In a special edition of Mastertapes, guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer, Richard Hawley welcomes John Wilson to the Crucible in his home town of Sheffield.Throughout his 33 (and a third?) year career as a musician (he first recorded a John Peel session at the age of 19, wi ...Show more
Don McLean - American Pie
John Wilson returns with another run of the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition has John initially quizzing the art ...Show more
John Wilson's guest is the violinist Nigel Kennedy. A prodigy whose childhood talents were nurtured by Yehudi Menuhin, one of the greatest violinist of the 20th century, Kennedy himself became an international star in 1989 with his recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It sold ove ...Show more
In the final episode of the series, Andy takes a look at some of Beethoven’s later works and asks his guests to explain which 1 piece of his music best describes the great composer’s legacy and influence. References to tour merch, Wimpy and privet hedges may also feature. Many th ...Show more
On 2nd March 1959, Miles Davis and his sextet began recording a new album: "Kind of Blue". The first track was "So What" and the album became the best selling Jazz album of all time. This programme tells the stories of people whose lives have been changed by this piece of music.F ...Show more
Synopsis According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest, longest, most massively orchestrated symphony of all time is the Gothic Symphony by British composer Havergal Brian. The symphony was composed between 1919 and 1922, but didn’t receive its first performance un ...Show more