Main content

Music and conversation for Holy Saturday morning

Tom Service introduces the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend, and meets acclaimed French conductor Raphaël Pichon.

Tom Service soundtracks Easter Saturday morning with the best classical music, in new and landmark recordings, with one or two surprise guests introducing their own releases.

This week, Tom also meets the French conductor Raphaël Pichon. With his ensemble Pygmalion, Pichon has produced a string of innovative and critically acclaimed recordings and concerts. His latest release, of Bach’s St John Passion, has continued that run, and Tom finds out more about how Pygmalion manages to inject something fresh into such familiar works.

As the London Soundtrack Festival celebrates film composer Bernard Herrmann with a performance of his clarinet quintet 'Souvenirs de Voyage', Tom hears from the performers about their love for Herrmann's concert music, and also meets the composer's widow Norma to hear about the years Herrmann spent living and working in London.

And in The Creators this week, Tom talks to video game composer Lorien Testard about the eight hours of music he wrote for the hit game 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33', an award-winning endeavour which topped the Billboard Classical Chart.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Saturday Morning”.

26 days left to listen

3 hours

Music Played

  • Edvard Grieg

    Morning (Peer Gynt - suite no.1 Op.46)

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Tugan Sokhiev.
    • Sommernachtskonzert 2025 / Summer Night Concert 2025.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 7.
  • Orlande de Lassus

    In monte Oliveti

    Ensemble: Stile Antico.
    • Passion and Resurrection: Stile Antico.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 4.
  • Kodály Zoltán

    Intermezzo

    Ensemble: Notos Quartett.
    • Hungarian Treasures.
    • RCA Red Seal.
    • 5.
  • Felix Mendelssohn

    St Paul Op.36 (Overture)

    Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Andris Nelsons.
    • Mendelssohn: Paulus, Op. 36, Pt. 1: No. 1, Overture.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 1.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Cello Concerto no.2 in D major H.7b.2 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alisa Weilerstein. Orchestra: TrondheimSolistene.
    • Pentatone.
  • Luigi Boccherini

    Quintet in C major G.324 'La musica notturna delle strade di Madrid' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Metamorphose String Orchestra. Conductor: Pavel Lyubomudrov.
    • Halidon.
  • Robert Schumann

    3 Romances Op.94 (no.2)

    Music Arranger: Tabea Zimmermann. Performer: Tabea Zimmermann. Performer: Javier Perianes.
    • Schumann: Three Romances, Op. 94 (Arr. for Viola and Piano by Tabea Zimmermann):.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 1.
  • Bedrich Smetana

    Polka (The Bartered Bride)

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda.
    • Smetana: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2.
    • Chandos.
    • 2.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    L'autre visage (after Vedro con mio diletto from 'Il Giustino RV.717')

    Music Arranger: Sonia Wieder‐Atherton. Performer: Sonia Wieder‐Atherton.
    • Or. Couperin & Vivaldi.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 16.
  • Eduardo Fabini

    El Poncho

    Singer: Santiago Sánchez. Performer: Ian Tindale.
    • BBC recording.
  • Judith Steenbrink

    Heaven lives in the other

    Composer: Dimitrius Cantemir. Ensemble: Holland Baroque Society. Ensemble: Constantinople.
    • Dialogos.
    • PENTATONE Music B.V..
    • 3.
  • Pietro Castrucci

    Concerto Grosso in G minor Op.3 no.11 (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Concerto Köln. Conductor: Evgeny Sviridov.
    • Pantheon - Corelli's Orbit.
    • Berlin Classics.
    • 6.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin Concerto in D major Op.61 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Richard Tognetti. Orchestra: Australian Chamber Orchestra.
    • Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61: III. Rondo (Live at City Recital Hall, Sydne.
    • ABC Classic.
    • 1.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Herr, unser Herrscher (St John Passion BWV.245)

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    O grosse Lieb' (St John Passion BWV.245)

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Auf dass das Wort erfullet wurde (St John Passion BWV.245)

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Sanctus & Osanna (Mass in B minor BWV.232)

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Léo Delibes

    Mazurka (Coppélia)

    Orchestra: Opéra de Lyon. Conductor: Kent Nagano.
    • Delibes: Coppelia: Orchestre de l'opera de Lyon/Nagano.
    • Erato.
    • 4.
  • Laura Mvula

    She

    Composer: Sam Brown. Music Arranger: Michael Brisentine. Choir: Lyyra.
    • Rising.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 8.
  • Friedrich Witt

    Symphony no.1 in B flat major (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Die Kölner Akademie. Conductor: Michael Alexander Willens.
    • Friedrich Witt: Symphonies Nos. 1-3.
    • CPO.
    • 2.
  • Oliver Knussen

    2 Organa Op.27 (no.1)

    Orchestra: London Sinfonietta. Conductor: Oliver Knussen.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Gioachino Rossini

    William Tell (Overture)

    Orchestra: La Scala Philharmonic. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Rossini: 10 Overtures - Chailly.
    • Decca.
    • 1.
  • Bernard Herrmann

    Souvenirs de voyage for clarinet quintet (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Julian Bliss. Ensemble: Tippett Quartet.
    • Signum.
  • Bernard Herrmann

    The Ghost and Mrs Muir (Finale)

    Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Decca.
  • Bernard Herrmann

    Main theme & murder (Psycho)

    Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Paul Bateman.
    • Decca.
  • Bernard Herrmann

    Souvenirs de Voyage (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Julian Bliss. Ensemble: Tippett Quartet.
    • Psycho: Suite for String Quartet.
    • Signum Records.
    • 3.
  • Frédéric Chopin

    Fantasie-impromptu in C sharp minor Op.66

    Performer: Daniil Trifonov.
    • DG.
  • Tansy Davies

    Transfiguration (The Passion of Mary Magdalene)

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Director: John Butt.
    • BBC recording.
  • Francisco Tárrega

    Recuerdos de la Alhambra

    Performer: Thibaut Garcia.
    • Leyendas.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 16.
  • Lorien Testard

    Robe de nuit (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

    Performer: Lorien Testard. Performer: Lorien Testard.
    • Clair obscur: Expedition 33 (original soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Lorien Testard

    Sirene - Tisser la beaute (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

    Performer: Lorien Testard.
    • Clair obscur: Expedition 33 (original soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Lorien Testard

    Lumiere (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

    Singer: Alice Duport-Percier. Performer: Lorien Testard.
    • Clair obscur: Expedition 33 (original soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Lorien Testard

    Stone Wave Cliffs - Warding blades (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

    Performer: Lorien Testard.
    • Clair obscur: Expedition 33 (original soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Lorien Testard

    Aux lendemains non ecrits (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

    Performer: Lorien Testard.
    • Clair obscur: Expedition 33 (original soundtrack).
    • Laced Records.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano concerto no.17 in G major K.453 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Olga Pashchenko. Orchestra: Il Gardellino.
    • Alpha.
  • Antonín Dvořák

    Symphony no.9 in E minor Op.95 'From the New World' (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Nathalie Stutzmann.
    • Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" & American Suite.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 8.

Broadcast

  • Saturday09:00