Podcasts by Soul Music

Introducing Legend: The Joni Mitchell Story from 2023-12-07T08:00

Joni Mitchell’s songs have soundtracked our lives and her pioneering work changed music forever. Jesca Hoop explores her extraordinary story to reveal the life behind the legend.

In the fi...

Songs My Mother Taught Me from 2023-11-11T11:08

Antonin Dvorak wrote his Gypsy Songs in 1880. He was passionate about the folk music of his native Bohemia and set a poem by Czech poet Adolf Heyduk to music. Songs My Mother Taught Me is the fo...

Fire and Rain from 2023-11-04T11:00

James Taylor's song of suicide, loneliness and addiction somehow remains hopeful and uplifting, even as people experience their own dark times.

Holly Sinclair was driving through a Missour...

Pata Pata from 2023-10-28T10:10

Miriam Makeba recorded 'Pata Pata' in 1967 with the help of American producer Jerry Ragovoy. It became a huge hit and Miriam Makeba used newfound fame to speak the injustices of apartheid. Her...

Defying Gravity from Wicked from 2023-10-21T09:49

Wicked the musical is 20 years old in 2023. The story of the Wizard of Oz told from the witches' perspective examines themes of difference, power and alienation. The so called Wicked Witch of th...

I Will Always Love You from 2023-10-14T10:00

Written by Dolly Parton... sent stratospheric by Whitney Houston; I Will Always Love You is a song that has a worldwide fanbase reflected by the diverse memories shared here:

Nagham Kewif...

Fast Car from 2023-07-05T12:31

'Fast Car' is one of Tracy Chapman's biggest hits, with listeners from around the world finding striking connections with their own lives in the song's story.

It was released in April 198...

I Say a Little Prayer for You from 2023-06-24T10:19

When Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David wrote I Say A Little Prayer For You in 1967 the war in Vietnam was raging. The song was intended as message of support for the soldiers there. It was ...

Ghost Town from 2023-06-17T10:08

'Ghost Town' was recorded by British two-tone band The Specials as a comment on urban decay and social unrest. It was released in June 1981 as riots were springing up around the UK and with the...

I Only Have Eyes For You from 2023-06-10T10:24

When I Only Have Eyes For You first emerged in 1934 it was a jaunty ditty written by Harry Dubin and Al Warren for the movie "Dames". But it gained huge popularity when the 1950s doo wop group ...

I Believe in Father Christmas from 2022-12-24T10:59

Some people say it's a protest song about the commercialisation of Christmas. Others that it's anti-religious. I Believe In Father Christmas is about neither, although lyricist Peter Sinfield co...

Nessun Dorma from 2022-12-17T11:00

'None shall sleep'.

Jon Christos watched the Italia 90 World Cup with his Dad and says that the live performance of 'Nessun Dorma' by Pavarotti at the tournament was the only time he ever...

Killing Me Softly with His Song from 2022-12-10T10:30

"Strumming my pain with his fingers... Singing my life with his words..."

Killing Me Softly with His Song is a song about the pleasure and embarrassment of being seen. The feeling that so...

Into My Arms by Nick Cave from 2022-12-03T11:11

"I don't believe in an interventionist God" has to be one of the most original opening lines to a song. It's one that resonates with the people in this programme who take comfort from Nick Cave'...

Chervona Kalyna from 2022-11-26T10:30

Powerful stories linked to this beautiful and stirring Ukrainian folk song which inspired Pink Floyd to reform so they could release their own version, 'Hey Hey Rise Up', alongside Andriy Khlyvn...

Bruch's Violin Concerto from 2022-06-18T10:00

A Violin Concerto in G minor, Opus 26, became the best-known work of the German composer Max Bruch. Originally written in 1866 it went through many revisions before finally being completed in 1...

Ne Me Quitte Pas from 2022-06-11T10:00

Ne Me Quitte Pas is a song about begging someone not to go; of promising the world to them, if they'll only stay. From Haiti to New York, Provence to Glasgow... in versions by Nina Simone, Dusty...

Purple Rain from 2022-05-30T16:01

"I never meant to cause you any sorrow, I never meant to cause you any pain..."

True stories of what Prince's epic ballad means to different people around the world, from the very first ja...

Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton from 2022-05-28T09:59

Candi Staton and others celebrate this 1970's disco classic which delivers an optimistic message.

Written by David Crawford and released in 1976 this is the kind of song that feels like a ...

A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten from 2021-12-18T10:45

In 1942, Benjamin Britten boarded the M.S. Axel Johnson, a Swedish cargo vessel, to make the journey home to England after three years in America. During the voyage, the ship stopped at Halifax,...

U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For from 2021-12-11T11:00

More gospel than rock, this 1987 hit has inspired great change in people's lives and created memories for music lovers across the world.

Brendan McManus was a corporate high flyer with an ...

Song to the Siren from 2021-12-04T11:26

"Long afloat in shipless oceans": So begins Song To The Siren whose lyrics were inspired by Homer's Odyssey and the story of the Sirens who lured unwitting sailors to their deaths on the rocks. ...

Unfinished Sympathy from 2021-11-27T11:00

Personal stories inspired by Massive Attack's breakthrough single. Featuring the vocals of Shara Nelson, the track together with its iconic video would help catapult this band from Bristol onto...

Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific from 2021-11-20T11:00

Ezio Pinza was the first person to sing Some Enchanted Evening when South Pacific opened on Broadway in 1949. His granddaughter, Sarah Goodyear, recounts his extraordinary life story: from inte...

Ain't No Mountain High Enough from 2021-11-13T12:55

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell made Ain't No Mountain High Enough a hit for Motown in 1967. Diana Ross followed suit in 1970 as a solo artist with her version of the song. It has a place in peopl...

Take Me Home, Country Roads from 2021-08-04T15:10

"Country roads, take me home To the place I belong"

Written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert with and for their friend John Denver, the song went on to be covered by Ray Charles, Toots and ...

The Parting Glass from 2021-07-28T11:01

"So fill to me the parting glass... Goodnight and joy be to you all."

A popular toast at the end of an evening or a heartfelt farewell to a departed or deceased person? The Parting Glass h...

We've Only Just Begun from 2021-07-21T14:43

The Carpenters - brother and sister duo Richard and Karen - were one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. His outstanding compositions and her stunning vocals created several massive hits i...

Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat from 2021-07-14T08:30

This disco classic tells a powerful story: that of a young, gay man leaving his homophobic small town for the freedom of the big city. Released in 1984, Smalltown Boy continues to resonate and...

Sunshine on Leith from 2021-02-12T10:25

"While I'm worth my room on this earth......"

Sunshine on Leith was released in 1988 but didn't become the big hit The Proclaimers had hoped for. However it has endured and become an anth...

Life on Mars? - David Bowie from 2021-01-09T10:43

Musicians and fans talk about the wistful beauty and the philosophical intent of David Bowie's song, ‘Life on Mars?’.

Life on Mars was released on David Bowie's Hunky Dory album in 1971. ...

Once In A Lifetime from 2020-12-29T12:12

Stories from people about how ‘Once In A Lifetime’, Talking Heads' existential hit from 1980, touched their lives.

Talking Heads emerged out of the post punk scene of the late 1970s. 'Onc...

I Wonder as I Wander from 2020-12-22T09:00

As Christmas approaches, Soul Music leads you through Advent with the Appalachian carol "I Wonder as I Wander".

Written by American folklorist and singer John Jacob Niles, its origins come...

Lean On Me by Bill Withers from 2020-12-08T09:30

An enduring classic which delivers a message of support and friendship.

Never more so than in 2020 when Lean On Me by Bill Withers was the musical backdrop to the Covid crisis in the UK,...

I Will Survive from 2020-08-10T13:58

"At first I was afraid, I was petrified"...

From a breakup to a shipwreck, emotional true stories of what Gloria Gaynor's iconic disco anthem I Will Survive means to different people arou...

Harvest Moon from 2020-08-05T10:11

It's a love song about growing old. Neil Young's Harvest Moon released in 1992 is a nod to the 1970s country rock.

It's loved by music blogger Alyson Young. It's also a grown up song abou...

Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte by Maurice Ravel from 2020-07-22T10:03

Ravel's beautiful Pavane For A Dead Princess touches many people.

While it is not actually about a dead princess it does evoke a sense loss. For Carla van Raay it symbolises the loss of...

Feeling Good from 2020-07-15T08:00

The surprising history behind a track made famous by Nina Simone.

Feeling Good was written for a now obscure musical and originally performed by Cy Grant, the first black man to appear r...

Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay from 2020-01-22T17:11

Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay was written whilst Otis Redding was reflecting on his life on Sausalito Bay, California, in the summer of 1967.

Its upbeat, laidback melody belies the lonel...

Days from 2020-01-15T09:29

“It’s a goodbye song, but it’s also an inspirational song, It could also mean a new beginning" - Ray Davies

Written by Ray Davies and released by the Kinks in 1968 'Days' had a very differ...

Toto's Africa from 2020-01-08T09:30

Released in 1982, Toto's soft-rock anthem has become an unlikely viral smash-hit.

Africa is a song that has changed lives, helped to raise thousands of pounds for charity and provided an ...

Coventry Carol from 2019-12-25T11:30

Performed as part of the mystery plays, the 'Coventry Carol' is from the Pageant of the Shearman and Taylors and tells the story of the Slaughter of The Innocents.

A copy of the manuscrip...

We Are Family from 2019-12-18T12:21

We Are Family written by Nile Rodgers and performed by the Sledge Sisters Kathy, Kim, Debbie and Joni was released in 1978 at the height of disco's popularity.

Kim Sledge says it has beco...

The Boxer - Simon&Garfunkel from 2019-12-11T09:00

People who connect directly with the lyrics and have a deep personal connection to Simon & Garfunkel's masterpiece 'The Boxer' discuss what it means to them.

Seamus McDonagh is a forme...

Farewell to Stromness from 2019-07-31T08:00

Personal stories about Farewell to Stromness, by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Written in 1980 as a protest against uranium mining in Orkney, the music has touched and changed people's lives. The...

Wind of Change from 2019-07-24T08:00

“I follow the Moskva, down to Gorky Park… listening to the wind of change.”

The German rock band Scorpions’ lead singer Klaus Meine was inspired to write Wind of Change at a rock festival ...

Streets of London by Ralph McTell from 2019-07-17T08:30

Ralph McTell and others discuss a song that was written for a heroin addict, became an anthem against homelessness, and transcended the folk genre to become an enduring classic.

Ralph McTe...

Back to Black from 2019-07-10T12:42

Amy Winehouse died in July 2011 aged just 27.

'Back to Black' - the title track of her second and final album - is a torch song to tragic love, addiction and loss.

People who loved...

Let the River Run from 2019-01-23T10:00

The story of how a song from a classic 1980s movie became an inspirational anthem for a 21st-century generation.

Carly Simon’s ‘Let the River Run’ was originally conceived as the title tra...

Smile from 2019-01-17T11:19

Charlie Chaplin wrote the music for 'Smile' in 1935 for the film 'Modern Times', but the lyrics were only added nearly 30 years later.

Chris Philips tells the story of how his grandfather...

Schubert’s B-Flat Piano Sonata D960 from 2019-01-09T09:00

The B-Flat Piano Sonata D960, which Schubert completed two months before his death, in 1828, is a vast and complex work.

It’s the last of a triptych of piano sonatas that Schubert wrote, ...

Shine On You Crazy Diamond from 2018-12-26T09:30

Shine On You Crazy Diamond discussed by voices including David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

Understood to have been written about Syd Barrett, their former band member, it’s both a tribute, and ...

River from 2018-12-19T10:00

Soul Music with stories of the lasting impact of Joni Mitchell's song 'River', from her iconic 1971 album Blue.

A song about the breakdown of a relationship and of a longing to be elsewhe...

True Colors from 2018-05-02T08:30

"Your true colors...are beautiful, like a rainbow..."

Billy Steinberg's lyrics were originally inspired by his mother but his song writing partner Tom Kelly recognised it's universal appea...

God Only Knows from 2018-04-25T08:30

"God only knows what I'd be without you"

For artist Kim Lynch God Only Knows is a song that she has carried with her from the moment her father played it to her mother back in their 1960's...

Prelude a l'Apres Midi d'un Faune by Debussy from 2018-04-18T14:44

Claude Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun speaks to artists of different kinds.

Jamaican poet Ishion Hutchinson recalls hearing it through an open window in Kingston Jamaica and...

A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum from 2018-04-11T08:30

Why has Procol Harum's surreal track ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ remained enduringly popular for over 50 years?

Soul Music hears the stories and memories of those who love it.

Releas...

Songs of the Civil Rights Movement from 2018-04-04T21:38

Actor Clarke Peters narrates this special edition to mark 50 years since the assassination of the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King on April 4th 1968.

"If in doubt, pray and sing" an activis...

Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part One from 2018-02-12T16:00

Cerys Matthews delves into the archives to put together a specially curated mixtape of her favourite stories from across 25 series of the BBC Radio 4's Soul Music.

Each episode of Soul Mus...

Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part Two from 2018-02-12T16:00

Cerys Matthews delves into the archives to put together a specially curated mixtape of her favourite stories from across 25 series of the BBC Radio 4's Soul Music.

Each episode of Soul Mus...

Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part Three from 2018-02-12T16:00

Cerys Matthews delves into the archives to put together a specially curated mixtape of her favourite stories from across 25 series of the BBC Radio 4's Soul Music.

Each episode of Soul Mus...

Kraftwerk: Computer World from 2018-01-24T09:30

How Kraftwerk's classic album Computer World has changed people's lives.

On their first wedding anniversary, David Sanborn and Jennifer Huber remember their Kraftwerk themed celebrations....

Boys Don't Cry from 2018-01-17T09:30

Boys Don't Cry by The Cure is, on the surface, a tribute to teenage angst and a slice of pop perfection.

Lol Tolhurst, the band's drummer, wrote the song with his band mates in Robert Smi...

Ich Habe Genug from 2018-01-10T09:40

JS Bach wrote his cantata Ich Habe Genug for the Feast of the Purification of Mary to be performed in Leipzig on 2nd February 1727.

The work is a retelling of the story of the old man Sim...

Redemption Song from 2017-12-27T09:30

"If you've never heard of Bob Marley then you must be living under a rock" - Neville Garrick, Bob Marley's Art Director and friend.

At the time he wrote 'Redemption Song', circa 1979, Bob...

O Holy Night from 2017-12-20T12:20

"O' Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining..." and so begins the gentle carol of reflection that has touched the lives of listeners around the world.

For The Archbishop of York, Dr Jo...

Who Knows Where the Time Goes? from 2017-06-14T08:30

Sandy Denny was just 19 years old when she wrote 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?', her much-loved song about the passing of time.

Soul Music tells the story behind the song and speaks to p...

You Are My Sunshine from 2017-06-07T11:00

You Are My Sunshine was written in or around 1939 and was adopted by the then governor of Louisiana, Jimmy Davies, who recorded and used it as his campaign theme song.

It has since been r...

Siegfried Idyll from 2017-05-31T08:30

Wagner's peaceful Siegfried Idyll was written to thank his wife after the birth of his son Siegfried.

On her birthday in 1870, she awoke to find an orchestra on her staircase performing t...

My Favourite Things from 2017-05-24T08:30

"Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens".

Guests from around the world share their special memories of The Sound of Music classic 'My Favourite Things'.

Written by Rodgers and H...

Waterloo Sunset from 2017-05-17T08:30

Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks was released in 1967.

Soul Music hears the poignant, thoughtful and life-changing memories of those who love it.

Childhood holidays were an escape from ...

The Star-Spangled Banner from 2016-11-01T12:00

America's national anthem was written by a lawyer, Francis Scott Key, after watching the British navy bombing Fort McHenry in 1814.

It was set to an English social men's club song and rec...

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face from 2016-10-25T10:30

Memories of first love, first borns and loss are stirred by 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'.

This timeless love song was written by Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, and made famous by ...

Jerusalem from 2016-10-18T11:00

"Jerusalem" has become a quintessentially middle-class and very English song, but it is held in the hearts and memories of people from different backgrounds and cultures.

There is a bit o...

A Change Is Gonna Come, by Sam Cooke from 2016-10-12T14:46

Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come has become synonymous with the American Civil Rights Movement.

It was released in December 1964, two weeks after the influential singer was shot dead in ...

Feed the Birds from 2016-05-03T11:00

'Feed The Birds' was written for the film Mary Poppins by Richard and Robert Sherman.

Mozart's Requiem from 2016-04-26T12:19

How Mozart's Requiem, written when he was dying, has touched and changed people's lives.

Crime writer Val McDermid recalls how this music helped her after the loss of her father. Hypnotis...

The Way You Look Tonight from 2016-04-19T10:30

'The Way You Look Tonight' was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 film 'Swing Time'.

Sung by Fred Astaire to Ginger Rogers while she was washing her hair, the song won...

Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou) from 2016-04-14T11:22

Memories of a prison camp in the Arizona desert, a tsunami and a plane crash are stirred by the bittersweet Japanese song Sukiyaki, a huge global hit of the 1960s.

Originally released in J...

Bring Him Home from 2016-04-05T10:30

Bring Him Home is a beautiful and moving prayer-in-song that has developed meaning and identity outside of the hit musical, from Les Miserables.

What has been its impact?

Celebrate...

Fairytale of New York from 2015-12-22T12:00

The tragi-comic tale of love gone sour and shattered dreams eloquently depicted in the Christmas classic Fairytale of New York is the focus of this edition of Soul Music. James Fearnley, pianist...

Nimrod from 2015-12-15T12:00

Edward Elgar's incomparable Nimrod, and the part it plays in people's lives, is explored this week:

Composed as part of the Enigma Variations in the latter part of the 19th century, Nimrod...

Mack the Knife from 2015-12-08T12:00

The Brecht/Weill song, 'Mack The Knife' first appeared in 'The Threepenny Opera' in Berlin in 1928. Sung about the criminal MacHeath, the 'play with music' is based on John Gay's 'The Beggar's O...

Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica from 2015-12-01T12:00

Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica (Lord Bless Africa) is a song that runs through the very soul of South African life. It was originally composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Xhosa clergyman at a Methodis...

Mr Blue Sky from 2015-11-24T22:06

Mr Blue Sky is the Electric Light Orchestra's brilliantly off-beam classic song.

It was released as a single in 1978, having first appeared on the ELO album 'Out of the Blue' in 1977. Wr...

The Lord Is My Shepherd from 2015-05-12T11:00

This much-loved hymn based on Psalm 23 has been set to music many times, including Brother James' Air and Crimond.

The Queen requested the Crimond version at her wedding. Harriet Bowes Ly...

Scarborough Fair from 2015-05-05T08:48

"Tomorrow we're going in search of a song and in search of a dream of England which has travelled right around the world" - Will Parsons

No one can be sure of the true origins of the song ...

First Cut Is the Deepest from 2015-04-28T11:01

Long before it was a worldwide hit for Rod Stewart, the Cat Stevens song 'First Cut is the Deepest' made a name for Ike and Tina Turner's former backing singer, PP Arnold.

PP describes th...

Bach Cello Suite No 1 in G from 2015-04-21T11:00

Bach's Cello Suite No I in G is one of the most frequently performed and recognisable solo compositions ever written for cello. Yet it was virtually unknown for almost two hundred years until the C...

Bach Cello Suite No 1 in G Major from 2015-04-21T11:00

Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suite No I in G major is one of the most frequently performed and recognisable solo compositions ever written for cello.

Yet it was virtually unknown for alm...

Hallelujah from 2015-04-18T15:00

Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' took him years to write. It originally had as many as 80 verses. Recorded for his 'Various Positions' album, it was almost ignored when first released in 1984. Only ...

La Boheme from 2014-12-09T14:50

"La Boheme is a work of genius, for me it's the perfect opera. There's not a bar or a word or anything you'd want to alter. It just gets to you"

- Opera Director John Copley CBE.

So...

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out from 2014-12-02T13:00

'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' by The Smiths is explored through personal stories.

Released in 1986 on 'The Queen Is Dead' album, it's become an anthem of hope, loss and love. Listen

Gracias a la Vida from 2014-11-25T09:39

Gracias A La Vida - thank you to life - is a song that means a lot to many people around the world.

Recorded by artists as diverse as Joan Baez and the magnificent Mercedes Sosa, it refle...

Plaisir d'Amour / Can't Help Falling in Love With You: from 2014-11-19T09:30

Marianne Faithfull recalls the classical French Love song which went on to inspire a 1960s hit record by Elvis Presley.

'Plaisir d'Amour' somehow found its way through 18th century orche...

A Shropshire Lad from 2014-11-12T14:25

"Into my heart an air that kills From yon far country blows: What are those blue remembered hills, What spires, what farms are those? That is the land of lost content, I see it shining plain, T...

Adagio in G minor from 2014-04-29T11:00

Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor, is one of the most popular and moving pieces of music.

But, as academic and composer Andrew Gant explains, it wasn't written by Albinoni and is now attributed...

Myfanwy from 2014-04-22T10:30

The hauntingly beautiful Welsh song Myfanwy 'is in the air in Wales' according to singer Cerys Matthews.

She along with others discuss what the melodic tale of unrequited love means to the...

Something Inside So Strong from 2014-04-15T10:30

Labi Siffre wrote Something Inside So Strong in 1984.

Widely believed to have been inspired by seeing film footage from South Africa, of young blacks being shot at by white policeman, the...

Crazy from 2014-04-08T11:06

"It's the kind of music that makes you feel like you're just hurting so good"

People of different ages reflect on why the pop country classic 'Crazy' made famous by Patsy Cline brings out ...

Rhapsody in Blue from 2014-04-01T10:30

"I'm convinced it's the best thing ever written and recorded in the history of things written and recorded" - Moby.

Rhapsody in Blue was premiered on February 12, 1924, in New York's Aeoli...

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from 2013-12-24T11:31

The story behind the song, 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'.

It was first performed by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me In St Louis', for the now famous scene in which ...

Brahms' German Requiem from 2013-12-17T11:30

How Brahms' German Requiem has touched and changed people’s lives.

It was written as a tribute to his mother and designed to comfort the grieving,

Stuart Perkins describes how the pi...

Can't Take My Eyes Off You from 2013-12-12T09:55

Few songs can claim to be - quite literally - as far reaching as the 1967 classic 'Can't Take My Eyes off You'. In this edition of Radio 4's 'Soul Music', we hear from former astronaut Christoph...

Gymnopédie No 1 from 2013-12-03T12:00

From the seat of a concert hall piano, Pascal Rogé, one of the world's greatest interpreters of French piano music, leads us through a personal and musical journey of Erik Satie's Gymnopédies. <...

Strange Fruit from 2013-11-26T12:10

"Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves and blood at the root..."

Billie Holiday's famous song expresses the horror and anguish of those communities subjected to a campa...

Elgar's Dream of Gerontius from 2013-08-02T09:39

How the choral work The Dream of Gerontius, by Edward Elgar, has touched and changed people's lives.

For Terry Waite, it was the first piece of music he heard as a hostage in the Lebanon, ...

Don't Leave Me This Way from 2013-07-25T11:25

Don't Leave Me This Way was written in the early 1970s by songwriters Huff, Gamble and Gilbert who were the composers behind the famous black American Philadelphia Sound.

It was first per...

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace from 2013-07-16T08:43

The hymn 'Make Me a Channel of Your Peace' found its way into weddings, funerals and school assemblies and in this week's 'Soul Music' we hear how it has also embedded itself into the hearts of ...

Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar from 2013-07-09T11:00

Written by Joaquin Rodrigo in 1939, the Concierto de Aranjuez is a guitar classic.

He wrote it amid the chaos of the Spanish Civil War, and in circumstances of poverty and personal traged...

Lili Marlene from 2013-07-03T11:41

Stories of love, loss and friendship through the Second World War favourite, Lili Marlene.

She was made famous by Marlene Dietrich - with songs sung by soldiers on both sides.

Seri...

Shipbuilding from 2013-03-08T10:15

Written by Elvis Costello and Clive Langer for Robert Wyatt, Shipbuilding was recorded in several versions by Elvis Costello himself, Suede, June Tabor, Hue and Cry, Tamsin Archer and The Unthan...

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater from 2013-02-26T12:00

The Stabat Mater's imagines the sufferings of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross, and Pergolesi's 18th-century setting remains a choral favourite.

Pam Self tells the moving story of ...

She Moved Through The Fair from 2013-02-19T12:49

The Irish traditional song She Moved Through The Fair is well loved and well recorded by many.

To some it is a ghost story that tells of unfulfilled longings and of hopes and aspirations ...

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony from 2013-02-12T17:29

More than just 'da da da dum': Beethoven's 5th Symphony is this week's Soul Music.

It accompanied Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on the regular Bombay to Basra route he sailed during his early da...

Peggy Lee's Is That All There Is? from 2013-02-08T14:45

‘Is That All There Is?’, a Leiber & Stoller song made famous by Peggy Lee, is based upon a short story by Thomas Mann called 'Disillusionment'. But those who know and love it feel it's inspi...

Bach's St Matthew Passion from 2012-10-09T08:32

Bach's St Matthew Passion was written in 1727 and was probably first performed as part of the Good Friday Service at Thomaskirche in Leipzig.

This programme explores ways in which Bach's ...

Brothers in Arms from 2012-10-08T16:40

An exploration into the enduring appeal of the Dire Straits classic, Brothers in Arms.

Although thought to have been written by Mark Knopfler in response to the Falklands war in the mid 19...

The Skye Boat Song from 2012-10-08T16:33

The Skye Boat Song brings back a wealth of childhood memories for many.

The words "Speed Bonnie Boat Like a Bird on the Wing" tell the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape to the Isle o...

Beethoven's Violin Concerto from 2012-10-08T16:23

Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major Opus 61 was written in 1806, but was not a success at its premiere.

200 years on and this Concerto is regarded as one of the greatest pieces ever wr...

Dvorak's New World Symphony from 2012-08-28T16:18

While for many, it will be always associated with brown bread, the Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony is an enduring a piece that never fails to move and inspire.

Anti- apartheid camp...

The Hallelujah Chorus from 2012-02-28T11:30

The Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah is stirring, emotional and unmistakable.

The Alzheimer's Society runs a group called 'Singing for the Brain'. It's for people with dementia or A...

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien from 2012-02-21T11:30

The powerful song, Non, je ne regrette rien was made famous by Edith Piaf.

Written in 1960 by Charles Dumont, in a fit of despair, he gave the music to lyricist Michel Vaucaire, but was su...

Rachmaninov, 2nd Piano Concerto from 2012-02-14T11:30

Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto - famously featured in David Lean's film "Brief Encounter" - is one of the world's most popular pieces of classical music.

Some of its fans describe the w...

Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto from 2012-02-14T11:30

Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto, which was famously featured in David Lean's film "Brief Encounter", is one of the world's most popular pieces of classical. In this programme people describe the w...

Gresford, the Miners' Hymn from 2012-02-07T11:30

An exploration of the haunting melancholy of Gresford, the Miners' Hymn.

Written by a former miner, Robert Saint, to commemorate the Gresford pit disaster in 1934, it has been played at...

Baker Street from 2012-01-31T11:30

Baker Street is Gerry Rafferty's glorious and instantly recognisable hit.

It’s arguably the most popular track from his widely respected musical legacy. (Gerry sadly died aged just 63 in...

Let's Face the Music and Dance from 2011-09-13T12:30

Irving Berlin’s enduring classic, Let's Face the Music and Dance is celebrated by those for whom it has a special significance.

Written in 1932 as a dance number for the film ‘Follow the ...

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind from 2011-09-06T12:30

The words of one of our most loved hymns, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, were taken from the last six verses of John Greenleaf Whittier's poem, The Brewing of Soma, an attack on ostentatious a...

Spiegel im Spiegel from 2011-08-30T12:30

Exploring the impact that Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel has had on people's lives.

Written in 1978, just prior to his departure from Estonia, Arvo’s piece for piano and ...

Wichita Lineman from 2011-08-23T12:30

Witchita Lineman is the ultimate country/pop crossover track - written by Jimmy Webb for the Country star Glen Campbell.

Released in 1968, it tells the story of a lonely lineman in the Am...

Mendelssohn's Octet from 2011-08-16T13:30

An exploration of the impact that Mendelssohn's Octet has had on different people's lives, demonstrating the healing power of music in a variety of situations around the world.

Felix Mende...

Mahler's Adagietto from 2011-03-29T12:30

Gustav Mahler wrote his 5th Symphony during the summers of 1901 and 1902. The Adagietto is the 4th movement which is thought to have been inspired by falling in love with Alma who he married aro...

Schubert's Winterreise from 2011-03-22T13:30

Winterreise was written the year before Franz Schubert's death aged just 31, these 24 songs based on poems by Wilhelm Müller describe a journey that takes us ever deeper into the frozen landscap...

The Impossible Dream from 2011-03-15T13:30

In this series that explores those pieces of music that never fail to move us, this week we feature, 'The Impossible Dream', a song that talks of the resilience of the human spirit.

It te...

Simple Gifts from 2011-03-08T13:30

Simple Gifts started life as a Shaker Hymn and became incorporated into the hymn Lord of the Dance and Aaron Copland's ballet suite Appalachian Spring.

Nora Guthrie describes the central p...

Mozart's Clarinet Quintet from 2011-03-01T13:30

Mozart's Clarinet Quintet was written in 1789, two years before the composer’s death.

The first ever work for string quartet plus clarinet remains a firm favourite for music lovers around...

The Emperor from 2010-10-05T12:30

Beethoven's fifth and final piano concerto, The Emperor is majestic and moving in equal measure.

Richard McMahon plays extracts and discusses the virtuosic it demands.

Australian fi...

How Great Thou Art from 2010-09-28T12:30

An examination of the enduring popularity of the hymn, How Great Thou Art. Based on a Swedish poem by Carl Gustav Boberg, it was written by the British missionary Stuart Hine in 1949.

It ...

Faure Requiem from 2010-09-21T12:30

"He wanted it to be something that's consoling and helpful. It's the end of their lives where they can rest in peace."

World renowned choral conductor Sir David Willcocks, shares his perso...

Ma Vlast from 2010-09-14T12:30

At the core of Czech cultural identity Bedrich Smetana’s Ma Vlast.

Written in the late 19th century, it's a series of six symphonic poems. For a western audience the most popular and bes...

Send in the Clowns from 2010-09-07T12:30

Stephen Sondheim's song, Send In the Clowns, from the musical 'A Little Night Music' was written late in rehearsals for the actress Glynis Johns, playing the part of Desiree.

A song of re...

Bach's Goldberg Variations from 2010-03-23T13:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Bach wrote his Goldberg Variations for harpsichord in the 1740s, but today it's performed by pianists all over the world...

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands from 2010-03-16T13:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands is a spiritual song originating in the United States, but it first caught the publ...

Dido's Lament from 2010-03-09T13:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Dido's Lament is a popular name for a famous aria, 'When I am laid in earth', from the opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Pu...

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto from 2010-03-02T13:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

When Mendelssohn wrote his Violin Concerto in 1844 he could hardly have imagined how famous and well loved it would beco...

Praise My Soul from 2010-02-23T13:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Based on Psalm 103, this hymn was written by Henry Francis Lyte, who also penned Abide With Me, and is most asssociated ...

Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs from 2009-09-29T12:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Richard Strauss was 84 when he completed his last work. It was the Four Last Songs, which, although about death, conve...

You've Got a Friend from 2009-09-22T12:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Written by Carole King and made famous by James Taylor, You've Got a Friend won a Grammy Award in 1971. In this program...

Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme, by Thomas Tallis from 2009-09-15T12:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis

When Vaughan Williams wrote his Tallis Fantasia in 1910, he changed the cour...

The Look of Love from 2009-09-08T12:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Hal David discusses writing The Look of Love with Burt Bacharach, for the soundtrack of the spoof 1967 James Bond film ...

Allegri's Miserere from 2009-09-01T12:30

Allegri wrote the chord sequence for his Miserere in the 1630s for use in the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week.

It then went through the hands of a 12-year-old Mozart, Mendelssohn and Lisz...

What a Wonderful World from 2008-10-14T12:30

Louis Armstrong recorded the classic 'What a Wonderful World' in 1967, amidst civil rights demonstrations and protests against the Vietnam War.

It was a song written for him. Was it naïve...

Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G Minor from 2008-10-07T12:30

Chopin's Ballade clearly tells a story, and yet that story differs for each person who hears or plays it.

Pianist Peter Donohoe heads a cast of people whose lives have been shaped and cha...

So What from 2008-09-30T09:00

On 2nd March 1959, Miles Davis and his sextet began recording a new album: "Kind of Blue".

The first track was "So What" and the album became the best selling Jazz album of all time.

Swan Lake from 2008-09-23T12:30

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

1/4. Swan Lake

The story behind Tchaikovsky's ballet and the impact it has had on those who have heard and danced ...

Spem in Alium from 2008-01-29T13:30

Thomas Tallis's work is one of the most elaborate and spectacular pieces of choral music ever written.

Scored for 40 voices, the piece is best sung and heard in the round in order to appr...

Tainted Love from 2008-01-22T13:30

Originally a Motown song written by Ed Cobb and recorded by Gloria Jones, Tainted Love became famous on the UK's Northern Soul scene in the late 1970s.

It was heard by Marc Almond and Dav...

Finlandia from 2008-01-15T13:30

Jean Sibelius's glorious orchestral work was adopted by the Finnish people as a symbol of its fight for independence from Russia, and well over 100 years later it is still regarded as Finland's ...

New York, New York from 2008-01-08T13:30

Andrew Collins and Mark Shenton present the story behind the classic song New York, New York.

Songwriting duo John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote the title song for the film. Unfortunately, th...