The Listening Service Podcast
Rethink music with The Listening Service. Tom Service presents a journey of imagination and insight, exploring how music works
UK Only
Episodes to download
-
![]()
In space no-one can hear you sing
Yesterday
An odyssey through the musical universe, presented by Tom Service
-
![]()
Is complicated music better than simple music?
Sun 7 Jul 2019
Tom Service looks at complexity in music - can we actually hear what's going on?
-
![]()
Why do babies love music?
Sun 23 Jun 2019
Tom Service asks why we seem to love music from the day we're born - are we born musical?
-
![]()
-
![]()
Countertenors - classical rock gods!
Sun 9 Jun 2019
A celebration of male singers who can hit those high notes!
-
![]()
What's the point of practice?
Sun 26 May 2019
Does practice make perfect? And what is perfect practice? Tom Service finds out.
-
![]()
Sound of the Underground
Sun 19 May 2019
What does underground sound like? From earth-inspired music to sounds of the earth itself.
-
![]()
What is Sound Art? And why?
Sun 5 May 2019
Tom Service considers the rise of Sound Art. Is it art music or something else?
-
![]()
Ranked Amateurs
Sun 28 Apr 2019
Amateur musicians' vital role in music and performance over the last three centuries.
-
![]()
Why are classical audiences so quiet?
Sun 21 Apr 2019
Tom Service looks at why we are all so tense and silent during classical concerts. Shhhh!
-
![]()
-
![]()
Anger in Music
Sun 31 Mar 2019
Today at Sage Gateshead Tom finds out how music can induce, express and exorcise anger.
-
![]()
Bruckner and the Symphonic Boa Constrictors
Sun 24 Mar 2019
Is listening to a Bruckner symphony really like being crushed to death by a giant snake?
-
![]()
-
![]()
-
![]()
The Key to Keys
Sun 10 Feb 2019
Tom Service asks why is western music in so many different keys and what exactly are they?
-
![]()
Riffs, loops and ostinati - the art of repeating yourself!
Sun 27 Jan 2019
Tom presses repeat - again and again and again ...
-
![]()
-
![]()
How to Sing Classical -Vibrato!
Sun 13 Jan 2019
Good vibrations or horrible wobbling? Why do singers use vibrato?
-
![]()
The Nutcracker - Strange Enchantments
Sun 30 Dec 2018
Think The Nutcracker is a super-saccharine classic for the feel-good season? Think again.
-
![]()
Concertos: All for one and one for all?
Sun 9 Dec 2018
What is a concerto? Tom Service asks how they work and what it is like to be a soloist.
-
![]()
Rossini - Master Chef and Maestro
Sun 18 Nov 2018
A celebration of 'Signor Crescendo' Gioachino Rossini, operatic genius and gourmand.
-
![]()
What counts as "classical music"?
Sun 11 Nov 2018
What do we actually mean when we talk about "classical music"?
-
![]()
Extreme Classical!
Sun 28 Oct 2018
What are the most extreme pieces of classical music ever written?
-
![]()
The Magical Forest
Sun 21 Oct 2018
Enter the magical musical world of the forest. Your guide is Tom Service
-
![]()
The Cowpat Controversy
Sun 14 Oct 2018
Calling 20th Century English music 'cowpat music' is just plain rude! And it's inaccurate.
-
![]()
-
![]()
Technical Mastery
Sun 30 Sep 2018
Music and technology - what do you do when everything is possible?
-
![]()
-
![]()
Searching for Paradise - 2018 Proms Special
Sun 2 Sep 2018
Exploring sacred music and how it transports us to the divine.
Six mind-expanding music podcasts to download in 2019
Love music? Looking for new ear-fodder for your commute? We've got you covered.
Why do we call it 'classical' music?
Tom Service poses a very simple question (with a not-so-simple answer).
Six of the world's most extreme voices
From babies to Mongolian throat singers: whose voice is the most extreme of all?
How did the number 12 revolutionise music?
How Schoenberg opened a new cosmos for composers and listeners to explore.
Why are we all addicted to bass?
Bass is everywhere, but why do we enjoy it? Join Tom Service on a journey of discovery.
Watch the animations
Join Tom Service on a musical journey through beginnings, repetition and bass lines.
When does noise become music?
We like to think we can separate “noise” from “music”, but is it that simple?
