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Episode details

Radio 3,06 Jul 2026,30 mins

Half an hour of the finest classical music

Classical Mixtape

Available for 29 days

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

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Tracklist

  1. Track
    Artist
  2. 1.
    Northern Lights
    Northern Lights
    Ola Gjeilo
  3. 2.
    Water Dance No.3: Very lightly, like a harp
    Water Dance No.3: Very lightly, like a harp
    Karen Tanaka
  4. 3.
    Piano Trio No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 34: II. Lento
    Piano Trio No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 34: II. Lento
    Cécile Chaminade