Classic FM

23/11/2025

Happy 70th birthday to Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi, the most-streamed classical artist of all time. 🎹❤️

22/11/2025

Violinist Nicola Benedetti and piper Brìghde Chaimbeul perform the traditional Scots border tune, ‘Hacky Honey’. 🎻🍯

The tune’s only known occurrence is in William Dixon’s collection of Border pipe tunes, written in Stamfordham, Northumberland around 1734. This is Brìghde’s arrangement of the tune, and she performs it on the Scottish smallpipes, a historical bellows bagpipe which has recently been revived.

Nicola Benedetti’s new album, ‘Violin Café’, is out now on .

22/11/2025

Happy St. Cecilia’s Day! 🎶

Cecilia was a 3rd-century Roman noblewoman who was martyred for her faith and became the patron saint of music and musicians. According to legend, she had vowed her virginity to God as a child. Her parents, however, married her to the pagan Valerian. At their wedding, she sat apart, “singing in her heart to God.”

When it came time to consummate the marriage, she told Valerian that an angel of the Lord was watching over her and that it would punish him if he violated her, but would bless him if he respected her vow. Valerian asked to see the angel, and Cecilia told him to go to the Appian Way and be baptised by the Pope. He did so and he saw the angel, who crowned Cecilia with roses and lilies. Valerian and his brother Tiburtius converted and later also became saints, though all three were martyred by the Romans for their faith.

Cecilia survived several ex*****on attempts. Before her death, she requested that her possessions be given to the poor and her house transformed into a church.

The first recorded music festival in St Cecilia's honour was held in Normandy in 1570. Since then, composers from Purcell to Britten (who himself was fittingly born on this day) have written works in her honour. She is even referenced in Simon & Garfunkel’s song 'Cecilia', which is often interpreted as being about a temperamental lover, though Paul Simon has said it was inspired by writer’s block.

22/11/2025

The great English composer Benjamin Britten was born on this day 112 years ago. Happy birthday, Britten! ❤️

21/11/2025

21/11/2025

The Pope just delivered a message to ravers outside a 14th-century cathedral...

The Pope just delivered a message to ravers outside a 14th-century cathedral (with music by ‘The Clerical Brothers’, perhaps...?).

21/11/2025

‘Wicked’ composer Stephen Schwartz on the inspiration behind Elphaba’s theme. 💚

Watch Stephen’s full breakdown of how he wrote the music for ‘Wicked’ on Classic FM’s YouTube.

21/11/2025

Which opera could you see live again and again? 🎭❤️

20/11/2025

This or That: classical composers edition with Alexander Armstrong 😌🎶