29/03/2026

Radio 3’s annual celebration of Easter music on Palm Sunday with concerts from across Europe. Hannah French presents music for Holy Week from Spain and Denmark, culminating in the world premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s new work Angels Unawares, recorded earlier this month in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

4pm
A programme of music by Handel and Bach that recreates an extraordinary event: Good Friday, 1747, when J.S. Bach performed Handel arias in Leipzig during a performance of the St. Mark Passion, the only known instance of artistic interaction between the composers, both born in 1685. The programme presents the seven Handel arias alongside other arias by Bach related to the Easter liturgy. Performed in Barcelona by soloists and the Barcelona Consort directed by Daniel Tarrida.

5pm
An Easter concert of vocal music ranging from the early Renaissance to our own time. With the Danish National Vocal Ensemble and conductor Krista Audere, from Copenhagen. Including works by J.S. Bach, Judith Bingham, Samuel Sebastian Wesley and Sven-David Sandström.

6pm
A celebration of Bulgarian church music given by the St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral Choir in Sofia. Recorded in December, the concert celebrates two major Bulgarian choral composers, Dobri Hristov (1875-1941) and Angel Popkonstantinov (1905-1981).

6.30pm
Music from 17th-Century Spain by Carlos Patiño. Early music ensemble Los Afectos Diversos under their director Nacho Rodríguez perform Patiño’s Mass for 16 Voices 'Misa Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore' interleaved with other pieces from the Spanish master’s sacred music. Recorded at the Úbeda and Baeza Early Music Festival.

7.30pm
The world premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s new work Angels Unawares, recorded last week in the Sistine Chapel, Rome. Performed by The Sixteen, vocal soloists and the Britten Sinfonia under conductor Harry Christophers, Angels Unawares evokes and explores encounters with angelic presences in the Old and New Testaments. It is a vigorous and contemporary expression of belief which reflects MacMillan’s own Catholic faith which underpins his art.