Over the next 4 weeks, I’ll be playing a wide selection of music drawn from numerous Best Classical Music of 2025 lists. In this episode we’ll be hearing music from albums recommended by NPR, The Guardian, Gramophone, The New York Times and Bandcamp. Among the selections is a personal favourite - Hallelujah Junction, an album by pianists Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene ROSALÍA - Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti from Lux ROSALÍA - Reliquia from Lux The Hermes Experiment perform Islands from Tree Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley with the Munich Radio Orchestra perform Giuseppe Verdi - Rigoletto: Gualtier Maldè! ... Caro nome from Golden Age Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform John Adams - Hallelujah Junction: Movement 1 From Hallelujah Junction Les Kapsber’ Girls perform Barbara Strozzi - Che si può fare? from Vox Feminae Exaudi Vocal Ensemble performs Jürg Frey - Polyphonie der Wörter from Voices Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform George Gershwin - Cuban Overture (Arr. for 2 Pianos by Gregory Stone) from Hallelujah Junction

Episode 135 of The Joy of Classical concludes our four part journey through the little known classical music genre of Music Inspired by Science Fiction. Following on from episodes 118, 119 and 122, this episode features music by composer Michael Daugherty and a little nostalgia as I examine my own love of science-fiction and the qualities it has brought to my life. Cincinnati Pops Orchestra performs John Williams - Lost in Space Theme - Season 1 and 2 Original Theme and the Revised Season 3 Theme John Williams - The Time Tunnel Theme The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra performs Michael Daugherty’s Time Machine: Movement 2. Future Percussionist Evelyn Glennie and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra perform Michael Daugherty UFO: Movement 5 - Objects The Baltimore Symphony performs Michael Daugherty — Metropolis Symphony: Movement 2 - Krypton Theremin specialist Katica Illényi and the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra perform Alexander Courage - Original Star Trek Theme The Danish National Symphony Orchestra perform Richard Strauss - Thus Spoke Zarathustra! from 2001: A Space Odyssey The Danish National Symphony Orchestra performs Jerry Goldsmith - No Escape from The Planet Of The Apes The London Theatre Orchestra perform Ron Grainer - Dr Who Theme The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra perform Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Next Generation Theme Christina Johnston and the Dvořák Hall Film Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra perform Star Trek: The Original Series theme

This episode of the Joy of Classical Music is all about Paramusicology, an obscure and niche discipline of musicology that examines the spiritual, non-rational, intuitive and metaphysical aspects of music. In this episode we will be listening to music by dead composers channeled via a spiritualist medium, music from the transcendental realm, music from the otherworld and music inspired by arcane belief systems. Rosemary Brown - Jesus Walking to the Water Vladimir Horowitz performs Alexander Scriabin - Toward the Flame Irma Glen - Quiet Waters Pianist Claude Lavoix and Soprano Francoise Masset perform Louis Aubert - The Nameless Country Jonas Salk talks about Intuition Tui St. George Tucker - Indian Summer: Three Microtonal Antiphons on Psalm Texts The Carnegie Mellon Repertory Chorus and the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic Orchestra perform Giacinto Scelsi - Konx-Om-Pax: First Movement Alan Hovhaness conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing his 1968 work Fra Angelico, A Fantasy for Orchestra

This brief 2 Part series about Aotearoa’s greatest composer is not in anyway meant to be a comprehensive account of his life and work, just a sketch that shows something of his evolution as a composer. In Part 2, Lilburn reinvents himself twice, first introducing something of the contemporary and avant-garde into his work before giving himself over to the new medium of electronica. Lilburn: “Music is not something to be bottled and stoppered and stored away. It’s a living flow...” James Judd and the NZSO perform Douglas Lilburn - Processional Fanfare, for 3 trumpets and small orchestra Ashley Heenan and the NZSO perform the Prelude from Douglas Lilburn’s Symphony No. 2 John Hopkins and the NZSO perform Douglas Lilburn - A Birthday Offering, for orchestra John Hopkins and the NZSO perform Douglas Lilburn - Symphony No 3 Michael Houston performs Douglas Lilburn - Sonatina No. 2: Douglas Lilburn - Soundscape with Lake and River

Following in the footsteps of Episode 126 - The Cambridge Summer School of Music, Episode 132 is all about that episodes central figure, Douglas Lilburn. In this episode we explore something of Lilburn’s legacy but mostly we’ll be listening to a selection his of music from the 1930s, 40s and 50, works that demonstrate something of his evolution as a composer and his commitment to creating “a music of our own, a living tradition of music created in this country, a music that will satisfy those parts of our being that cannot be satisfied by the music of other nations.” Scott Bezett (baritone), Sarah Hubbard (soprano), Olivia Pike (soprano), Rhiannon Cooper (alto) and Tom McGrath (piano) perform Douglas Lilburn - The Magpies James Judd and the NZ Symphony Orchestra perform Douglas Lilburn - Forest Kenneth Young and the The NZ Symphony Orchestra perform Douglas Lilburn - Drysdale Overture John Hopkins and the NZ Symphony Orchestra perform Douglas Lilburn - A Song of Islands Ed Zuccollo performs Douglas Lilburn - Overture: Aotearoa (Synth Arrangement) Whānau London Voices perform ‘Douglas Lilburn - Flowers of the Sea' from Sings Harry

This week it’s a selection of contemplative Japanese and Japanese inspired Music. Mezzo-Soprano Mika Kaneko performs Yoshinao Nakada - Cherry Blossoms Lane. Manchester Camerata performs Takashi Yoshimatsu - And Birds Are Still Tampa Bay Symphony performs Alan Hovhaness - Fantasy on Japanese Wood Prints for Xylophone & Orchestra Pacific Symphony Orchestra performs Toru Takemitsu - From Me Flows What You Call Time

This week it’s an episode of All-Sorts, a concept and theme free selection of music from all over the world and from all across the timeline. Soprano Elīna Garanča performs My Voice opens Your Heart, an aria from Act 11 of opera Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns Alice Sara Ott performs John Field - Nocturne No. 16 in C Major Tenor Gérard Souzay Performs Claude Debussy - Beautiful Evening The Melos Ensemble of London performs Guy Ropartz ‒ Prelude, Marine and Songs The National Orchestra of Spain performs Manuel De Falla - Master Peter's Puppet Show

Down Argentina Way, the title of a 1940 Hollywood Musical starring Betty Grable, Don Ameche, and Carmen Miranda or as it is in this case, a selection of music from four Argentinian composers: Ariel Ramirez, Alicia Terzián, Astor Piazzolla, and Alberto Ginastera. Ariel Ramírez - Misa Criolla - First Movement - Kyrie Grupo Encuentros perform Alicia Terzián -Tres Retratos Mercedes Sosa performs Ariel Ramírez - Alfonsina y el Mar Astor Piazzolla - Cafe 1930 - 2nd Movement from The History of Tango Aniello Desiderio performs Alberto Ginastera - Sonata for Guitar, Ariel Ramírez - Los Caudillos: 2nd Track - Artigas, el Protector Şahan Arzruni performs Alicia Terzian - Piano Toccata Mercedes Sosa performs Ariel Ramírez and Félix Luna - Juana Azurduy Ariel Ramírez - Misa Criolla - 2nd Movement: Gloria

This episode of The Joy off Classical Music explores Liturgical and Spiritual music and finds a place where these two disparate styles meet. Dorothy Melton - I Want Jesus to Walk With Me. Julia Lezhneva and Philippe Jaroussky perform Giovanni Battista Pergolesi - Stabat Mater: I. Stabat mater dolorosa. The Latvian Radio Choir performs Arvo Part - Salve Regina Choir of the Sretensky Monastery perform Grigory Lvovsky’s arrangement of the Cherubic Hymn Zhihua Tang and Deborah Moriarty perform Florence Price -Three Negro Spirituals: III. Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit Cappella Nova performs Sir James MacMillan - Until the Day Breathes The Son Sonora String Quartet perform George Walker - Lyric for Strings Valeriy Antonyuk - Cantata in 5 parts with mixed choir a capella.

It takes a lot of work to put together the themed episodes that make up so much of this series so sometimes it’s nice to to take a break and just a wander through the sunlit forests of musical imagination with no particular destination in mind. So with that out of the way, here’s an episode of theme free All-Sorts. Antonín Dvorák · Boston Symphony Orchestra Rusalka, Op. 114, B. 203, Act I: Song to the Moon La Belle Alliance perform Christopher Adams - Release Marko Topchii performs Regino Sainz de la Maza - Rondeña The Alex Lindsay String Orchestra performs Larry Pruden - Dances of Brittany, for string orchestra Elly Ameling performs Henri Duparc - Chanson triste USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra performs Edison Denisov - Peinture The Australian Voices perform Aija Dragun - Situ Koku Alter Ratio performs Alexey Retinsky - Salve Regina

From 1946 to 1986 the Cambridge Summer School of Music was one of the nations most important arts events. Composers, students, musicians, music teachers and interested amateurs gathered at St Peters College just outside of Cambridge for a week of musical immersion. On a hot and humid Waipa day in January 1947 photographer Kathleen Reardon snapped a group of young composers sitting on the steps to the main building - Ronald Tremain, Edwin Carr, Carraigh Thompson, Ronald Dellow, Larry Pruden and Dorthea Franchi. Curiosity piqued, I wanted to know more about those young composers so this episode will be exploring something of their lives and music and keeping true to the spirit of the photo, I’ve endeavoured to find recordings of works composed closest to that time. John Rimmer - Clouds over Pirongia The NZSO performs Ronald Tremain - Symphony for Strings The NZSO performs Larry Pruden - Harbour Nocturne for Orchestra The Queensland Symphony performs Edwin Carr - Mardi Gras Overture Ronald Dellow - Three Studies for Recorder The NZBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dorothea Franchi performs Dorothea Franchi - Do-Wack-A-Do Suite for Orchestra.

This week, kick back, shut your eyes and let the music carry you away. Xuefei Yang performs Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence. Caroline Shaw - The Mona Lisa, from the Ken Burns film Leonardo da Vinci (Original Score) Arnold Bax ~ Elegiac Trio The Chamber Choir of Europe performs Brahms - Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, Op. 29 Seong-Jin Cho performs Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte 6:28 Sabine Devieilhe performs George Frideric Handel - Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17, Act III: Piangerò la sorte mia The Tenebrae Choir performs Paul Mealor - Ubi Caritas David Bedford - Sun Paints Rainbows on the Vast Waves

This week its all about the classical guitar and we’ll be visiting with virtuoso guitarists from Croatia, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, Aotearoa NZ, New York, Ukraine, Australia, Russia and China. rina Kulikova performs Konstantin Vassiliev - 3 Lyric Pieces: No.1: Elegie in memoriam Sergey Rachmaninov From his album Van Gough Fire - Marko Topchii performs Antonio Ruiz-Pipó -Canción y Danza No. 1 Philip Norman - Inception for Infinity for Solo Guitar and String Orchestra Aleksandr Tsiboulski performs Peter Sculthorpe - From Kakadu: 1. Grave Matthew Marshall performs Michael Calvert’s Gaston in Love from the album Rhapsody on a Riff Carlos Paredes - Canção Verde Anos (The Green Years Song) Xuefei Yang performs Mark Houghton - Dance of the Orient Ana Vidovic performs Johann Sebastian Bach’s - Lute Partita in E Major, BWV 1006a (arr. W. Despalj) : I. Preludio Andrés Segovia performs Francisco Tárrega - Recuerdos de la Alhambra Julian Bream and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn - Heitor Villa-Lobos: Concerto for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra

No big themes this week, just a selection of the interesting and unusual from all around the world with a focus on Chickasaw composer Jerod Tate’s Fire and Light, a work that explores Chickasaw identity and culture (The Chickasaw are indigenous to the South Western regions of the USA). Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate - Lowak Shoppala', Act I: I. Fire and Light. Phillip Martin performs Edward MacDowell - Woodland Sketches, Op. 51: I. To a Wild Rose Dubravka Srebotnjak performs Christian Sinding - Rustle of Spring Op. 32 No. 3 The Canby Singers perform Claudio Monteverdi - Zefiro Torna Takashi Yoshimatsu - Symphony No. 1, Op. 40 "Kamui-Chikap Symphony": V. Rainbow Bella Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances for Orchestra Meredith Monk - Book of Days: Early Melody Miriam Margolyes performs Francis Poulenc -The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant: I. The Story of Babar ZOFO Piano Duet perform David Lang - Gravity Jerod Tate - Lowak Shoppala', Act I: III. Shell Shaker

My exploration of Music Inspired by Science Fiction is almost over with one more episode to come. Lost in space, strange alien phenomenon and nuclear armageddon, this episode is mostly about the existential crisis. Then there’s Ursula Le Guin and Elinor Armer’s ‘Season of Oling’ from their 2 CD set ‘Uses of Music in Uttermost Parts’ and Essa Pekka Salonen’s Floof, joyous works which are the exact opposite of everything else featured in the episode. Meredith Monk and Ping Chong - The Games: Movement 3 - Migration Tod Dockstader - Quatermass Movement 2: Tango Ursula Le Guin and Elinor Armer - Uses of Music in Uttermost Parts: The Seasons of Oling Esa-Pekka Salonen - Floof (Songs of a Homeostatic Homer) Karl-Birger Blomdahl - Aniara, An Epic of Spaceflight in 2038 AD: The Yurg, The Mimarobe (also known as Aniara: A Revue of Man in Time and Space) Michael Obst - Crystal World: Part I

Episode 121 visits the year 1962. Usually in these sorts of episodes I stick to works published in the given year - for this episode I’ve widened the parameters to include album releases and music events. Sergio Franchi performs Ungrateful Heart on The Ed Sullivan Show Igor Stravinsky - Movements For Piano And Orchestra Ravi Shanker - Improvisation on the Theme Music from Pather Panchali The Canby Singers perform Elliot Carter’s - Musicians Wrestle Everywhere Benjamin Britten - Let Us Sleep Now In Paradisum, movement 6 from War Requiem La Monte Young - The Second Dream of the High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer Aaron Copland - Connotations for Orchestra

This weeks it’s leftovers, music I’d selected for previous episodes and ran out of time to play. It’s an eclectic mix that takes us from the contemporary through to the medieval. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performs Vissi d’arte from Act 2 of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca. Mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo performs Missy Mazzoli – A Thousand Tongues. Jeremy Denk plays Doulz amis by Guillaume de Machaut. The NZ String Quartet performs Long Zhou - Song of the Ch’in. Luciano Pavarotti performs Mamma, quel vino è generoso from Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. VOCES8 performs Ola Gjeilo’s Northern Lights Robert Wyatt performs John Cage - Experiences No 2 Bernard Herrmann on Film Music Simon Ghraichy performs Arturo Márquez: Danzón’s No. 2 Kiri Te Kanawa performs Franz Liszt - Oh, quand je dors

Part 2 - Music Inspired by Science Fiction The centrepiece of Part 2 of Music Inspired by Science Fiction is David Bedford’s City and the Stars Cantata, a work inspired by Arthur C Clarke’s 1956 novel of the same name. There’s more from sci-fi icon Ursula Le Guin and an aria from Voyagers, a sci-fi themed opera by Philip Glass. And yes, there’s more Sci-Fi Classical to come. 1. Ursula Le Guin and Todd Barton – Dragonfly Song from Music and Poetry of the Kesh. 2. Philip Glass talks about his operatic adaptation of Doris Lessing’s novel The Making of the Representative from Planet 9 3. Mari Morya and the MDR Radio Choir perform Philip Glass - The Voyage: Act 1 Scene 3 - In My Secret Heart 4. David Bedford - The City and the Stars Cantata featuring Arthur C Clarke A radio show and podcast created and first aired at Free FM 89.0, a member of the Community Access Media Alliance Aotearoa/New Zealand. Supported by NZ on Air. freefm.org.nz and @freefm89 on Facebook and Instagram

Classical Music inspired by science fiction is one of classical musics most obscure sub-genres and over the last few weeks I’ve been compiling a list works that I hope will offer new light on this hidden corner of art music. Ursula Le Guin and David Bedford - Funeral Procession from the “Space Opera” Rigel 9 Tod Machover - Valis, Pt. 1: We Appear to be Memory Coils Tod Machover - Valis, Pt. 1: You Know, I Have These Dreams of a Strange Place Tod Machover - Death and the Powers, Part 1: Simon and the System Jerry Goldsmith - Christus Apollo: Part III Ralph Lundsten - Alpha Ralpha Boulevard David Bedford - An Extract From 'Star's End’ Peter Pears performs David Bedford - The Tentacles of the Dark Nebula A radio show and podcast created and first aired at Free FM 89.0, a member of the Community Access Media Alliance Aotearoa/New Zealand. Supported by NZ on Air. freefm.org.nz and @freefm89 on Facebook and Instagram

Episode 117 picks up where we left off in episode 116, in search of the seldom heard music of South America. Much of the music in the episode dates from the mid-20th century and follows a pattern we find in North America, Australia, and Aotearoa NZ, composers seeking to blend the physical and cultural landscapes of their homelands with inherited European musical traditions. Anna Moffo performs Heitor Villa-Lobos - Brazilian Bachianas No. 5: Aria Jason Vieaux performs Julian Orbon - Danza Carlos Chavez - Xochipili (Imagined Aztec Music) Leo Brouwer - One Day in November Alberto Ginastera - Bomarzo, Op. 34: Act II: Scene 12: Song to the Minotaur. Alberto Ginastera - Bomarzo, Op. 34: Act II: Scene 12: Second Strophe of Song Clara Rodriguez performs Teresa Carreño - Basket of Flowers John Williams performs Agustin Barrios - La Cathedral Antonio Estevez - Noon on the Prairie Adam Kent performs Tania Leon - Homenatge