Tom Service explores the meaning of musical virtuosity. Read more
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Virtuosity
Tom Service explores the meaning of musical virtuosity.
What Makes a Song?
Tom Service explores what makes a good song work.
What you see is what you hear?
Tom Service asks if the pictures we see of composers influence the way we hear their music
In space no-one can hear you sing...
Tom Service explores why space-inspired music sounds the way it does.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Tom Service explores the finale from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Deep Listening: Pauline Oliveros
Tom Service explores deep listening, a practice created by composer Pauline Oliveros.
Music - It's About Time
Tom Service explores how music warps and changes our sense of how time is flowing.
Brevity
Tom Service explores brevity in music in the company of sonic artist JLIAT.
Who Wrote the First Folk Song?
Tom Service considers the question of who wrote the first folk song.
Brahms - Behind the Beard
Tom Service considers whether Brahms had the most famous beard in classical music.
Breaking Free: Martin Luther's Revolution
Tom Service explores the power and politics of communal singing.
Endings
Tom Service explores how pieces of music end, asking what endings mean.
What's the Point of the Conductor?
Tom Service explores the role of the conductor.
Hay Festival 2017
In a special edition from 2017's Hay Festival, Tom Service explores setting words to music
The Power of Three
Tom Service asks why we love to harmonise in thirds and why sometimes thirds go rogue.
I Got Rhythm
Tom Service discovers why we find rhythm irresistible.
Drones
Tom Service explores the variety of music based on a drone.
Extreme Voices
Tom Service discovers some of the most extreme vocals in music.
The Proms Podcast Episode II - A New Episode
While The Listening Service takes a break, why not try this episode of The Proms Podcast?
Musical Protests
At The 91热爆 Proms, The Listening Service discusses the music of revolution and protest.
Codes, Ciphers, Enigmas
Tom Service delves into codes, ciphers and hidden messages in music.
Music for Mourning
Tom Service asks why music has always been an essential part of mourning.
Why is opera so ridiculous?
Tom Service considers opera - capable of great profundity, why is it also ridiculous?
Silence!
Tom Service ponders silence as an integral part of music, from Haydn to James Blake.
Earworms
Tom Service finds the maddening musical secrets behind earworms with guest Jarvis Cocker.
Can Music Scare Us?
Tom Service discovers the darker side of music. With Halloween director John Carpenter.
Shostakovich's Symphony No 15
Tom Service unlocks the mysteries of Shostakovich's baffling Symphony No 15.
The Synthesizer. Hannah Peel, Peter Zinovieff
Tom Service investigates the rise of the synthesizer, now a common musical instrument.
Pranked!
Tom Service on the motivation and aesthetic value of musical hoaxes.
Bad Music
Everyone loves good music but when is music bad? Tom Service brings out the worst!
Mahler
Tom Service discovers how Mahler was the first 'non-classical' classical composer.