The Rev Lucy Winkett explores traditional images of angels. Read more
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Angelology
The Rev Lucy Winkett explores traditional images of angels.
Shostakovich's Symphony No 7
Stephen Johnson explores the symbolism of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony.
Ragtime to Riches
Bricklayer's son, ragtime pianist, major philanthropist: the lost story of Walter Harding.
The Sound of One Hand Clapping
Musician David Bramwell explores the art of the clap in creating and teaching music.
The Ascent of Mount Ventoux
Petrarch's account of how he and his brother once set out to climb a mountain in Provence.
William Byrd and Catholicism
The Rev Richard Coles hosts a discussion on how William Byrd survived as a recusant.
Czeslaw Milosz: Poet-Witness
Fiona Sampson considers the work of the Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz.
The Story of the Cross
Jonathan Coffey on the story of the cross and how it became the symbol of Christianity.
The Light in Darkness
A documentary contemplating the 'endless days and nights' that affect Finland.
Bittersweet Symphony
Louise Fryer investigates the inspiration behind Walton's powerful First Symphony.
Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex
Stephen Johnson explores Stravinsky's take on the ancient tale of Oedipus Rex.
Your First 1812
Children from Amersham Music Centre prepare to perform Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.
The Meaning of Maturity
Paul Allen explores the work that inspired Josef Suk's The Ripening.
Schumann's Carnaval
Stephen Johnson tries to uncover the mysteries of Schumann's piano suite Carnaval.
Lizzie's Tiger
In Angela Carter's story a circus tiger shapes the destiny of the notorious Lizzie Borden.
Elgar's Coronation Ode
Stephen Johnson explores Elgar's Coronation Ode.
No Conquering Hero
Ruth Smith uncovers the surprising truth about the many meanings of Judas Maccabeus.
The Trojan Horse Has Bolted
Paul Allen examines how, despite losing the war, the Trojans have shaped Western culture.
Goethe and the West-Eastern Divan
Episode 1
Paul Farley explores Goethe's verse tribute to Persian poetry, The West-Eastern Divan.
Episode 2
Paul Farley on how Goethe's West-Eastern Divan poems were fuelled by a love affair.
Entertaining Toscanini
Suzy Klein explores the drama engendered by Toscanini's visits to the 大象传媒 SO in the 1930s.
The Sunken City
Phil Carradice investigates a lost kingdom submerged beneath the waves of Cardigan Bay.
Are You Musical?
Exploring how in Edwardian Britain Tchaikovsky became a symbol of male homosexuality.
Wallace and Gromit: Feet of Clay
Poet Michael Rosen visits the Aardman Studios to meet Nick Park and Wallace and Gromit.
A Herball for the 21st Century
A mysterious discovery prompts Anna Pavord to celebrate her botanical hero William Turner.
Herschel Grynszpan, the Forgotten Assassin
The story of Herschel Grynszpan, whose actions provided the pretext for Kristallnacht.
The Greatest Poem Never Read
Danny Karlin considers Robert Browning's Sordello: is it the best worst poem ever?
The Global Flute Fraternity
Keith Waithe gives Julian May a tour of his collection of 207 flutes from around the globe
Judas
Richard Holloway explores the myth of Judas Iscariot and his depiction through the ages.
The Invitation
Author Ian Sansom explores the meaning and mystery of invitation giving and receiving.
How to Play a Cactus
Robert Worby explores the adventures undertaken by performers tackling John Cage's music.