Refresh your morning with classical music
Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email [email protected].
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics'.
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Camille Saint‐Saëns
Bacchanale (Samson et Dalila)
Orchestra: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.- Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony/Tone Poems: Pittsburgh Symphony/Maazel.
- Sony Classical.
- 7.
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Tomás Luis de Victoria
O magnum mysterium
Choir: Westminster Cathedral Choir. Conductor: David Hill.- Victoria: O magnum mysterium & Ascendens Christus in altum.
- Hyperion.
- 1.
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Ina Boyle
Psalm
Performer: Nadège Rochat. Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.- DUTTON EPOCH.
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Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op.98 (3rd mvt)
Orchestra: North German Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Hengelbrock.- Sony : 88985405082.
- Sony.
- 3.
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Herbert Howells
A Spotless Rose
Choir: Tenebrae. Singer: Matthew Brook. Conductor: Nigel Short.- What Sweeter Music: Songs and Carols for Christmas.
- Signum Records.
- 4.
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Antonín Dvořák
Serenade for Strings (5th mvt - finale)
Orchestra: Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Director: Candida Thompson.- CHANNEL.
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George Frideric Handel
Trio Sonata in D major, HWV 385
Performer: Elizabeth Wallfisch. Performer: Anthony Robson. Performer: Richard Tunnicliffe. Performer: Paul Nicholson. Ensemble: Convivium.- Handel, Trio Sonatas for Oboe and Violin: Convivium.
- Hyperion.
- 4.
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Jean Sibelius
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Hilary Hahn. Orchestra: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Esa‐Pekka Salonen.- 111 Years Of Deutsche Grammophon The Collector's Edition Vol.2.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 6.
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John Rutter
All Bells in Paradise
Lyricist: John Rutter. Choir: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Conductor: Daniel Hyde.- All the Stars Looked Down: A John Rutter Celebration.
- King’s College, Cambridge.
- 3.
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Hector Berlioz
Le carnaval romain
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Colin Davis.- Berlioz: Overtures: London Symphony Orchestra/Davis.
- Philips.
- 3.
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Ida Moberg
Sunrise (Sunrise - Suite)
Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Johannes Gustavsson.- Aulin, Moberg, Andrée: Orchestral Works.
- Naxos Sweden - Nilento.
- 5.
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Carl Heinrich Biber
Sonata a pastorale
Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik.- From Forte to Piano: A Christmas Instrumental Journey.
- CPO.
- 114.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Symphony no.2 in E minor Op.27 (4th mvt)
Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iván Fischer.- Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2: Budapest Festival Orchestra, Fischer.
- Channel Classics.
- 4.
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Sir James MacMillan
So Deep
Choir: The Elysian Singers. Director: Sam Laughton.- The Elysian Singers - Cantos Sagrados.
- Signum.
- 10.
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Rose Adagio (The Sleeping Beauty)
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: André Previn.- Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Sleeping Beauty; The Nutcracker - Highlights.
- EMI.
- 7.
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John Joubert
There is no rose
Choir: City of London Choir. Conductor: Hilary Davan Wetton.- In Terra Pax: A Christmas Anthology.
- Naxos.
- 2.
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Ottorino Respighi
La Befana (Feste Romane)
Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.- CHANDOS.
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Niccolò Paganini
24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1, MS 25: No. 24 in A Minor. Tema con
Performer: María Dueñas.- Paganini: 24 Caprices — Caprices by Berlioz, Cervelló, Kreisler, Ortiz, Saint-Sa.
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 24.
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Florence Price
Symphony no.4 in D minor (4th mvt)
Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.- Florence Price: Symphony No. 4 – William Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 4.
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Morten Lauridsen
O Magnum Mysterium
Choir: ORA. Conductor: Suzi Digby.- The Mystery of Christmas.
- harmonia mundi.
- 119.
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Joseph Haydn
Piano Trio in G major 'Gypsy Rondo' H.15.25 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Riccardo Minasi. Performer: Federico Toffano. Performer: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.
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Cecilia McDowall
A Winter's Night
Performer: Sebastian Guard. Performer: Benjamin Cunningham. Choir: Winchester College Chapel Choir. Ensemble: Onyx Brass. Conductor: Howard Ionascu.- A Winter's Night: Christmas Music for Choir, Brass Quintet & Organ.
- Signum Classics.
- 201-205.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Keyboard Concerto No 1 in D minor, BWV 1052 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Christophe Rousset. Orchestra: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Christopher Hogwood.- Bach: Harpsichord Concertos: Rousset/AAM/Hogwood.
- L'Oiseau-Lyre.
- 3.
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Johann Strauss II
Die Fledermaus (Overture)
Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.- German Operetta Overtures: Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Marriner.
- Philips.
- 2.
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Benjamin Britten
Men of Goodwill
Orchestra: Minnesota Orchestra. Conductor: Neville Marriner.- Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra & Four Sea Interludes.
- Parlophone UK.
- 6.
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Madeleine Dring
Blue air (Colour suite)
Performer: Sarah Cahill.- The Future is Female, Vol. 2: The Dance.
- First Hand Records.
- 1.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Espana
Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Domingo Hindoyan.- Onyx Classcis.
Broadcast
- Mon 15 Dec 202509:30BBC Radio 3

