Sam chats to composer Eric Whitacre about their experience recording The Sacred Veil together with VOCES8. The 12-movement work is a collaboration between Whitacre and poet-lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri, and comprises texts by Silvestri, Whitacre and Silvestri’s late wife Julie. Its intimate score ‘tells a story of courtship, love, loss and the search for solace’.

Find out more about the piece here: https://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/the-sacred-veil

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Featured Clips:
Mov. 1: The Veil Opens
Mov. 11: You Rise, I Fall
Mov. 4: Magnetic Poetry
Mov. 12: Child of Wonder

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Today’s episode is all about geography. Tim talks international competition politics and how Rachmaninov’s disputed legacy ties into the debate. Meanwhile Sam forges a musical map of Middle Earth in a Lord of the Rings analytical pilgrimage. All topped off with a very literal fluffy-dog story. Live long and prosper.

Check out Russia Beyond’s dubious Rachmaninov listicle: https://www.rbth.com/arts/334377-sergei-rachmaninoff-russian-composer

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Music Referenced
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 17, ‘The Tempest’
’Meet the Flintstones’ by Hoyt Curtin
The Open University theme tune
Various themes from Howard Shore’s soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Bear McCreary’s soundtrack to The Rings of Power

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Tim travels to the home of Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir for a classical chat. They discuss Icelandic’s musical pedigree, her upcoming role as Featured Artist at the Aldeburgh Festival, her cameo in Todd Field’s Tár and the importance (or unimportance) of a work’s conceptual inspiration in the ears of the listener.

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Featured Clips:
ARCHORA, performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under Eva Ollikainen
AIŌN, performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under Eva Ollikainen
Ró, performed by CAPUT Ensemble under by Guðni Franzson

Links:
Anna’s website: https://www.annathorvalds.com/
Some info on her upcoming residency: https://www.annathorvalds.com/blog/2022/12/20/featured-artist-at-the-2023-aldeburgh-festival
Andrew Mellor on Iceland as a classical music powerhouse: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/05/iceland-classical-music-symphony-orchestra-uk-tour

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In today's episode Sam and Tim discuss recent concert hall dramas as unionised musicians seize the means of sound production. Meanwhile Sam peers into the gilded musical cages of Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility in the next instalment of his film music series.

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Music Referenced
‘Mars’ from Holst’s The Planets
‘Gallop’ interlude from Shostakovich’s opera The Nose
‘My Father's Favourite’ from Patrick Doyle’s score to Sense and Sensibility

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Tim speaks to the US singer, composer and producer Caroline Shaw. They cover her various composer hats, the upcoming performance of her Four Portraits at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and their shared appreciation for Abba and Fiona Apple.

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Links:
Caroline’s website: https://carolineshaw.com
Some info on Four Portraits: https://www.lyricopera.org/lyric-lately/notes-on-four-portraits/

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In our latest instalment: *POW* Sam investigates Batman’s secret musical identity *WHAM* Tim holds the Anglican Church to account in a hard-hitting exposé (not) *ZOINKS* We discuss Ukrainian composer Galina Grigorjeva’s new disc of choral music *ZAP* And yes, another excuse to talk about Star Trek.

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Music Referenced
‘The Ritual/Ancient Battle /2nd Kroykah’ by Gerald Fried
‘Batman Theme’ by Neal Hefti
Danny Elfman’s Batman theme
Shirley Walker’s theme to Batman: The Animated Series
Main theme from Batman Forever by Elliot Goldenthal
Hans Zimmer’s score to The Dark Knight
‘Journey to the Line’ from Hans Zimmer’s score to The Thin Red Line
‘Gollum’s Theme’ from Howard Shore’s score to The Lord of the Rings
Galina Grigorjeva: Agnus Dei; Prayer; Diptych; In Paradisum; God is the Lord; and Nox vitae, performed by the Estonian National Male Choir under Mikk Üleoja

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Sam speaks to soprano Ella Taylor about their upcoming roles in Philip Glass’s Akhnaten at ENO and Verdi’s Don Carlo at the Royal Opera. The conversation turns to Ella’s trepidation at embarking on a new production with a new set of co-workers, what it means to be a trans singer playing trouser roles – and ancient Egyptian trivia.

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Links:
Trans Voices video: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/video/2022/mar/10/the-uks-first-professional-trans-choir-its-a-joyful-act-of-resistance
Akhnaten at ENO: https://www.eno.org/whats-on/akhnaten/
Don Carlo at ROH: https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/don-carlo-by-nicholas-hytner-details
Shadwell’s Powder Down: https://shadwell.bandcamp.com/album/powder-down

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Returning to your ears for the first time this year, the boys bring with them a film-music special. Sam unwraps Carter Burwell’s magnificent score to The Banshees of Inisherin while Tim quizzes Sam on Oscar nominations, German model trains and a certain topless dictator.

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Music Referenced
John Williams’s soundtracks to Jaws, ET, Schindler’s List, Superman and Star Wars
Richard Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration
Carter Burwell’s score toThe Banshees of Inisherin: ‘The Mystery of Inisherin’, ‘Walking Home Alone’
Bulgarian Women’s Choir: Polegnala E Toudora
John McCormack: ‘Siciliana / Cavalleria’

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Tim speaks to wunder cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason about sibling dynamics, touring in the States and his new album Song. But before all that, Sam gets stuck in a Groundhog Day-inspired time loop while trying to analyse one of the pieces from Sheku’s album: the 12 Variations on ’Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen‘ by Ludwig van Beethoven.

You can find links to Sheku’s album Song here: https://sheku.lnk.to/SongSo

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Music Referenced
Beethoven‘s 12 Variations on ’Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen’
‘Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen’ from Mozart’s The Magic Flute
ABBA: ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’
Beethoven‘s Vestas Feuer
‘Notte e giorno faticar’ from Mozart’s Don Giovanni
Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations in C Major, Op. 120: Variation 22
Alien Ant Farm: ‘Smooth Criminal’

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Sam is back in the interview seat chatting to conductor, producer and arranger Jules Buckley about his upcoming Aretha Franklin Prom with singer-songwriter Sheléa. They talk about he art of arranging, the unquestionable genius of Franklin and Buckley’s relationship with the Proms.

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Aretha Prom Stuff
Event Page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/eqrcd4
Watch it on BBC Four/iPlayer (from 27 August): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001bdx5
Listen on Radio 3/Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001b5km

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Sam chats to one of his mega heroes, the composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall. Together they discuss awards ceremonies, Howard’s pandemic piece Never to Forget, the mixed field of composition and, of course, working with Rowan Atkinson.

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Howard Stuff
Website: http://www.howardgoodall.co.uk/
Scores: https://www.fabermusic.com/shop/list?_contributor=Howard%20Goodall&order=sales_desc

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