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A special themed edition of Classical Now inspired by water

A musical journey of works inspired by the power and beauty of water in rain, rivers, oceans and seas.

Composers across the centuries have reflected on the beauty and nature of water and in this special themed edition of the programme we celebrate the water in our rain, rivers, oceans and seas.

The rain that falls from the sky is celebrated in British composer Judith Weir’s The Welcome Arrival of Rain.

Rivers have served as inspiration for so many composers including Smetana's Vltava, Debussy's La Mer and The Yellow River, by Chinese composer Yin Chengzong.

Our own shores were inspiration for Scottish composers Craig Armstrong and Calum Martin in their album Edge of the Sea and Felix Mendelssohn wrote his famous Hebrides Overture after a trip to the Isle of Staffa.

And Benjamin Britten created Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grime while American composer John Adams’s Become Ocean is inspired by the oceans and climate change.

1 hour, 55 minutes

Last on

Sun 30 Nov 202519:00
BBC Radio Scotland

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Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Anna Phoebe’s new album and Handel's Messiah.

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Music Played

  • George Frideric Handel

    Water Music Suite No 2 in D Major : 1 Overture

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Alexander Gibson.

  • Judith Weir

    The Welcome Arrival of Rain

    • NMC Recordings Limited.

  • Classical

    River Flows in You

    • River Flows in You.
    • 365 Music.
    • 1.

  • Bryn Terfel, London Symphony Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth & Neil Martin

    Traditional: Shenandoah

    • BRYN.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 2.

  • Ian Gourlay

    Song Of The Clyde

    Composer: R.Y. Bell. Singer: Kenneth McKellar.
    • The Art of Kenneth McKellar.
    • Decca (UMO).
    • 16.

  • Johann Strauss II

    The Blue Danube

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.
    • SONY.

  • Yin Chengzong

    The Yellow River Piano Concerto: I. Prelude. Song of the Yellow River Boatmen

    Orchestra: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra.

  • Yin Chengzong

    The Yellow River Piano Concerto: II. Ode to the Yellow River

    Orchestra: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra.

  • Bedrich Smetana

    II. Vltava

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Colin Davis.
    • LSO.

  • Philharmonic Wind Orchestra, Marc Reift & Marc Reift Orchestra

    The Little Mermaid

    • Festival Concert 10.
    • Marcophon.
    • 7.

  • Calum Martin

    Ballantyne (Movement 2 - The Edge of the Sea

    Composer: Craig Armstrong. Performer: Calum Martin. Performer: Craig Armstrong.
    • The Edge of the Sea.
    • Modern Recordings.
    • 2.

  • Calum Martin

    Ballantyne (Movement 11 Nightfall and Tidal)

    Composer: Craig Armstrong. Composer: Trad.. Lyricist: Trad.. Conductor: Cecilia Weston. Orchestra: Scottish Ensemble.
    • The Edge of the Sea.
    • Modern Recordings.
    • 11.

  • Charles Trenet

    La Mer

    • Charles Trenet: The Very Best.
    • Efor, S.L.
    • 31.

  • Claude Debussy

    De l'aube à midi sur la mer (La Mer)

    Orchestra: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ilan Volkov.
    • GBBBC.

  • Benjamin Britten

    Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (Storm)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Steuart Bedford.
    • Britten - London Symphony Orchestra, Steuart Bedford.
    • Collins Classics.
    • 14.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    The Hebrides Overture Fingal's Cave

Broadcast

  • Sun 30 Nov 202519:00
    BBC Radio Scotland