)
Geoffrey Payne (trumpet), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Michael Halász (conductor)
03:42 AM
Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880)
Polonaise in A major for violin & piano, Op 21
Piotr Plawner (violin), Andrzej Guz (piano)
03:52 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
The Wasps - overture
Argovia Philharmonic, Douglas Bostock (conductor)
04:03 AM
John Dowland (1563-1626), John Duarte (arr.), Galbraith (arr.)
Fantasie arr. Duarte/Galbraith for guitar
Manuel Calderon (guitar)
04:07 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Abendempfindung, K.523
Elly Ameling (soprano), Jörg Demus (piano)
04:12 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Marcello Viotti (conductor)
04:23 AM
Bartolomé de Selma y Salaverde (1580-1640)
Canzona terza
Accentus Austria, Thomas Wimmer (director)
04:31 AM
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)
Or est maintenant, l'eternel regnant (Psalm 99)
Netherlands Chamber Choir, Peter Phillips (conductor)
04:35 AM
Josip Raffaelli (1767-1843)
Introduction and theme with variations in A major
Vladimir Krpan (piano)
04:44 AM
Unico Wilhelm Van Wassenaer (1692-1766)
Concerto armonico no 6 in E flat major (from Sei Concerti Armonici, 1740)
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Jan Willem de Vriend (conductor)
04:53 AM
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Concert Overture no 2
BBC Concert Orchestra, Jane Glover (conductor)
05:09 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Flute Quartet in D major, K.285
Joanna G'froerer (flute), Martin Beaver (violin), Pinchas Zukerman (viola), Amanda Forsyth (cello)
05:24 AM
Alfred Desenclos (1912-1971)
Prelude, Cadence and Finale
Jan Gricar (saxophone), Tomaz Hostnik (piano)
05:35 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra, Op 33 (original version)
Alexander Rudin (cello), Romanian National Radio Orchestra, Alexander Rudin (conductor)
05:54 AM
Josquin des Prez (c1440 - 1521)
Missa de Beata Virgine
BBC Singers, Bo Holten (conductor)
TUE 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002y6h7)
Wake up your senses with classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
TUE 09:30 Essential Classics (m002y6h9)
A classical soundtrack for your morning
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
TUE 13:00 Classical Live (m002y6hc)
Emilie Mayer's Symphony in F minor performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Linton Stephens presents an afternoon of exceptional music-making from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, prior to its appearances at the BBC Proms. Frank Bridge’s Enter Spring bursts with energy and colour, while Émilie Mayer’s Symphony in F minor offers sweeping romantic intensity. Bohuslav Martinů’s The Rock, is a rhythmic, nature-inspired orchestral study, and Jean Sibelius’ The Swan of Tuonela provides a hauntingly beautiful depiction of still, dark waters, featuring a solo cor anglais.
From LSO St Luke’s, pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips is joined by pianist Philip Moore and violist Lawrence Power in a week of specially recorded performances from the pianist with friends. And also specially recorded items from the National Centre for Early Music and BBC R3 New Generation Baroque Ensemble - Ensemble Augelletti.
Frank Bridge
Enter Spring
BBC Philharmonic
John Storgards (conductor)
Franz Schubert
8 Variations on an Original Theme in A flat major, D. 813
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Philip Moore (piano)
Emilie Mayer
Symphony in F minor
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier (conductor)
Georg Philipp Telemann
Concerto No.1 in G major, TWV.43:G1
Ensemble Augelletti
Bohuslav Martinu
The Rock, H. 363
BBC Philharmonic
Rebecca Clarke
Viola Sonata
Lawrence Power (viola)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Jean Sibelius
Swan of Tuonela
BBC Philharmonic
John Storgards (conductor)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live"
TUE 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002y6hf)
Fela Sowande and the Art Music of Nigeria
Fela's Quiet Rhythm
Donald Macleod traces Fela Sowande’s early musical life, from his beginnings as a chorister in Lagos to his formative years in London. With Alexander Douglas, he explores Sowande’s training under Thomas Ekundayo Phillips, his grounding in the Anglican choral tradition, and his growing engagement with Yoruba musical heritage. In the 1930s, London offered new opportunities: work in theatre and jazz, alongside continued study and performance. Out of these overlapping worlds, Sowande began shaping a musical language of his own.
2 Preludes on Yoruba Sacred Folk Melodies: No. 1 K’A Mura
Fela Sowande
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Yoruba Lament
Fela Sowande
Lucius Weathersby, organ
Rhapsody in Blue
George Gershwin
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
James Judd, conductor
Night and Day
Fela Sowande
Fela Sowande, piano / Hammond organ
Reg Richmond, trumpet
Hugh Lombard, alto saxophone
Syd Jacobson, double bass
Derek New, drums
Sunset
Fela Sowande
Obangiji
Fela Sowande
Richard Lea, organ
African Suite: IV & V
Fela Sowande
CBC Vancouver Orchestra
Mario Bernardi, conductor
Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales & West.
TUE 17:00 In Tune (m002y6hh)
Pianists John Frederick Hudson & Thomas Kelly
John Frederick Hudson and Thomas Kelly play live on In Tune ahead of appearing at Jam on the Marsh.
TUE 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002y6hk)
Classical music to inspire you
A continuous half-hour of soothing music for the early evening. We begin with just a single instrument, the resonant tones of the viola da gamba in music by Carl Friedrich Abel, before travelling several centuries forward to 1920s Paris, where Germaine Tailleffere was writing her Concertino for harp and orchestra. From there, we journey to Monsalvat, the mythical, faraway mountain Temple of the Holy Grail, located just outside the mortal world, and home to character Lohengrin. Sumi Jo serenades with us with a delicious French bon-bon, courtesy of Messager, after which Liszt offers a sense of consolation in one of his best-loved piano works. We finish in celestial bliss, with William Harris' sublime motet, Faire is the Heaven.
Producer: Dom Wells
TUE 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002y6hm)
Mahler's Resurrection Symphony
This performance of Mahler's epic 'Resurrection' Symphony brings together nearly 300 musicians, each striving to take us on a journey which encompasses not just everything in this world, but gives us a clear vision of the one beyond. "Auferstehen" ("Rise from the dead") insists the choir at the climax of the work, that after an hour's rollercoaster of emotions, embracing the religious and secular, dance and stillness, absolute focus and imaginative spatial effects. Mahler uses his orchestra in unique ways to create an all-embracing and immersive experience that takes us from death to a new life.
Recorded at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on 13 June 2026 and presented by Mark Forrest.
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C minor, 'Resurrection'
Siobhan Stagg (soprano)
Stefanie Irányi (mezzo soprano)
CBSO Chorus
BBC Philharmonic
John Storgårds (conductor)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert."
TUE 21:45 The Essay (m002y6hp)
Call of the Wild
The Raccoon, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate
Composers talk to Verity Sharp about how their creativity has been shaped by an animal species, how it has formed their approach to making music, and what they’ve discovered about the natural world in the process.
Each episode explores how an animal has served as a muse or guide to expand their musical palette with diverse sets of thinking, ranging from personal healing to musical virtuosity and local ecological concerns. These musicians often incorporate field recordings or natural sounds into their work, treating nature as a collaborator.
For Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, the raccoon is a portal into the woodlands of the Southeastern US, capturing generations of ancestral knowledge and storytelling. In this episode, Jerod explores the deep-rooted relationship between the Chickasaw Nation and nature, and how the raccoon might encourage us to listen with fresh ears to the everyday creatures around us.
Produced by Tess Davidson
Production support from Rebecca Lennon
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
Featuring extracts from Shawi’ (raccoon) from Woodland Songs by the Dover Quartet
TUE 22:00 Night Tracks (m002y6hr)
Meditative music for night owls
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
TUE 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002y6ht)
New from Norma Winston and Steve Gray with the NDR Radio Orchestra
Tonight saxophonist Alex Hitchcock returns to share another artist that he would like to celebrate, for Flowers. Tonight he chooses an American avant-garde trumpeter.
There’s also music from Ezra Collective, Virginia MacDonald and Donna Thompson, as well as a previously unreleased concert recording from 1990 by Norma Winstone, Steve Gray, and the formerly named NDR Radio Orchestra, now the NDR Radiophilharmonie.
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'
WEDNESDAY 08 JULY 2026
WED 00:30 Through the Night (m002y6hw)
Brahms, Adamič and Alfvén from Slovenia
Andrew von Oeyen plays Brahms' first piano concerto with the SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra and conductor Simon Krečič. Alfvén's Third Symphony and Slovenian composer Bojan Adamič's Three Folk Songs for symphony orchestra complete the programme. Penny Gore presents.
12:31 AM
Bojan Adamič (1912-1995)
Three Folk Songs for symphony orchestra
SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra, Simon Krečič (conductor)
12:49 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Piano Concerto no 1 in D minor, Op 15
Andrew von Oeyen (piano), SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra, Simon Krečič (conductor)
01:38 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Adagio, from 'Concerto in D minor, BWV.974'
Andrew von Oeyen (piano)
01:43 AM
Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960)
Symphony no 3 in E major, Op 23
SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra, Simon Krečič (conductor)
02:16 AM
Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960), Herman Sätherberg (lyricist)
Aftonen (The Evening)
Swedish Radio Choir, Eric Ericson (conductor)
02:20 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
4 Lieder from the Schemelli songbook (BWV.443, 468, 470 & 439)
Bernarda Fink (mezzo soprano), Domen Marinčič (gamba), Dalibor Miklavcic (organ)
02:31 AM
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Excerpts from Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses: 10 pieces for piano S.173
Sylviane Deferne (piano)
03:12 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Trio sonata in D major, Wq 83, H505
Les Coucous Bénévoles
03:29 AM
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
Ave Generosa
Orpheus Women's Choir, Albert Wissink (director)
03:35 AM
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), Jerzy Maksymiuk (arr.)
Nocturne Op 16 No 4
Polish Radio Orchestra, Warsaw, Jerzy Maksymiuk (conductor)
03:40 AM
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Sonata for bassoon and piano in G major, Op 168
Jens-Christoph Lemke (bassoon), Mårten Landström (piano)
03:53 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Prometheus (Finale from the ballet music)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ludovít Rajter (conductor)
04:01 AM
Luzzasco Luzzaschi (c.1545-1607)
O primavera for solo soprano and bc & O dolcezze d'Amore
Tragicomedia
04:09 AM
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Miniatures for violin, cello and piano (set 1)
Mithras Trio
04:16 AM
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
Overture (La Fille du regiment)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Nello Santi (conductor)
04:25 AM
Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
Ah! Lève-toi, soleil (aria from 'Roméo et Juliette', Act 2)
Richard Margison (tenor), Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Richard Bradshaw (conductor)
04:31 AM
Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
Renaissance Concerto for brass ensemble
Hungarian Brass Ensemble
04:35 AM
Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981)
Qui habitat
Netherlands Chamber Choir, Uwe Gronostay (director)
04:44 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Rondo in A minor K.511 for piano
Jean Muller (piano)
04:54 AM
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
Jane Grey Fantasy, Op 15
Scott Dickinson (viola), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Teresa Riveiro Bohm (conductor)
05:06 AM
Sérgio Assad (b.1952)
Brazilian Scenes: Pinote; Recife dos Corais
Tornado Guitar Duo (duo)
05:11 AM
Blagoje Bersa (1873-1934)
Suncana Polja (Sunny Fields)
Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Kazushi Ono (conductor)
05:27 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
String Quartet no 13 in A minor, D.804 'Rosamunde'
Artemis Quartet
06:03 AM
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Agnus Dei for chorus
BBC Singers, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)
06:12 AM
Pieter van Maldere (1729-1768)
Sinfonia in G minor, Op 4 no 1
Academy of Ancient Music, Filip Bral (conductor)
WED 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002y68l)
The finest classical music to elevate your morning
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
WED 09:30 Essential Classics (m002y68n)
The very best of classical music
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
WED 13:00 Classical Live (m002y68q)
BBC Concert Orchestra perform Malcolm Arnold's ballet Sweeney Todd
Linton Stephens presents an afternoon of exceptional music-making with highlights from the BBC Concerto Orchestra. Opening the programme is The Walk to the Paradise Garden by Frederick Delius, a luminous orchestral interlude from A Village Romeo and Juliet. This is followed by Malcolm Arnold's darkly comic, vivid, and energetic ballet, Sweeney Todd.
From LSO St Luke’s, pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips is joined by soprano Sophie Bevan and violinist Malin Broman continuing his profile week there with friends. And also specially recorded items from the National Centre for Early Music and BBC R3 New Generation Baroque Ensemble - Ensemble Augelletti.
Frederick Delius
The Walk to the Paradise Garden
BBC Concert Orchestra
Martin Yates (conductor)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Trio Sonata No.5 in C major, BWV.529
Ensemble Augelletti
Johannes Brahms
Warum is das Licht gegeben dem Muhseligen
BBC Singers
Alexander Lüken (conductor)
Malcolm Arnold
Sweeney Todd ballet
BBC Concert Orchestra
Martin Yates (conductor)
Lili Boulanger
Le retour
Sophie Bevan (soprano)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".
WED 15:00 Choral Evensong (m002y68s)
The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead, London
Live from the Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead, London, with the choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
Introit: O thou sweetest source (Wood)
Responses: Sarah MacDonald
Psalms 41, 42, 43 (Wesley, van den Heuvel ‘after Wood’)
First Lesson: Isaiah 26 vv1-9
Office Hymn: Christ who knows all his sheep (Cambridge)
Canticles: Wood in A flat
Second Lesson: Romans 8 vv12-27
Anthem: Expectans expectavi (Wood)
Hymn-Anthem: God omnipotenteth reigneth (Wood)
Blessing Anthem: Oculi omnium (Wood)
Voluntary: Chorale Fantasia on ‘The Old Hundredth’ (Parry)
Matthew Martin (Precentor)
Eben Eyres, Jack van den Heuvel (Organ Scholars)
To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.
WED 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002y68v)
Fela Sowande and the Art Music of Nigeria
The Life and Legacy of Little Ayo Bankole
Donald Macleod turns to Ayo Bankole, a central figure in the generation after Fela Sowande. With Alexander Douglas, he traces Bankole’s early years in Lagos, where his musical gifts were recognised and shaped within church and school life. Studies in London and Cambridge opened up new musical worlds while also placing him within a very different cultural environment. His music reflects these experiences, drawing together Yoruba traditions and European forms in piano pieces, songs and larger works. A return to Nigeria in the 1960s brought a new phase of teaching, research and composition.
Egun Variations in G major
Ayo Bankole
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Variations for Little Ayo
Ayo Bankole
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Nigerian Suite: I–V
Ayo Bankole
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Three Yoruba Songs
Ayo Bankole
Omo Bello, soprano
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Ya Orule
Ayo Bankole
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Piano Sonata No. 2 in C major “The Passion”: I–III
Ayo Bankole
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales & West.
WED 17:00 In Tune (m002y68x)
Dame Kathryn McDowell and Vache Baroque
Sara Mohr-Pietsch chats to Dame Kathryn McDowell about her 21 years as Managing Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, ahead of stepping down in July.
Players from Vache Baroque perform on In Tune, ahead of their appearance at the Buxton International Festival.
WED 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002p75l)
Classical music to boost your mood
Half and hour of back-to-back classical music to help wind down at the end of a busy day. Mozart's transcendently beautiful slow movement from his clarinet concerto opens the sequence, followed by a Schubert piano minuet and music for violin and orchestra by Joseph White. Cooling the temperature is Ravel's "Jeux d'eau" and William Byrd's Mass for three voices, and the mix ends with one of Bach's most immersive works, originally written as his E major violin concerto, and recycled for keyboard.
Producer: Kevin Bee
To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Mixtape”.
WED 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002y691)
Monteverdi's Vespers from the York Early Music Festival
A jubilant opening to the 2026 York Early Music Festival, which celebrates its 50th incarnation this year. Robert Hollingworth conducts his ensemble I Fagiolini in an intimate yet powerful one-to-a-part performance of Monteverdi’s defining masterwork of church music – his Vespers of 1610. Accompanied by wind, strings and brass, I Fagiolini’s superb technical control and dynamic improvisation produce a colourful and viscerally emotional reading – a fitting 21st-century interpretation of Monteverdi’s masterpiece as this popular British group approaches its own 40th anniversary later this year.
Recorded at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall at the University of York on 3 July 2026. Presented by Hannah French.
Claudio Monteverdi - Vespers (1610)
I Fagiolini
The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble
Robert Hollingworth (conductor)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert."
WED 21:45 The Essay (m002y693)
Call of the Wild
The Cat Frog, Lechuga Zafiro
Composers talk to Verity Sharp about how their creativity has been shaped by an animal species, how it has formed their approach to making music, and what they’ve discovered about the natural world in the process.
Each episode explores how an animal has served as a muse or guide to expand their musical palette with diverse sets of thinking, ranging from personal healing to musical virtuosity and local ecological concerns. These musicians often incorporate field recordings or natural sounds into their work, treating nature as a collaborator.
DJ and musician Lechuga Zafiro has always been fascinated by frogs – in particular the cat frog (la rana gato in Spanish), with its distinctive cat-like wail. Surrounded by its sounds growing up in Uruguay, he started collecting field recordings from a young age. In this episode, he shares his process for merging the animal world into his dance tracks. Is the frog nature’s answer to the synthesiser?
Produced by Tess Davidson
Production support from Rebecca Lennon
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
Additional field recordings by Lechuga Zafiro
Featuring extracts from Desde los Oídos de un Sapo
WED 22:00 Night Tracks (m002y695)
Blissful sounds for after-hours
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
WED 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002y697)
A classic from Wayne Shorter
Saxophonist and arranger Alex Hitchcock has a third bouquet of Flowers to give to a contemporary artist that he resonates with. Tonight, it’s the turn of an award-winning trumpet player from New Hampshire.
There’s music also to come from Dorothy Ashby, Albert Ayler and Niamh Corkey.
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'
THURSDAY 09 JULY 2026
THU 00:30 Through the Night (m002y699)
Rachmaninov and Richard Strauss from Germany
Rachmaninov's expansive second symphony is performed by the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Marcus Bosch, preceded by Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs with Canadian soprano Leah Gordon. Strauss' Four Symphonic Interludes from 'Intermezzo' completes the programme. Penny Gore presents.
12:31 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Four symphonic interludes, from 'Intermezzo', Op 72
German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Marcus Bosch (conductor)
12:55 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Vier letzte Lieder, AV.150
Leah Gordon (soprano), German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Marcus Bosch (conductor)
01:15 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Zueignung, Op 10 no 1
Leah Gordon (soprano), German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Marcus Bosch (conductor)
01:17 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Symphony no 2 in E minor, Op 27
German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Marcus Bosch (conductor)
02:15 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943), Alan Arnold (arr.)
Vocalise, Op 34 no 14 arr. Arnold for viola and piano
Gyözö Máté (viola), Balázs Szokolay (piano)
02:20 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949), Franz Hasenöhrl (arr.)
Till Eulenspiegel - Einmal Anders!
Esbjerg Ensemble, Jorgen Lauritsen (director)
02:31 AM
François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829)
Symphony in D major, Op 5 no 3 'Pastorella'
Tafelmusik Orchestra, Jeanne Lamon (conductor)
02:47 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
24 Preludes for piano, Op 28
Cédric Tiberghien (piano)
03:26 AM
Erik Satie (1866-1925), Claude Debussy (orch.)
Gymnopédies no 3 and no 1
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, Alexander Humala (conductor)
03:33 AM
Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)
White-flowering days (A Garland for the Queen), Op 37 no 8
BBC Singers, Bo Holten (conductor)
03:37 AM
François Devienne (1759-1803)
Trio no 2 in C major
Valentinas Gelgotas (flute), Vitalija Raskeviciute (viola), Gediminas Derus (cello)
03:47 AM
Georg Muffat (1653-1704)
Sonata from Concerto no XI in E minor, 'Delirrium amoris'
L'Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, Michi Gaigg (director)
03:53 AM
Michelangelo Rossi (c.1601-1656)
Toccata no 7 in D minor for keyboard
Michael Behringer (harpsichord)
03:57 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
3 Songs: 'Liebesbotschaft', 'Heidenroslein' and 'Litanei auf das Fest'
Bryn Terfel (bass baritone), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
04:07 AM
Traditional, Darko Petrinjak (arr.)
6 Renaissance Dances
Zagreb Guitar Trio
04:18 AM
Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929)
Concert Overture in D major
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Chloé van Soeterstèd (conductor)
04:31 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Romance and Waltz
Dutch Pianists Quartet
04:37 AM
Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
Roses from the South - waltz, Op 388
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Rossen Milanov (conductor)
04:47 AM
Clara Jaz
Zytglogge
Agata Raatz (violin), Zora Slokar (horn)
04:50 AM
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)
Nachtwächter - Serenade
La Scintilla Orchestra, Riccardo Minasi (conductor)
04:59 AM
Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
Automne, Op 35 no 2
Valerie Tryon (piano)
05:07 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet no 50 in B flat major, Op 64 no 3 (Hob.III:67)
Talisker Kvartetten
05:27 AM
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016)
Cantus Arcticus, Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, Op 61
Argovia Philharmonic, Rune Bergmann (conductor)
05:46 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Alles redet itzt und singet, TWV
20:10
Barbara Schlick (soprano), Stephen Varcoe (bass), Michael Schneider (recorder), Konrad Hünteler (recorder), Hans-Peter Westermann (oboe), Pieter Dhont (oboe), Michael McCraw (bassoon), Das Kleine Konzert, Hermann Max (conductor)
06:14 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Sonata in D major, K.576
Jonathan Biss (piano)
THU 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002y6dq)
Kickstart your day with the best classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
THU 09:30 Essential Classics (m002y6ds)
Relax into the day with classical
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
THU 13:00 Classical Live (m002y6dv)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra perform Debussy's La Mer
Linton Stephens presents an afternoon of exceptional music-making with highlights from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, looking forward to its appearances at this year's BBC Proms. The programme features Britten's Suite on English Folk Tunes, a poignant and nostalgic reflection on traditional melodies; Debussy's La Mer, a shimmering orchestral masterpiece that vividly captures the changing moods and power of the sea; and Amy Beach's Gaelic Symphony , a richly Romantic and deeply expressive work inspired by Irish folk traditions.
From LSO St Luke’s, pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips is joined by violinists Malin Broman and Lawrence Power, continuing his week of chamber performance. And also specially recorded items from the National Centre for Early Music and BBC R3 New Generation Baroque Ensemble - Ensemble Augelletti
Benjamin Britten
Suite on English folk tunes Op. 90 (A time there was...)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)
Nadia Boulanger
Vers la vie nouvelle
Malin Broman (violin)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Lili Boulanger
Nocturne and Cortège
Malin Broman (violin)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Georg Philipp Telemann
Sonata No.1 in A major, TWV.43:A1
Ensemble Augelletti
Claude Debussy
La Mer, L. 109
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Delyana Lazarova (conductor)
Maurice Ravel
Allegretto from Violin Sonata No. 2
Lawrence Power (viola)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Amy Beach
Symphony in E minor (Gaelic)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard (conductor)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live"
THU 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002y6dx)
Fela Sowande and the Art Music of Nigeria
African Pianism Man
Donald Macleod turns to Akin Euba, a composer whose work reshaped ideas about African art music. With Alexander Douglas, he traces Euba’s journey from Lagos to London and the United States, where encounters with different musical traditions sharpened his sense of identity as a composer. His music moves beyond simple fusion, exploring new ways of structuring sound and performance. The concept of 'African pianism' emerges: using the piano to evoke the textures and rhythms of traditional music while opening up new possibilities for composition. Alongside his work as a composer, Euba played a central role in building institutions and shaping musical thought, both in Nigeria and internationally.
Three Yoruba Songs Without Words: I–III
Akin Euba
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Abdelkader Saadoun, percussion
Scenes from Traditional Life
Akin Euba
Max Lifchitz, piano
Six Yoruba Folk Songs
Akin Euba
Omo Bello, soprano
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Richard Olatunde Baker, talking drum
Study in African Jazz 3
Akin Euba
Eric Moe, piano
Igba Kerin
Akin Euba
William Chapman Nyaho, piano
Igba Kinni
Akin Euba
William Chapman Nyaho, piano
Wakar Duru: 1, 2 and 4
Akin Euba
Rebeca Omordia, piano
Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales & West.
THU 17:00 In Tune (m002y6dz)
Jazz singer Norma Winstone, pianist Nikolay Medvedev
Katie talks to british jazz singer, Norma Winstone, who at 85 is still performing and has just released a new album, A Timeless Place.
There's also live music from pianist Nikolay Medvedev. He performs from his new album, Fusions.
THU 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002p7dl)
A soul-soothing classical mix
Half and hour of relaxing back-to-back classical music, including a Beethoven piano sonata, Grieg's haunting slow movement from his piano concerto, William Grant Still's poignant "Mother and child" for violin and piano, and a Shepherd's Song by Han Kun Sha.
Producer: Kevin Bee
To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Mixtape”.
THU 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002y6f3)
The Sixteen at the York Early Music Festival
The Sixteen and their conductor Harry Christophers stop at York Minster as part of their annual Choral Pilgrimage, to perform as part of the 2026 York Early Music Festival.
Spain’s Siglo de oro, the "Age of Gold", gave rise to some of the greatest sacred choral music of the Renaissance. The Sixteen explore majestic works by Cristóbal de Morales, famed throughout Europe and in the New World, and the exquisite polyphony of Sebastián de Vivánco, whose intricately crafted counterpoint adorned services at the cathedrals of Ávila and Salamanca. The programme also features spellbinding settings of words by St John Henry Newman: Sir James MacMillan’s "Nothing in vain", and the world premiere broadcast of NCEM Young Composers Award alumna Kerensa Briggs’s "Lead, kindly light".
Recorded at York Minster on 4 July 2026. Presented by Hannah French.
Sebastián de Vivanco - Christus factus est pro nobis
Cristobal de Morales - Emendemus in melius
Sebastián de Vivanco - Assumpta est Maria
Cristobal de Morales - Gaude et laetare ferrariensis civitas
Kerensa Briggs - Lead, kindly light
Sebastián de Vivanco - Magnificat octavi toni
INTERVAL
Cristobal de Morales - Jubilate Deo omnis terra
Sebastián de Vivanco - O quam suavis est, Domine
Cristobal de Morales - Exaltata est sancta Dei genitrix
Cristobal de Morales - Lamentabatur Jacob
Sebastián de Vivanco - Caritas Pater est
Sir James MacMillan - Nothing in vain
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers (conductor)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert."
THU 21:45 The Essay (m002y6f5)
Call of the Wild
The Seal, Hanna Tuulikki
Composers talk to Verity Sharp about how their creativity has been shaped by an animal species, how it has formed their approach to making music, and what they’ve discovered about the natural world in the process.
Each episode explores how an animal has served as a muse or guide to expand their musical palette with diverse sets of thinking, ranging from personal healing to musical virtuosity and local ecological concerns. These musicians often incorporate field recordings or natural sounds into their work, treating nature as a collaborator.
For artist and composer Hanna Tuulikki, humans have more in common with the animal world than we realise. Hanna shares her vocal compositions from her short film Seals’kin – featuring the sounds of hundreds of seals on the Ythan estuary on the Aberdeenshire coast. Rooted in folklore, how might the lament of the seal be an opportunity for collective healing in the face of ecological grief?
Produced by Tess Davidson
Production support from Rebecca Lennon
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
Additional seal field recordings by Pete Smith
Featuring extracts from Seals’kin
THU 22:00 Night Tracks (m002y6f7)
Immersive music for moonlight
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
THU 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002y6f9)
Brand new from Tyshawn Sorey
All this week, Soweto’s guest has been London saxophonist and arranger Alex Hitchcock. He’s been giving flowers to some of the artists that are meaningful to him. Rounding off his week, Alex gives a final bunch to a Japanese cellist, singer and composer.
There is also music from Hannabiell, Joe Webb and Dizzy Gillespie.
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'
FRIDAY 10 JULY 2026
FRI 00:30 Through the Night (m002y6fc)
Beethoven's Violin Concerto
Veronika Eberle performs Beethoven's only violin concerto, a lyrical and beautiful work. Robin Ticciati conducts the Swedish Radio Symphony in the Beethoven concerto, followed by Dvořák's 8th symphony. Penny Gore presents.
12:31 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Violin Concerto in D, Op 61
Veronika Eberle (violin), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Robin Ticciati (conductor)
01:13 AM
Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
Pizzicato, from 44 Duos for Violin, Vol. IV, Sz. 98 (encore)
Veronika Eberle (violin), Johannes Marmén (violin)
01:15 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Symphony no 8 in G, Op 88
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Robin Ticciati (conductor)
01:52 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Impromptu no 4 in F minor - from Impromptus for piano (D.935)
Eugen d'Albert (piano)
01:57 AM
Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871-1927)
String Quartet no 3 in F major, Op 18
Yggdrasil String Quartet
02:31 AM
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Symphony of Psalms
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Choir, Colin Davis (conductor)
02:51 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Symphony no 59 in A major, 'Fire'
Budapest Strings, Botvay Karoly (conductor)
03:10 AM
Mel Bonis (1858-1938)
Flute Sonata in C sharp minor, Op 64
Elizaveta Ivanova (flute), Sanja Bizjak (piano)
03:28 AM
Lou Harrison (1917-2003)
Harp Suite
David Tanenbaum (guitar), William Winant (percussion), Scott Evans (percussion), Joel Davel (drums)
03:44 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Overture in the Italian Style, D.590
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Marcello Viotti (conductor)
03:52 AM
Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758)
Concerto in D major, FWV L:D11
Café Zimmermann
04:03 AM
Franz Doppler (1821-1883)
Andante and Rondo for two flutes and piano, Op 25
Karolina Santl-Zupan (flute), Matej Zupan (flute), Dijana Tanovic (piano)
04:13 AM
Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300-1377)
Ballade 32, 'Ploures, dames'
Oxford Camerata, Jeremy Summerly (conductor)
04:22 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Overture from Die Zauberflote K.620
Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Richard Bradshaw (conductor)
04:31 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Sonata no 6 for 2 violins and continuo in G minor, Z.807
Il Tempo Ensemble
04:38 AM
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Suite for chamber orchestra
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Krenz (conductor)
04:46 AM
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Magnificat II
Chorus of Swiss Radio, Lugano, Diego Fasolis (conductor)
04:57 AM
Gunnar de Frumerie (1908-1987)
Pastoral Suite, Op 13b
Kathleen Rudolph (flute), CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
05:10 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Horn Concerto no 2 in E flat major
Markus Maskuniitty (horn), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Junichi Hirokami (conductor)
05:31 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Partita for solo violin No.1 in B minor, BWV.1002
Rachel Podger (violin)
05:47 AM
Flor Alpaerts (1876-1954)
James Ensor Suite
Vlaams Radio Orkest [Flemish Radio Orchestra], Michel Tabachnik (conductor)
06:04 AM
Nico Muhly (b.1981)
No Resting Place
Ars Nova Copenhagen, Sofi Jeannin (director)
FRI 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002y6c2)
Embrace the morning calm of classical music and birdsong
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
FRI 09:30 Essential Classics (m002y6c4)
Celebrating classical greats
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
FRI 13:00 Classical Live (m002y6c6)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales perform Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances
Linton Stephens presents an afternoon of exceptional music-making with highlights from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor Ryan Bancroft takes to the podium for his final Welsh concert as Principal, directing the orchestra in Brahms' Double Concerto and also Rachmaninov's vibrant Symphonic Dances, and Stravinsky's colourful Song of the Nightingale, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale.
From LSO St Luke’s, pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips is joined by pianist Philip Moore and violinist Malin Broman concluding his recent programme of chamber music wth friends. And also specially recorded items from the National Centre for Early Music and BBC R3 New Generation Baroque Ensemble - Ensemble Augelletti.
Johannes Brahms
Double Concerto
Lesley Hatfield (violin)
Alice Neary (cello)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft (conductor)
Franz Schubert
Fantasia in F minor
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Philip Moore (piano)
Sergey Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft (conductor)
Nadia Boulanger
Soleils couchants
Sophie Bevan (soprano)
Malin Broman (violin)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Francis Poulenc
Sonata for Violin and Piano
Malin Broman (violin)
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Trio Sonata in G major, BWV.1039
Ensemble Augelletti
Igor Stravinsky
Song of the Nightingale
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft (conductor)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live"
FRI 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002y6c8)
Fela Sowande and the Art Music of Nigeria
Past, Present, Future
Donald Macleod brings the week into focus through the music of Samuel Akpabot and Nkeiru Okoye, linking the early pioneers to the present day. With Alexander Douglas, he explores how a generation of Nigerian composers trained abroad returned to reshape musical life at home, building institutions, ensembles and a lasting repertoire. Akpabot’s orchestral writing offers one perspective on this developing tradition, while Okoye’s music reflects a more recent, transatlantic voice. Questions of lineage, identity and continuity run through their work, alongside the practical challenges of preserving archives and performance traditions.
Nigerian Dance No. 1
Joshua Uzoigwe
William Chapman Nyaho, piano
Scenes from Nigeria: I Pastorale (arrangement for clarinet and piano)
Samuel Akpabot
Marcus Eley, clarinet
Lucerne DeSa, piano
Three Nigerian Dances
Samuel Akpabot
South African Broadcasting Corporation National Symphony Orchestra
Richard Cock, conductor
African Sketches: I–IV
Nkeiru Okoye
Rochelle Sennet, piano
Inside Is What Remains
Nkeiru Okoye
Sequina DuBose, soprano
Gregory Thompson, piano
Breaking Bread
Nkeiru Okoye
Matt Haimovitz, cello
When Young Spring Comes
Nkeiru Okoye
Lara Downes, piano
Voices Shouting Out
Nkeiru Okoye
Central Washington University Symphony Orchestra
Wesley Hunter, conductor
Songs of Harriet Tubman: I Am Harriet Tubman, Free Woman
Nkeiru Okoye
Louise Toppin, soprano (Harriet Tubman)
Dvořák Symphony Orchestra
Julius P. Williams, conductor
Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales & West.
FRI 17:00 In Tune (m002y6cb)
The Eddie Gripper trio live in session, cellist Sebastian Plano
Jazz pianist Eddie Gripper plays live with his trio from his album, Americana. Grammy-nominated cellist Sebastian Plano chats to Sara about his latest release, Solo.
FRI 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002y6cd)
Classical music for focus or relaxation
Steve's Reich's hypnotic Electric Counterpoint opens today's mixtape, followed by some lush Delius for orchestra and mournful Bach on solo violin. Tchaikovsky's charming Sleeping Beauty lightens the mood, melting into some juicy choral harmonies from Joanna Marsh and a Beethoven piano sonata. The mixtape ends with Dvorak's lyrical Serenade for Strings.
FRI 19:30 Friday Night is Music Night (m002y6cg)
Celebrating 75 Years of The Archers
Archers actors Louiza Patikas and Ryan Kelly join Petroc Trelawny at Saffron Hall as the BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor George Jackson pay a musical tribute to 75 years of the iconic radio drama. Radio 3 New Generation Artist Hana Chang is the soloist in Vaughan Williams' ever popular The Lark Ascending.
Katie Moss, arr Shaw: Cornish Floral Dance
Ray Davies, arr Sam Gale: Village Green Preservation Society
Charles Aznavour, arr Richard Balcombe: She
Walton: Wise Virgins - Sheep may safely graze
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Coates: From the Countryside - 3. At the fair (evening)
-----INTERVAL-----
Maconchy: Two Dances from Puck Fair
Arr Vaughan Williams: Greensleeves
Jack Mulroy: I should have asked Grandma
Tomlinson: Three Pastoral Dances: 3. Hornpipe
Gordon Sumner, arr Balcombe: Fields of Gold
Elgar: Nimrod (Enigma Variations)
Dolly Parton, arr Scarlet Halton: Jolene
Arthur Wood: My Native Heath
Singer Ryan Kelly
Violin Hana Chang
BBC Concert Orchestra
Conductor George Jackson
FRI 21:45 The Essay (m002y6cj)
Call of the Wild
The Squirrel Cuckoo, Leena Lee
Composers talk to Verity Sharp about how their creativity has been shaped by an animal species, how it has formed their approach to making music, and what they’ve discovered about the natural world in the process.
Each episode explores how an animal has served as a muse or guide to expand their musical palette with diverse sets of thinking, ranging from personal healing to musical virtuosity and local ecological concerns. These musicians often incorporate field recordings or natural sounds into their work, treating nature as a collaborator.
In this final episode, atmosphere artist and field recordist Leena Lee reminds us that while it is easy to dismiss birdsong, there is much for us still to learn. Following the sounds of the squirrel cuckoo (Piaya cayana) in the Lacandon jungle, from marking seasonal cycles to announcing rain and even warning of danger, Leena explores how birds are not just powerful bioindicators but a crucial opportunity to listen to the world around us in new ways.
Produced by Tess Davidson
Production support from Rebecca Lennon
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
Additional field recordings by Fernando González García, Leena Lee and Verity Sharp
Featuring extracts from ‘K’in’ from Aves de Nahá (Bosque Vacío)
FRI 22:00 Late Junction (m002y6cl)
Wild Horses
They’ve carried goods, pulled carts and ploughs, been cast into world wars and feature films, comforted hearts and ridden into sunsets… Since the ice ages and beyond, few animals have been as noble a companion and as bright an inspiration to the human soul as the horse. On the eve of the UN-declared World Horse Day, Late Junction turns hippophile as Verity Sharp presents a selection of tracks inspired by, made from, and related to horses. Expect the sound of a 13th-century Welsh horsehair harp and that of the morin khuur, a type of horsehair fiddle native to Mongolia. Plus, rollicking cowboy anthems and musical odes to mythological steeds.
Produced by Cat Gough
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
FRI 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002y6cn)
Sonny Rollins in tribute
In this Friday’s edition of ‘Round Midnight, Soweto pays tribute to the late saxophone colossus, and an artist who has personally influenced him deeply, Sonny Rollins, who sadly passed away on Monday 25th May.
Born Walter Theodore Rollins in New York in 1930 and nicknamed Sonny by his grandmother, Rollins was a gifted saxophonist and was mentored by pianist Thelonious Monk. His highly prolific career began in the late 1940s, working with artists including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane and releasing more than 60 albums as a bandleader, always transcending boundaries of composition and improvisation. In 2014, a respiratory illness forced him to retire, however he remained a dedicated contributor to the jazz community, and continued (and continues) to be a towering figure in the music.
Tonight Soweto shares some of his favourite Sonny tracks, and he is joined along the way by special guests and fellow saxophonists, Melissa Aldana and Jean Toussaint, as they reflect on the impact of Sonny's music and legacy.
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight".