Tom Service
Columnist, BBC Music Magazine
Tom Service is a familiar voice to BBC Radio 3 listeners, the station on which he has presented Music Matters since 2003 and his own programme The Listening Service, in which he breaks down how music works. He is also a monthly columnist for BBC Music Magazine. For many years, Service wrote for The Guardian, where he was chief classical music critic. In 2012, he released two books published by Faber: Music as Alchemy: Journeys with Great Conductors and their Orchestras and Thomas Adès: Full of Noises, a series of conversations with the great composer and conductor. His PhD, undertaken at the University of Southampton, was on the music of contemporary composer and musician John Zorn.
Recent articles by Tom Service
What are microtones? The tiny building blocks of all music...
Though we may not always realise it, microtones – intervals of smaller than a semitone – are all around us when we listen to music, explains Tom Service
Impostor syndrome: why even the greatest performers share our feelings of inadequacy
Even the most elevated artists sometimes suffer from impostor syndrome – but that vulnerability makes them even better musicians, explains Tom Service
Were Bach, Vivaldi and Rossini the real pioneers of disco?
Forget New York’s Studio 54 in the 1970s. For the heart of the disco revolution, head back to Bach, Handel and Rossini in the 18th and 19th centuries, says Tom Service
Sonification: electromagnetic 'music' that can help us understand the secrets of the universe
Sonification allows us to listen to the sounds of the universe – and this wondrous music produces insights beyond our visual awareness, says Tom Service
'His music could have come from another planet': how French composer Erik Satie liberated music
While late-Romanticism was at its height, a cabaret pianist was turning music on its head. Tom Service celebrates the legacy of the great eccentric, Erik Satie
Can music influence political elections?
When it comes to music's influence on elections, modern pop songs like D:Ream’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ have their precursors in the 18th century, says Tom Service
New York, New York: why it's the city where music never sleeps - and never will
From the modernist visions of Varèse to the minimalism of Glass and Reich, Tom Service celebrates the rich soundscape of New York, the city that never sleeps
Which came first, music or language? The answer might intrigue you
Did our ancestors speak or sing first? Or are music and language more closely intertwined than anyone ever previously thought, asks Tom Service
Here's the one big difference between a modern classical concert and one in Beethoven's day
Here's why music gives us goosebumps
Why is no one whistling anymore?
These movie directors are using classical music to create viral memes and memorable moments
From Brahms to Samuel Barber, the use of classical music in films can create all sorts of unlikely connections in the minds of the audience, as Tom Service explains
How classical crossover music has fuelled creativity
Though classical crossover is often met with snobbery by purists, historically the phenomenon has acted as a fundamental creative catalyst, says Tom Service
History of memorising music: the trend for binning scores and music stands on stage
Performing from memory hasn’t always been required of our soloists – so why is it universally expected today? We explain the history of performers learning music by heart
Ravel Bolero: the 15-minute piece 'without music' that became one of classical music's most iconic works
Bluebeard's Castle: how Bartók's psychodrama holds a dark fascination
Bluebeard’s Castle, Bartók’s bloodthirsty psychodrama, invites us to explore the hidden recesses of our own imaginations, as Tom Service explains
Are TV theme tunes 'real' music?
Often dismissed as trivial, television theme tunes are in fact snippets of musical magic, capable of capturing a time and mood, argues Tom Service
Can wordless music ever really be funny?
Though several composers have made valiant attempts to integrate comedy into their wordless music, the joke is more often on us, observes Tom Service
Why modern technology is ruining the way we hear music
Modern technology should, in theory, help musicians be more in tune than ever; but, Tom Service argues, it may actually distort how we hear the music we perform
Is music ACTUALLY that good for us?
Since ancient times, many of us have liked to believe in music as a civilising force for good. Tom Service offers a more pessimistic view of music and its capabilities
This is why so many composers write variations, Tom Service reveals
Variations on a theme: Tom Service explores a time-honoured technique which, like life itself, offers infinite creative possibilities that very few composers have been able to resist
Why don't people take Gilbert and Sullivan seriously?
Gilbert & Sullivan shows were huge hits in the late Victorian age; yet, as Tom Service has discovered, they remain not only masterful but also sharp and pertinent
Why cartoon theme tunes should be taken seriously
With its musical references and stylistic innovations, the music for Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry cartoons was way ahead of its time, argues Tom Service
Why is breath important in classical music?
Our breaths are the fundamental building blocks of music, whether creating its sounds or helping to shape symphonic works, says Tom Service