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Saint-Saens’s Organ Symphony in Nottingham

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances from the UK and beyond, including the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Philharmonic Orchestra and organist John Scott playing Saint-Saens’s Symphony No. 3, 'Organ'.

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Philharmonic Orchestra is our ensemble in focus this week, and today we hear them in music by Haydn and Saint-Saens. The programme opens with Haydn’s ‘Miracle’ Symphony from a performance given in Malvern, and later in the programme organist Jonathan Scott joins them on the organ of the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham for Saint-Saens’s spectacular Symphony No. 3, known – for obvious reasons – as the Organ Symphony.

Throughout the week we’re hearing from music written by Robert Schumann in 1842, his ‘year of chamber music’. Today, former Radio 3 New Generation Artists the Consone Quartet play Schumann’s String Quartet No. 2 at a concert given in Birmingham.

We make our first visit this week to the Glenarm Festival of Voice in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, to hear Radio 3 New Generation Artist James Atkinson singing Gerald Finzi’s exquisite song-cycle Earth and Air and Rain.

And there’s more from the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra’s recent concert in Brno, a musical tribute to the great conductor and champion of Czech music, Charles Mackerras.

1pm
Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 96 in D major, ‘Miracle’
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Manze (conductor)

Robert Schumann
String Quartet No. 2 in F major, Op. 41 No. 2
Consone Quartet

Camille Saint-Saens
Symphony No. 3 in C minor, ‘Organ’
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Philharmonic Orchestra
Jonathan Scott (organ)
John Storgards (conductor)

Gerald Finzi
Earth and Air and Rain, Op. 15
James Atkinson (baritone)
Simon Lepper (piano)

Doreen Carwithen
Men of Sherwood Forest - Overture
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra
Anna-Maria Helsing (conductor)

To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say 'Ask ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sounds to play Classical Live'.

Release date:

2 hours, 56 minutes

On radio

Tue 18 Nov 2025 13:00

Broadcast

  • Tue 18 Nov 2025 13:00