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Three Hours of Classical Sparkle

Join Sarah Walker for a glorious musical mix, perfect for your Sunday - from vibrant baroque gems to lush orchestral depictions of the English countryside.

Join Sarah Walker for a glorious musical mix, perfect for your Sunday - from vibrant baroque gems to lush orchestral depictions of the English countryside.

This week, Sarah Walker's playlist takes us from the wilds of Suffolk's Orford Ness, to the North of Scotland and out to see the wonders of the Solar System.

This week’s Choral Reflection features Michael Tippett's emotional setting of the 5 Spirituals from his Oratorio A Child of Our Time, sung by the Finzi Singers, and there’s also music by Ravel and Respighi, a sparkling recording of the Overture to Mozart's Magic Flute, and a chance to hear a stunning recording by the LA Philharmonic of Dvorak's sunny 8th Symphony in full.

Also, Sarah's Sunday Sequence for this week pays tribute to a national treasure...

A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3.

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3 hours

Last on

Sunday09:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Gustav Holst

    The Planets, Op 32 (3rd mvt, 'Mercury, the Winged Messenger')

    Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.
    • LSO Live.

  • John Field

    Nocturne No 15 in D minor, H 59, 'Song Without Words'

    Performer: Alice Sara Ott.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).

  • Doreen Carwithen

    Suffolk Suite (2nd mvt, 'Orford Ness')

    Conductor: Richard Hickox. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.
    • Chandos.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto for 4 Violins and Cello in B minor, Op 3 No 10, RV 580

    Performer: Rachel Podger. Ensemble: Brecon Baroque.
    • Channel Classics.

  • Richard Wagner

    Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90 (Prelude to Act I)

    Conductor: Andris Nelsons. Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).

  • William Christopher Handy

    St. Louis Blues

    Ensemble: Louis Armstrong Orchestra.
    • Larkin's Jazz.
    • Proper.
    • 3.

  • Ottorino Respighi

    Trittico Botticelliano (No 1, 'La Primavera')

    Conductor: Riccardo Frizza. Orchestra: Bamberg Symphony Orchestra.
    • Italian Perspectives.
    • PENTATONE.

  • Michael Tippett

    A Child of Our Time (Five Spirituals)

    Choir: Finzi Singers. Conductor: Paul Spicer.
    • Chandos.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Rapsodie espagnole, M 54 (4th mvt, 'Feria')

    Conductor: John Wilson. Orchestra: Sinfonia of London.
    • Chandos.

  • Florence Price

    Ethiopia's Shadow in America ('His Resignation and Faith')

    Conductor: Leslie Suganandarajah. Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano Sonata in D Major, Hob XVI:4 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Denis Kozhukhin.
    • PENTATONE.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Serse, HWV 40 (Act 1: 'Ombra mai fu')

    Singer: Andreas Scholl. Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
    • Heroes.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd.
    • 2.

  • George Fenton

    The Blue Planet

    Conductor: George Fenton. Choir: The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford. Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra.
    • The Blue Planet (Original Television Soundtrack).
    • Silva Screen Records Ltd.
    • 1.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (Var 3 & 4)

    Performer: Murray Perahia.
    • Sony Classical.

  • William Walton

    Façade Orchestral Suite No 2 (5th mvt, 'Popular Song')

    Conductor: Jan Latham-Koenig. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Chandos.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Die Zauberflöte, K 620 (Ouverture)

    Conductor: René Jacobs. Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin.
    • harmonia mundi.

  • Christopher Tye

    Peterhouse Mass (4th mvt, 'Benedictus')

    Choir: Cinquecento.
    • Hyperion.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Sonata No 24 in F sharp major, Op 78 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Michal Mašek.
    • ArcoDiva.

  • Peter Maxwell Davies

    Farewell to Stromness (arr for violin, guitar, accordion & cello)

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Performer: Plínio Fernandes. Performer: Samuele Telari. Performer: Thomas Carroll. Music Arranger: Paul Campbell.
    • Violin Café.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd.
    • 3.

  • Adriaan Willaert

    Infelix ego (2nd mvt, 'Ad te igitur')

    Lyricist: Girolamo Savonarola. Choir: The Gesualdo Six. Conductor: Owain Park.
    • Hyperion.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Symphony No 8 in G major, Op 88, B 163

    Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel. Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).

  • Hania Rani

    Malasana

    Composer: Dobrawa Czocher. Performer: Dobrawa Czocher. Performer: Hania Rani.
    • Inner Symphonies.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 8.

  • Franz Schubert

    Octet in F major, D 803 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Gidon Kremer. Performer: Isabelle van Keulen. Performer: Tabea Zimmermann. Performer: David Geringas. Performer: Alois Posch. Performer: Eduard Brunner. Performer: Radovan Vlatković. Performer: Klaus Thunemann.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).

  • Tomás Luis de Victoria

    Tu es Petrus

    Music Arranger: Simon Cox. Ensemble: Septura.
    • Music for Brass Septet, Vol. 4.
    • Naxos.
    • 2.

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Sheherazade, Op 35 (3rd mvt, 'The Young Prince and the Young Princess')

    Performer: Sergej Galaktionov. Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda. Orchestra: Filarmonica Teatro Regio Torino.
    • Fone Records.

Broadcast

  • Sunday09:00
    BBC Radio 3