Tricky timing

Tom Service on the fascination of out-of-the-ordinary rhythms.

• 29 mins

Becoming Beethoven's Fifth

How did Beethoven compose one the most famous works in classical music?

• 29 mins

Swing, Rubato and Bounce

Tom Service investigates what happens when musical rhythm is loosened by swing or rubato.

• 30 mins

What if...? Tom's Marvellous Musical Multiverse

Tom Service laments and consoles with some of the great 'what ifs' of music history.

• 30 mins

Dream Teams

Tom Service explores musical collaborations.

• 30 mins

Musical Signatures

What gives away a composer's personal style? How can we spot their musical signatures?

• 30 mins

The Feasibility of Studies

How was the humdrum study transformed by great composers into miniature masterpieces?

• 30 mins

The Viola - Music's Secret Fire

Tom Service explores the viola's secret influence in music.

• 29 mins

Perfect Harmony

How does harmony work its magic?

• 29 mins

Tunes for 'Toons

Tom Service explores cartoon music, from manic Mickey Mouse to moody Batman.

• 30 mins

Leoš Janáček: music is a being come alive

What makes the extraordinary music of Czech composer Leoš Janáček instantly recognisable?

• 29 mins

Is Music Good for You?

The tightly entwined relationship of music and our minds.

• 29 mins

Brass Bands

Tom Service explores the world of brass bands.

• 29 mins

Playing Second Fiddle (and Horn and Trumpet...)

The joys and frustrations of being the unsung heroes of the orchestral world.

• 29 mins

How to listen to... Gilbert and Sullivan

Tom Service enters the topsy-turvy world of Gilbert and Sullivan.

• 29 mins

Money Makes the Music Go Round

Tom Service explores the relationship between money and music.

• 28 mins

Themes and Variations

Tom Service explores the endless potential of musical variations on a theme.

• 29 mins

Fiddles and Fiddle Tunes

Tom Service explores fiddles and fiddle tunes from around the world.

• 29 mins

How to listen to... Arvo Pärt

Tom explores Arvo Pärt's music - what makes it so unique and why is it so popular?

• 29 mins

Out of Tune

Tom Service asks what it really means to be in tune? In tune with what - or who?

• 28 mins

Eat to the Beat

The many long-standing and sometimes surprising connections between food and music.

• 29 mins

The timeless power of contemporary choral music

Tom Service immerses himself in the resonant sound world of 21st-century choral music.

• 29 mins

Klezmer

Tom Service explores the connections between Klezmer and classical music.

• 29 mins

The Borrowers

Is using someone else's music in your own big and clever?

• 29 mins

How to listen to...Erik Satie

Tom Service explores the musical universe of Erik Satie.

• 29 mins

Handel's Messiah: Hallelujah!

Tom Service lifts the lid on Handel's Messiah.

• 29 mins

Playing at sight and playing from memory

Tom Service flexes his musical memory muscles whilst also improving his sight reading.

• 29 mins

Making Overtures

Tom Service explores the rise and fall of the musical curtain-raiser.

• 29 mins

Dancing about Architecture

Is writing about music really like dancing about architecture?

• 29 mins

Recorders

Tom Service explores the music and mystery of that schooldays favourite - the recorder.

• 28 mins