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Petroc Trelawny hosts the traditional start to the year with music from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. This year’s concert is led for the first time by the celebrated Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons, guiding the Vienna Philharmonic in an array of polkas, waltzes and gallops by the Strauss family and their contemporaries. Furthermore, to celebrate the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, the composer’s Contretanze is played alongside a ballet scene.
As always, the concert ends with the ever-popular By the Beautiful Blue Danube and the foot-stamping Radetzky March.
The concert is transmitted to some 50 million viewers in over 90 countries.
Chris Packham, environmentalist and life-long punk, reveals how, as a teenager with undiagnosed Asperger's, punk rock may have saved his life. By giving him a purpose, he was able to harness his creativity, which led to him becoming a TV presenter with a determination to champion wildlife.
Now more than 40 years on, as Chris goes to Buckingham Palace to receive a CBE for services to the environment, he asks himself if he has, over the years, turned into the type of 'establishment figure' that his 17-year-old self would have hated?
In a highly personal and revelatory film, Chris sets out to question both himself and other former punks who, like him, rocked against racism, fought for gay rights and caused their parents untold grief, to discover if the values they all believed in still hold true today.
Chris meets some of the legends at the heart of the movement, including punk icon Jordan Mooney who was known as punk's first muse, artist Jamie Reid who designed the Sex Pistols' record covers, The Clash's first drummer and now chiropractor Terry Chimes, chart-topping vicar Rev Richard Coles and gay rights campaigner and Radio 6 DJ Tom Robinson.
He also meets Joe Talbot, lead singer of indie band Idles at the famous punk venue the 100 Club and even hooks up with his own punk band, The Titanic Survivors, who he left in 1978. They have since reformed and are still playing some of the songs that Chris wrote.
Chris concludes that the spirit of punk perhaps lives on not just in the music but in the rebellious spirit of the young and is still at the heart of many modern-day protests.
A film covering two years in ex-KLF man Bill Drummond's 12-year world tour which is scheduled to end when he is 72 - Drummond expects to live till he is 73.
Celebrating the 261st anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Mark Thompson introduces performances of the bard’s sangs and poems from the BBC’s archives.
Featuring performances from Siobhan Miller, Eddi Reader, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain and more, Mark also uncovers a news report from 1978 demonstrating how one Northern Irish butcher was cashing in on Burns Night.
Born in 1941, Eric Burdon was – along with his band The Animals – one of the most important standard bearers of the British Invasion of America, right after The Beatles and ahead of The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Kinks. Their 1964 interpretation of House of the Rising Sun was a global hit and inspired Bob Dylan (who recorded an acoustic version on his first album) to go electric and hit the stage from then on backed by a rock band.
Eric Burdon is a street kid from Newcastle upon Tyne. He burnt the midnight oil in the nightclubs on the docks. Had music not intervened, he might well have slipped into a career as a petty criminal, the kind of English gangster so aptly parodied by Guy Ritchie in films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. But Burdon’s voice was his ticket to escape that bleak industrial destiny, and his We Gotta Get out of This Place went on to inspire Springsteen’s Born to Run.
Burdon was always an incurable hothead, prone to rages and no stranger to breaking contracts, a situation that would make him a lifelong underdog and impede his path to world stardom. By the end of the 70s he was so broke that he was living in a car on Sunset Strip.
Burdon regularly changed both his band and musical style. Alongside his passion for original American blues, he got together in the late 60s with black LA band War – itself a political statement in the Black Panther era – and, inspired by Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, expanded his musical spectrum with jazz and funk. Burdon was involved in discovering Jimi Hendrix in Greenwich Village and they remained friends right up to the literal end (the pair spent the night before Jimi’s death together).
Eric Burdon’s creative output has made an important and profoundly authentic contribution to popular culture. Together with Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, he counts as one of that legendary generation’s last men standing. This film will convey the zeitg
A unique and fascinating insight into the career and controversies of one of the most successful and contentious heavy metal bands of all time: Slipknot. The film combines new interviews, backstage access and an exclusive live session from the nine-piece group, performing six career-defining tracks at the legendary Maida Vale Studios in front of an intimate audience.
The six tracks, one from each of the band’s albums, transport the group, acknowledged by many as one of the most extreme live acts ever, from their usual arena-sized shows to a uniquely intimate and intense setting. The film highlights the group’s phenomenal 25-year career, revealing how one of the most relentless and intense-sounding groups ever have struggled with drink, drugs, depression and the death of a band member, topped the charts, outsold their peers and picked up a Grammy along the way, whilst staying as bold, fearless and exhilarating as ever.
The story of Britain’s iconic 1960s music show, Ready Steady Go! The programme revolutionised television ‘for the kids’ and coincided with the tremendous explosion of British pop talent that took the world by storm. It championed emerging talent like The Beatles, The Who, Sandie Shaw, Cilla Black, Otis Redding and The Rolling Stones.
This definitive documentary covers every aspect of a pioneering show. Its style rewrote the rulebook for music programmes, with its intoxicating blend of performance, celebrity interviews and items on fashion. It often featured cameras in shot, live mishaps and the young audience interacting with their pop star heroes.
We go behind the scenes and speak to the people who made it all happen, including original producer Vicki Wickham and the programme’s pioneering director, Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Plus further contributions from Annie Nightingale, Eric Burdon, Chris Farlowe, Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves, Paul Jones, Gerry Marsden and Jools Holland.
Documentary that features the very best bits of Britain’s first authentic 1960s pop show, Ready Steady Go! The iconic programme was an exciting combination of music performances, fashion commentary, celebrity interviews and mime competitions – all of which kids were thrilled to watch.
Kicking off in 1963, for over three years music fans around the country would religiously tune in to watch unmissable performances from some of the top recording artists of the time. Each week, the line-up offered an evocative snapshot of the British pop scene.
This priceless archive has rarely been seen and includes some of the most memorable performances from the greatest stars of the day. Tune in to see The Beatles perform Twist and Shout on a moving stage, The Rolling Stones presenting their very own episode, and Otis Redding’s sensational duet with Chris Farlowe and Eric Burdon. Other acts include Cilla Black, Lulu, and Martha and the Vandellas. Dusty Springfield also takes centre stage.
Award-winning documentary that celebrates the incredible musical history of Eel Pie Island, a small island in the Thames in south west London which became the epicentre of rhythm and blues in the 1960s.
In its heyday, the likes of The Stones, The Yardbirds, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Long John Baldry and many others cut their teeth at the venue before becoming legends of the music industry.
Interviewed guests include Rod Stewart from The Faces, Top Topham from The Yardbirds, Mick Avory from The Kinks, Steve Hackett from Genesis, Dave Brock from Hawkwind, Andy Bown from Status Quo, Martin Turner from Wishbone Ash, Phil May from The Pretty Things, Don Craine and Keith Grant from The Downliners Sect, Geoff Cole from the Ken Colyer Band, Bob Dwyer from The Southern Stompers, Cleo Sylvestre from Honey B Mama, Blaine Harrison from The Mystery Jets, Paul Stewart from The Others, Sam Cutler, former tour manager with The Stones, as well as numerous fans known as Eelpilanders and island resident and inventor Trevor Baylis.
Combining these interviews with original black-and-white images and archive footage from the era, the documentary explores the unique experiences of the people who either played at the Eel Pie Island Hotel or went there to listen to music and dance on the famous bouncing dance floor.
Cheryl Robson, who created the project, says, ‘You can feel the incredible fondness for the Eel Pie experience when talking to those who actually went there. There was definitely something in the water in south west London, which affected all those who went, played, sang or danced. The energy was infectious.’
Narrated by actor Nigel Planer, who was once a resident of Eel Pie Island.
Since 2019, the debate about Michael Jackson has intensified, and opinions about how he should be remembered are now more fractured than at any time since his death a decade ago.
In this feature-length documentary, Jacques Peretti goes back to Jackson's beginnings, charting his rise and fall and seeking a fuller picture of this complex, contradictory character by exploring the clues that were missed. He investigates how Jackson become what he was, whether he manipulated his fame and the entertainment machine to conceal the truth and what the audience's part was in it all. What emerges is a fascinating, thoughtful and multi-layered reappraisal of one of the world's most famous and controversial artists that investigates what the public failed to see - or were willing to ignore.
The Logans are three all-singing Glasgow sisters who have their hearts set on making it big in country music. They are the real 'Wild Roses' on a journey that could take them all the way to Nashville!
Award-winning British choir Tenebrae, under the direction of Nigel Short, is one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles, renowned for its passion and precision. Normally before Easter, Tenebrae would be preparing for one of its busiest periods in the musical calendar. But as the world finds itself engulfed in one of the biggest health emergencies of modern history, Tenebrae, like many other artistic groups, has been forced to cancel its busy Easter season. Around the world, audiences are unable to attend and hear live music.
In this performance, filmed exclusively for BBC Music, Tenebrae once again breaks new ground in a programme of music for Easter, with all 20 of its singers filmed and recorded separately as they isolate themselves in their own homes. Under the direction of Nigel Short conducting via video link, Tenebrae sings a concert for Easter, including Gregorio Allegri's stunning Miserere, at a time when the world has never needed the medicine of music more.
Tenebrae's repertoire for this specially filmed performance includes the following:
JS Bach – Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden
Lobo – Versa est in luctum
Allegri – Miserere
Purcell/Croft – Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts
Parry – My soul, there is a country
JS Bach – Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein
Dolly Parton, the undisputed queen of country music, celebrates 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Recorded live in Nashville, this amazing special pays tribute to her songs and career with special performances from Dolly and star guests, including Lady Antebellum, Emmylou Harris and Hank Williams Jr. This incredible concert brings together five decades of hits and memories into one unforgettable evening of entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
Highlights of One World: Together at Home, an historic, global event to unite the world and celebrate workers on the frontline of COVID-19. Stars including Elton John, Lizzo and Paul McCartney perform live from their homes.
From where they began as the Drifters to the backing band for Cliff Richard, and on to their massive success as the Shadows, this documentary celebrates the band's achievements across 60 years in what has been a time of constant change within social, cultural and musical landscapes. The Shadows were at the forefront of the UK beat boom generation and the first backing band to emerge as big stars in their own right. The programme features unseen archive, personal testimony, interviews with Cliff Richard, band members Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett and some of those they influenced, including Brian May, David Gilmour and Pete Townshend. Narrated by Gina McKee.
In 1970, an 18-year-old schoolgirl left the Bogside in Derry to represent Ireland in the 15th Eurovision Song Contest. What happened that night was to change her life forever.Dana - The Original Derry Girl is an emotional and honest look back at a girl’s incredible life story, retracing her steps to Amsterdam’s RAI theatre, where, against the odds, she became Ireland’s first Eurovision winner.
At a timewhen the violent conflict of the Troubles was dominating the news, Rosemary Scallon, better known as Dana, became a national hero overnight.Studying for her A levels when she won, Dana was totally unprepared for the instant celebrity that followed and she recalls how the whirlwind of sudden success left her feeling lonely and isolated.
Theprogramme looks at the fascinating story of what happened she won the competition, including her successful pop and TV career in the 70s, her marriage to Newry hotelier Damien Scallon, her move to Alabama, her switch to religious music, including performances for the pope, before entering the spotlight of Irish politics.The highs and lows of her career are laid bare in a revealing, emotional interview. ‘Like in everybody’s life, there are the really hard things that happen. They either crush you completely or they make you stronger and I’m working on that.’ After some difficult years, Dana returned to music, recording a new album in Rome in 2018.
This retrospective is an archive-rich trip down memory lane, with incredible access and an honest, and sometimes raw, look at her incredible career. With contributions from Derry Lindsay, Senator David Norris, Dave Fanning and many others, the programme ends with Dana joining local choirs on stage in the Guildhall Derry, where she performed as a young girl, to take part in a moving version of Derry Lindsay and Jackie Smith’s All Kinds of Everything, the song that won Eurovision.
Asked what advice she would give to her 18-year-old self if she could travel back in time, she pauses
With guests including Bono, Sinead O’Connor, Dave Stewart, Jools Holland, David Mallet and Sting, as well as music writers, photographers and historians, this film explores the musical and social legacy of Ireland’s first rock superstars The Boomtown Rats, who changed their own lives, helped to change Ireland and, with Bob Geldof’s Live Aid, changed the world.
In this entertaining, dramatic and absorbing film, director Billy McGrath digs deep into the band’s history and remarkable songbook and highlights the key moments of its huge success and subsequent fall in 1985. And after over 30 years, why did the band regroup in 2013?
Tracing the story of Ella Fitzgerald’s life, this documentary film explores how her music became a soundtrack for a tumultuous century.
From a 1934 talent contest at the Apollo theatre in Harlem, the film follows Ella’s extraordinary journey across five decades as she reflects the passions and troubles of the times in her music and her life.
Moving beyond conventional biopic, the film uses images and music to evoke the feel of those times, bringing to life the context of Ella’s unique career, featuring interviews from Smokey Robinson, Jamie Cullum, Tony Bennett, Norma Miller and Laura Mvula.
To mark his 80th birthday, the BBC pays tribute to Welsh icon and international superstar Sir Tom Jones with this archive-based celebration.
Looking back over 60 years in showbusiness, the film takes us on a journey through Tom’s career via some of his greatest songs and performances - from Delilah and It’s Not Unusual to The Green, Green Grass of Home and Kiss - many of which will have a special resonance for a Welsh audience.
Additional context to Sir Tom’s incredible longevity is provided through rarely seen archive footage and interviews with the great man himself.
Katherine Jenkins celebrates her fortieth birthday by looking back at some career highlights and revealing behind-the-scenes secrets.
Anita Rani, Katie Derham and Antonio Pappano introduce highlights of the Royal Opera House’s first emotional performances after lockdown.
The programme features a world premiere from choreographer Wayne MacGregor, classic opera arias and songs performed by Gerald Finley, Louise Alder, Toby Spence, David Butt Philip, Sarah Connolly and the Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Young Artists as well as excerpts from ballets by Ashton, MacMillan and Wheeldon.
Antonio Pappano is joined by musicians from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the performances are filmed in line with social distancing rules against the backdrop of the beautiful Royal Opera House auditorium.
The unlikely tale of how two Welsh farming brothers turned their dairy farm into a legendary recording studio starring Ozzy Osbourne, Liam Gallagher, Chris Martin and many more.
Rapper Rodney P Edwards reveals how the first generation of British-born black kids was inspired by the avant-garde musical fusions of black America in the 70s to lay the foundations of modern-day multiculturalism by creating the first black British music culture with the jazz-funk movement.
Jazz-funk resists any simple description. It's a scene, not a genre; an attitude, not a sound; a movement, not a fashion. In this film - the first to deconstruct, explain and contextualise this most British of underground music genres - we show the importance of jazz-funk as the very first home-grown black British music culture, a world created by the first generation of British-born black kids who were determined to make space for self-expression that they could truly call their own. To understand how black British culture has gone on to have such a deep impact on youth culture in Britain and around the world, you need to understand jazz-funk.
British soul singer Mica Paris was brought up on gospel music and sang in church from an early age. In her teens, she became an international star, singing pop and soul and having
worldwide hits. Now though, Mica is curious about the origins of the songs she sang so easily as a child, why some of her contemporaries have returned to their gospel roots as well as thinking about her own faith and her own big teenage decision to leave the church and sing secular music.
Mica revisits her childhood church in Lewisham to start exploring the meaning and origins of these famous gospel songs. She examines songs such as Amazing Grace and discovers the complex reasoning behind the words. She sings with The Kingdom Choir, made famous by the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, and travels to the cotton fields of America, where gospel was used to make the work of enslaved Africans more bearable. She meets the choir at Fisk University in Tennessee, who formed just after slavery was abolished and sang for Queen Victoria, and finds herself overwhelmed by her emotions when she finds out how the slavery freedom fighters used gospel to communicate.Mica also delves into the history of Sam Cooke and Thomas A Dorsey, who both encountered tragedy in and out of the church, and she sings with bluesman Jools Holland to contemporise a favourite gospel tune.
Finally, Mica comes right up to date with the music of current artists, such as Stormzy, who have no fear of church versus secular music, are open about their faith and are combining the two with great success.
The Real Thing were four working-class boys from one of Liverpool’s toughest neighbourhoods, who became Britain’s most enduring soul and funk act ever. With a string of hits, they dominated the international charts throughout the 1970s with iconic songs like You to Me Are Everything, Can’t Get By Without You and Can You Feel the Force.
But the group’s meteoric success was also tempered with personal tragedy, drug addiction and racial prejudice. They were – and still are – The Real Thing – and this is their incredible true story.
In the 1970s, Bob Marley rose from humble beginnings to become a global superstar. It was a journey that took place not just in his homeland of Jamaica but also in Britain - the place he came to regard as his second home.
Featuring rarely seen archive and interviews with people who met him, this documentary examines Marley’s special relationship with Britain and reveals how his presence influenced British politics, culture and identity during a time of massive social and civil unrest in the UK - and how his universal message of one love and unity helped inspire a generation of black British youth.
This documentary also takes a revealing look at how Marley spent his time while he was in Britain – from the houses he lived in to football kickabouts in Battersea Park (Marley is revealed to have been a Tottenham Hotspur fan) and visits to the UK’s growing Rastafarian community, including secret gigs in the north of England.
It was in Britain that Marley established himself as an international artist, recorded some of his most successful albums and performed some of his most memorable concerts.
The film features interviews with people who met and worked with Bob Marley in the UK - and whose lives were changed by meeting him – including photographer Dennis Morris (who accompanied Marley on tour), Aswad star Brinsley Forde, Locksley Gishie from The Cimarons and film-maker Don Letts. Also interviewed is reggae legend Marcia Griffiths of Bob Marley’s vocal group The I-Threes.
There are also memories of the most important gigs he played in Britain as told by those who were there to see it happen, including early Wailers gigs in small pubs and clubs when the band were still largely unknown, a now legendary acoustic performance in the school gym of a Peckham high school and a triumphant show at London’s Lyceum Theatre that helped propel Marley to global fame.
Jamie MacDougall presents an hour of music recorded at the City Halls, Glasgow, featuring BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stephen Bell, featuring guest performers and a range of musical styles including from traditional Scottish tunes, music of the movies and classical favourites.
After conducting for 65 years, Bernard Haitink has retired at the age of 90. The musicians he has worked with are puzzled by the secrets of his technique. He himself says his job is to embrace the orchestra without suffocating them.
A look at a wide-ranging selection of songs and music acts that came from Down Under, with clips of their appearances on some top UK shows. Featured chartbusters include pop pioneers the Easybeats, rock 'n' roll legends AC/DC, and INXS who became one of the nation's most successful acts of all time. Also included are ground-breaking Aborigine band Yothu Yindi, and the more famiiliar faces of Nick Cave, John Farnham, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan.
Broadcasters Lenny Henry and Suzy Klein celebrate black classical composers and musicians across the centuries whose stories and music have been forgotten in a 90-minute special.
Documentary charting the life, music and towering achievements of soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, from his origins and early life in Philadelphia, through his early successes with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and his solo superstardom and sex symbol status to his later life and continued success after overcoming the car crash that rendered him quadriplegic.
As the Peter Pan of Pop reaches the milestone of his 80th birthday, the BBC celebrates with a look back through its archives at some of his most memorable performances and biggest hits.
Starting with the release of Sir Cliff’s first single Move It in 1958, we follow his incredible career through his appearances on a variety of BBC music programmes and television specials. The programme takes in his early, much-loved songs of the 1960s, the comeback and credibility of his work in the 1970s, the successes he enjoyed throughout the 80s and 90s, as he consolidated his reputation as a pop superstar, right up until the controversy and vindication that came with his Millennium Prayer.
Amongst the classic songs featured are The Young Ones, Living Doll, Bachelor Boy, the Eurovision Song Contest contenders Congratulations and Power To All Our Friends, Devil Woman, Miss You Nights, Wired for Sound and Cliff’s much-praised 80s duet with Van Morrison, Wherever God Shines His Light.
Documentary, told in Count Basie’s own words, which reveals for the first time the private passions and ambitions that inspired the world-famous bandleader and pianist.
Annie Nightingale led the way as Radio 1's first female DJ and introduced a generation to exciting new sounds as the face of the Old Grey Whistle Test from 1978. Back then, punk was hard to find on mainstream television and Annie sought to build a platform for young people to have their say.
In this programme, Annie opens up the archive to select some of the finest and most intriguing moments from this era. Covering punk, post-punk and new wave, Annie has chosen to explore a movement in music that became the soundtrack to a generation.
The programme includes The Damned’s set-smashing performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test and the Sex Pistols' anarchic trip on the Thames. It also features powerful live performances from Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Gang of Four, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Tubeway Army, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Soft Cell, The Selecter, Joy Division and the Au Pairs. In addition, there are gems from The New York Dolls, The Fall, Blondie, Pete Shelley, The Police, Devo, X-Ray Spex, Klaus Nomi, Laurie Anderson and many more.
Annie is full of great anecdotes and her wealth of knowledge drives a compelling narrative in a programme that features rare footage and many stellar acts who graced the Old Grey Whistle Test studio during Annie’s reign.
Annie Nightingale, Radio 1's first female DJ, has compiled a stellar playlist of some of the finest punk and new wave moments from the 70s and early 80s.
This handpicked compilation features rare archive footage from The Slits, The Raincoats and Rhoda Dakar, as well as fantastic concert footage from Blondie and The Clash. Sprinkled throughout are live studio performances from The Old Grey Whistle Test, including a haunting performance of Ghosts by Japan, a classic Ramones clip and a rare John Foxx offering. The Teardrop Explodes and Tom Tom Club also feature, as do Adam Ant and Siouxsie Sioux.
Annie’s eclectic picks ensure a highly entertaining mix of popular punk and new wave favourites interwoven with some forgotten archive gems.
In 2020, we said a sad farewell to Dame Vera Lynn. In a special programme, the BBC celebrates the ‘Forces Sweetheart’ with a look back through the archives at some of her favourite performances and biggest hits.
As well as the many classic songs that helped unify the nation throughout World War II, this retrospective captures a side of Dame Vera that many have forgotten about, with upbeat song-and-dance performances from her 1970s series The Vera Lynn Show, which saw her covering many popular tunes of the 60s and 70s.
We see her joining forces with a selection of fellow stars like Harry Secombe and Des O’Connor, there’s a special duet with the legendary Bing Crosby, and an unforgettable guest appearance on the Morecambe and Wise Show. And of course, there are performances of the wartime favourites she made her own: The White Cliffs of Dover and We’ll Meet Again.
A music documentary that celebrates the legacy of Ronnie Scott and his world-famous jazz club. Featuring previously unseen and unheard performances as well as interviews with some of the most iconic figures in music, the film explores the club’s 60-year history and shines a light on the uncompromising men and women who both built it and who took to its stage.
Named after the late tenor saxophonist who founded the club in London’s bohemian district of Soho in 1959 with business partner Pete King, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club was inspired by the vibrant postwar music scene in New York and quickly became the city’s most famous music venue. Since then the club has consistently played host to the world’s greatest musical legends, including Chet Baker, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Roland Kirk, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson and Nina Simone.
Ronnie Scott was among the earliest British musicians influenced by Charlie Parker and became one of the finest saxophone players in Europe. His chief motivation in starting a jazz club was to create a space where he and his contemporaries were free to play modern, forward-thinking music.
Ronnie was beloved by many, from the great and famous who frequented his club to the many hard-up musicians who were often helped by his warmth and generous spirit. However, Ronnie was as complex and colourful as the music played on his stage. In private, Ronnie battled with depression, and when his untimely death occurred in 1996, it left the jazz community bereft of a respected and favourite leader
Danielle de Niese presents Mozart’s choral masterpiece, performed specially for a lockdown television audience by the chorus and orchestra of the English National Opera and a stellar line-up of soloists – Elizabeth Llewellyn, Dame Sarah Connolly, Ed Lyon and Gerald Finley. On stage at the Coliseum in London, Mark Wigglesworth conducts the emotionally charged Requiem – unfinished at the time of the composer’s death – in what promises to be a poignant moment of remembrance, reflection and ultimately hope at a time of national crisis.
The BBC’s 1960s jazz programme returns for a one-off special celebrating the recent resurgence of the genre by a community of young Londoners, largely educated through grassroots organisations rather than conservatoire traditions. Presented by drummer Moses Boyd and DJ Jamz Supernova, the Jazz 625 studio hosts performances from saxophonist Nubya Garcia, groups Ezra Collective and Sons of Kemet, and singer Poppy Ajudha.
Glass Animals perform 'Tangerine' featuring Arlo Parks and a special cover of 24kGoldn's 'Mood'.
A retrospective marking the 80th birthday in 2020 of legendary singer Dionne Warwick that looks back at her very best performances over the years at the BBC.
From her collaborations in the 1960s with Burt Bacharach and Hal David on classics like Walk On By and I’ll Never Fall In Love Again through to 80s hits like Heartbreaker, composed by the Bee Gees, this is a collection of songs that remind us of a voice and a talent that made songwriters want to work with Dionne, and audiences fall in love with her, all over the world.
In a world exclusive, two of the biggest names in entertainment come together for a very special one-off show: music legend Paul McCartney is interviewed by Golden Globe-winning actor Idris Elba.
Recorded in London in December 2020, Idris talks to Paul about his peerless career as the most successful musician and composer in pop music history. Paul talks about his writing process, which has produced some of the best-loved and most performed songs ever. As a producer and musician himself, Idris is fascinated by the craft and joy that drives Paul’s remarkable and prolific output and wants to find out what inspires Paul to continue to innovate creatively, as he releases his 26th post-Beatles album, McCartney III, which features Paul playing every instrument and writing and recording every song.
A documentary following Scottish hip-hop artist Stevie Creed as he travels to New York City to reconnect with his past and pursue his musical dreams.
Introducing Stevie Creed, a 27-year-old hip-hop artist with a history of travels to Brooklyn, pursuing a show business career and self-publishing his own albums and music videos. Stevie works a day job in Edinburgh as a suit salesman and after work, carries a stack of costumes a few streets away to a theatre, where he does one of 24 Fringe performances of a show based on his life. From there, he goes straight to a rock venue to play a late-night gig with his band.
Stevie reveals that he is doing all this while grieving for his friend and bandmate Jamei-Lee, who passed away a few months earlier at the age of 27. It is time for Stevie to make the most of life and fulfil his dreams while he can.
Dolly Parton performs a Christmas concert featuring a host of her favourite festive songs.
Documentary film that for the first time tells the life story of legendary Greek/American opera singer Maria Callas, completely in her own words. Tom Volf’s account, which took four years of painstaking research to assemble, includes performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoires – nearly all of which have never been seen before.
Maria by Callas reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.
In a truly unique and one-off performance, Paul McCartney returns to the city he loves and a venue that holds such history and significance, The Cavern Club. In this intimate gig, Paul treats fans to a selection of tracks including some taken from his 2018 album, Egypt Station.
Biography tracing the rock musician's life from his childhood in poverty and spell in prison for burglary, to fronting legendary metal group Black Sabbath and subsequent Grammy Award-winning solo career. More recently, Ozzy has become rock's elder statesman and a loveable family figure. Contributors include wife Sharon Osbourne, son and daughter Jack and Kelly Osbourne, and fellow musician Ice-T.
To mark his 50th birthday, Aled Jones looks back at the highlights of his remarkable career since making his name as a boy soprano — singing for Pope John Paul, the Royal family and at the wedding of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates to name a few. As he releases a new album, there are performances of some of his favourite tracks. He also catches up with old friends, including Walking in the Air composer Howard Blake, Gyles Brandreth and Dame Judi Dench.
