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Colours of Autumn: Live from Calke Abbey

Live from Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, Georgia Mann plays the best music for your morning among the gardens and woodlands of this beautiful estate.

Live from The National Trust's Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, Georgia Mann plays the best selection of classical music for your morning, as she searches for the colours of autumn in this beautiful estate, from its gardens and woodlands, to its natural history collections and library. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day, plus at midday, a special 20 minutes sequence of words and music on autumnal themes, with poetry and prose read by Anton Lesser and Josette Simon.

1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.

1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.

1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.

1200 Colours of Autumn: an indulgent selection of words and music on autumnal themes, with poetry and prose read by Anton Lesser and Josette Simon.
Today's theme centres around the month of October, and puts the star of the seasonal show centre stage - Autumn leaves.

York Bowen: A Leaf from the Sky (Fragments from Hans Andersen)
Nicolas Namoradze (piano)

Emily Bront毛: Fall, leaves fall
Read by Anton Lesser

George Eliot: Letter to Miss Maria Lewis, her old teacher
Read by Josette Simon

David Thoreau: Excursions (extract)
Read by Anton Lesser

Joseph Kosma: Autumn Leaves
Nat King Cole (vocalist)

L.M. Montgomery: Anne of Green Gables (extract)
Read by Josette Simon

Scott Joplin: Maple Leaf Rag
Dick Hyman (piano)

Frank Bridge: The Dew Fairy (The Hour Glass)
Stephen Hough (piano)

John Clare: Pleasant Sounds
Read by Anton Lesser

Annette Wynne: October
Read by Josette Simon

John Williams: Witches Dance (The Witches of Eastwick)
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
John Williams (conductor)

Seamus Heaney: No Sanctuary
Read by Josette Simon

Mother Goose: The Pumpkin Eater
Read by Josette Simon

Roger McGough: Just another Autumn Day
Read by Anton Lesser

Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in F 'Autumn' (3rd mvt La Caccia)
Tafelmusik
Jeanne Lamon (violin/director)

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19 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Fri 23 Oct 2026 09:30
91福利社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • George Frideric Handel

    Serse; Aria "Ombra mai fu"

    Singer: Emily D鈥橝ngelo. Ensemble: The English Concert. Conductor: Harry Bicket.
    • LINN.

  • Joachim Raff

    Symphony No 10, Op 213 'In Autumn' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Hans Stadlmair.
    • Symphonies Nos. 8 & 10.
    • Tudor.
    • 8.

  • Sergey Prokofiev

    10 Pieces from Cinderella: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Fairies

    Performer: Isata Kanneh鈥怣ason.
    • Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 12-15.

  • Bob Chilcott

    The Making of the Drum: Gourds and rattles

    Choir: 91福利社 Singers. Performer: Simone Rebello. Conductor: Bob Chilcott.
    • SIGNUM.

  • B茅la Bart贸k

    Romanian Folk Dances (Nos 2-6)

    Performer: Martin Frost. Performer: Olof Wendel. Music Arranger: Jonas Dominique. Orchestra: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Director: Martin Frost.
    • Martin Frost: Roots.
    • Sony.
    • 10-14.

  • Josef Suk

    Beneath the Apple Tree Suite: Bacchanale

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Libor Pe拧ek.
    • Supraphon.

  • Rachel Portman

    Apple Tree

    Performer: Rachel Portman.
    • Ask the River.
    • Node Records.
    • 7.

  • Edvard Grieg

    In Autumn, Op. 11

    Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Brandenburg Concerto no.4 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Giovanni Antonini. Performer: Petr Zejfart. Performer: Enrico Onofri. Ensemble: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • J.S. Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos; Il Giardino Armonico.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 1.

  • Daniel Gledhill

    For the beauty of the earth

    Ensemble: Ensemble Altera. Conductor: Christopher Lowrey.
    • The Four Elements.
    • PENTATONE.

  • Trad.

    Five sheep, four goats

    Music Arranger: Danish String Quartet. Performer: Mads la Cour. Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • dacapo.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98: I. Allegro non troppo

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Robin Ticciati.
    • Brahms: The Symphonies.
    • Linn Records.
    • 13.

  • Jennifer Higdon

    Autumn Music

    Ensemble: Musical Arts Woodwind Quintet.
    • American Breeze.
    • Albany Records.
    • 14.

  • Elizabeth Poston

    Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

    Conductor: Anna Lapwood. Ensemble: Pembroke College Girls' Choir.
    • All Things Are Quite Silent.
    • Signum Records.
    • 2.

  • Ivor Gurney

    The Apple Orchard

    Performer: David Fr眉hwirth. Performer: Henri Sigfridsson.
    • AVIE.

  • Arthur Sullivan

    Pineapple Poll (Opening Dance)

    Music Arranger: Charles Mackerras. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • 100 Best Ballet.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Georges Bizet

    L'Arl茅sienne Suite No 1 (Prelude)

    Conductor: Jes煤s L贸pez Cobos. Orchestra: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
    • Bizet: Carmen Suite, Symphony No. 1: Jesus Lopez-Cobos.
    • Telarc.
    • 7.

  • C茅cile Chaminade

    Autumn (6 脡tudes de concert- book 1 Op.35)

    Performer: Sir Stephen Hough.
    • Stephen Hough's French Album.
    • hyperion.
    • 013.

  • Christopher Simpson

    Autumn: Galliard (The Four Seasons)

    Ensemble: Sirius VIOLS.
    • Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Romance (The Gadfly, Op.97)

    Music Arranger: Levon Atovmyan. Performer: Daniel Hope. Orchestra: 91福利社 Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Maxim Dmitrievich Shostakovich.
    • Warner.

  • Edwin York Bowen

    A Leaf from the Sky

    Performer: Nicolas Namoradze.
    • HYPERION.

  • Joseph Kosma

    Autumn Leaves

    Performer: Nat King Cole.
    • PLAY DIGITAL.

  • Scott Joplin

    Maple Leaf Rag

    Performer: Dick Hyman.
    • RCA.

  • Frank Bridge

    The Hour Glass

    Performer: Sir Stephen Hough.
    • HYPERION.

  • John Williams

    Witches Dance

    • RHINO/WARNER.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in F 'Autumn' (3rd mvt La Caccia)

    Ensemble: Tafelmusik. Performer: Jeanne Lamon.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.

  • Fanny Mendelssohn

    Das Jahr (October)

    Performer: Lauma Skride.
    • The Year.
    • SONY BMG.
    • 10.

  • Ronald Binge

    Sailing By

    Orchestra: The New London Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • Hyperion.

  • Henry Purcell

    Fairy Queen (Masque of the Seasons - conclusion)

    Singer: Paul Agnew. Singer: Jeremy White. Choir: Taverner Choir. Ensemble: Taverner Consort. Conductor: Andrew Parrott.
    • ERATO.

  • Gerald Finzi

    The Fall of the leaf - elegy in D minor Op.20

    Orchestra: Hall茅. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.
    • HALLE.

  • Marcel Grandjany

    Automne

    Performer: Diana de Vries.
    • STH QUALITY CLASSICS.

  • L茅o Delibes

    Waltz (Coppelia)

    Orchestra: Op茅ra de Lyon. Conductor: Kent Nagano.
    • Delibes: Coppelia: Orchestre de l'opera de Lyon/Nagano.
    • Erato.
    • 2.

Broadcast

  • Fri 23 Oct 2026 09:30
    91福利社 Radio 3