PODCAST:
Welcome to the Christmas episode of the BBC Music Magazine podcast, presented by editor Oliver Condy along with reviews editor Michael Beek and editorial assistant Freya Parr.
This month, we discuss the winners of Young Chorister of the Year 2018, the bank-breaking Pavarotti art case and the research that shows that classical music recordings are getting significantly faster by the year.
We also introduce our Christmas issue cover feature, which sees Richard Morrison go to King's College, Cambridge to meet its choir ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Festival of Five Lessons and Carols. We bid a fond farewell to music director Stephen Cleobury, for whom this year's service will be his last with the choir. Plus, you can hear a clip from our cover CD, featuring the Wells Cathedral Choir.
In First Listen this month, we bring along three of the recordings we've been enjoying recently, including Jean Rondeau's disc of Scarlatti sonatas (Erato), the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra's album Visions Take Flight (Innova Records) and Advent Live from the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge (Signum).
Links:
News: Young Chorister of the Year 2018 Recordings of classical music getting faster Pappano extends his contract with the Royal Opera House
First Listen: River Oaks Chamber Orchestra: Visions Take Flight (Michael's choice) Jean Rondeau: Scarlatti Sonatas (Freya's choice) The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge: Advent Live (Oliver's choice)
