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Composer Eric Whitacre on sopranos and synthesisers

Tom Service talks to composer Eric Whitacre about his new album 'Eternity in an Hour', which combines choral music, electronica and synthesisers.

Tom Service with guests, stories and the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend.

Tom's guest is the Grammy Award-winning composer Eric Whitacre whose new album 'Eternity in an Hour' combines his first love of electronica and synthesisers with choral music. He talks to Tom about the new recording and how his life has been shaped by a transformative moment when he sang Mozart鈥檚 Requiem in a choir for the first time.

Tom also talks to the American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo who, as well as a career in performance, is now the general director and president of Opera Philadelphia. He chats to Tom about his new album and book which explore how his voice led him to become a leader and how there鈥檚 a little bit countertenor in all of us.

Our focus on Creators continues with Suzi Digby, founder and conductor of the ORA Singers who are celebrating their 10th anniversary this weekend with the performance of their 100th new commission. We find out how the first decade of the group has panned out and, after successfully hitting their target of 100 commissions in 10 years, what's next.

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3 hours

Last on

Sat 24 Oct 2026 09:00
91福利社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Johannes Brahms

    Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (Ein Deutsches Requiem Op.45)

    Choir: Arnold Schoenberg Chor. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
    • Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45.
    • RCA Red Seal.
    • 4.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto in B flat major RV.383a (1st mvt)

    Music Arranger: Thomas Triesschijn. Performer: Thomas Triesschijn. Ensemble: The Counterpoints.
    • Challenge Classics.

  • Fredrik Sj枚lin

    Naja's Waltz

    Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • ECM.

  • Franz Liszt

    Les Jeux d'eaux 脿 la Villa d'Este

    Performer: Imogen Cooper.
    • Le temps perdu.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 12.

  • Richard Strauss

    Violin Concerto in D minor (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alena Baeva. Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi.
    • Alpha Classics.

  • Colin Matthews

    La cath茅drale engloutie (Preludes Bk 1)

    Composer: Claude Debussy. Orchestra: Hall茅. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.
    • Colin Matthews: The Debussy Preludes & Postlude.
    • Halle Concerts Society.
    • 24.

  • Antoine Reicha

    Wind Quintet in E minor (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Belfiato Quintet.
    • Supraphon.

  • Hildur Gu冒nad贸ttir

    Baer

    Performer: Hildur Gu冒nad贸ttir. Orchestra: German Symphony Orchestra Berlin. Conductor: Robert Ames.
    • Gu冒nad贸ttir: B忙r (Version for Orchestra).
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1.

  • Trad.

    Old Sir Simon The King

    Music Arranger: David McGuinness. Singer: Olivia Chaney. Singer: Jim Moray. Ensemble: Concerto Caledonia. Director: David McGuinness.
    • DELPHIAN.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony no.36 in C 'Linz' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.
    • Mozart: Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425: IV. Presto.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • 1.

  • Eric Whitacre

    To See A World (Eternity in an Hour)

    Choir: Eric Whitacre Singers. Performer: Emma Denton. Performer: Eric Whitacre.
    • Eternity in an Hour.
    • Decca.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Kyrie (Requiem in D minor K.626)

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Director: John Butt.
    • Mozart Requiem Reconstruction of first performance.
    • LINN.
    • 19.

  • Eric Whitacre

    Go, lovely rose (3 Flower Songs)

    Choir: Polyphony. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • Cloudburst and other choral works.
    • HYPERION.
    • 5.

  • Eric Whitacre

    And Eternity (Eternity in an Hour)

    Choir: Eric Whitacre Singers. Performer: Emma Denton. Performer: Eric Whitacre.
    • Eternity in an Hour.
    • Decca.

  • Eric Whitacre

    In a Wild Flower (Eternity in an Hour)

    Choir: Eric Whitacre Singers. Performer: Emma Denton. Performer: Eric Whitacre.
    • Eternity in an Hour.
    • Decca.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Slavonic Dance in G minor Op.46 no.8

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Ji艡铆 B臎lohl谩vek.
    • Dvor谩k: Slavonic Dances Opp. 46 & 72.
    • Decca.
    • 8.

  • Franz Schubert

    'Duo' Sonata D.574 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Julia Fischer. Performer: Martin Helmchen.
    • Schubert Complete Works for Violin and Piano, Vol. 2.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 1.

  • Guy Barker

    Altoona Express (Wood on the Tracks)

    Ensemble: Cellophonics.
    • Somm.

  • Harrison Birtwistle

    Sleep Song

    Performer: Sean Shibe.
    • Vesper.
    • PENTATONE.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Jagerlied (Songs without words Bk.1)

    Performer: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • Felix Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 3.

  • Johann Friedrich Fasch

    Quartet in B flat major for 2 oboes, bassoon and continuo (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Ensemble Marsyas.
    • LINN.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    5 Variants of 'Dives and Lazarus'

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Manze.
    • Vaughan Williams: Orchestral works.
    • PM Classics Ltd..
    • 2.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Gelido in Ogni Vena (Il Farnace)

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Performer: Coleman Itzkoff. Performer: Colin Brookes. Performer: Du拧an Balarin. Performer: Eleonore Oppenheim. Performer: Keir GoGwilt. Performer: Miranda Cuckson. Conductor: Daniel Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.

  • Bob Crewe

    Walk Like a Man

    Composer: Bob Gaudio. Music Arranger: Frankie Valli. Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Performer: Alex Bender. Performer: Amir Farsi. Performer: Burt Mason. Performer: Coleman Itzkoff. Performer: Colin Brookes. Performer: David Cossin. Performer: Du拧an Balarin. Performer: Eleonore Oppenheim. Performer: Keir GoGwilt. Performer: Miranda Cuckson. Performer: Nicolee Kuester. Performer: Paul Wonjin Cho. Performer: Yasmina Spiegelberg. Conductor: Daniel Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.

  • John Madara

    You Don't Own Me

    Composer: David White. Music Arranger: Daniel Schlosberg. Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Performer: Alex Bender. Performer: Amir Farsi. Performer: Burt Mason. Performer: Coleman Itzkoff. Performer: Colin Brookes. Performer: David Cossin. Performer: Du拧an Balarin. Performer: Eleonore Oppenheim. Performer: Keir GoGwilt. Performer: Miranda Cuckson. Performer: Nicolee Kuester. Performer: Paul Wonjin Cho. Performer: Yasmina Spiegelberg. Conductor: Daniel Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.

  • Osvaldo Golijov

    Laika

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Performer: Chelsea Lane. Performer: Coleman Itzkoff. Performer: Colin Brookes. Performer: Eleonore Oppenheim. Performer: Landon Wilson. Performer: Miranda Cuckson. Performer: Paul Wonjin Cho. Performer: Yasmina Spiegelberg. Conductor: Daniel Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.

  • Claudio Monteverdi

    Lasciatemi morire (Lamento d'Arianna)

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Performer: Du拧an Balarin.
    • Nonesuch.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Crudel! perch茅 finora farmi languir cos矛? (The Marriage of Figaro)

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Performer: Amir Farsi. Performer: Chelsea Lane. Performer: Coleman Itzkoff. Performer: Colin Brookes. Performer: Eleonore Oppenheim. Performer: Keir GoGwilt. Performer: Yasmina Spiegelberg. Conductor: Daniel Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.

  • Alexander Scriabin

    Piano Concerto in F sharp minor Op.20 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Kirill Gerstein. Orchestra: Oslo Philharmonic. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • LAWO.

  • Francesco Corradini

    Baile de las m谩scaras

    Orchestra: Concerto K枚ln. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • El Maestro Farinelli.
    • Archiv Produktion.
    • 10.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Clarinet Sonata in E flat major Op.120`2 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Michael Collins. Performer: Michael McHale.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Egmont Op.84 (Overture)

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
    • Teldec.

Broadcast

  • Sat 24 Oct 2026 09:00
    91福利社 Radio 3