Soul Music - Series 21 - Mr Blue Sky - BBC Sounds

Series 21

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Albert Mazibuko remembers the song Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika.

• 30 mins

Series 21

Mack the Knife

The Brecht/Weill song Mack the Knife written for The Threepenny Opera in 1928.

• 30 mins

Series 21

Nimrod

Composer and conductor Paul Spicer explores the impact of Edward Elgar's Nimrod.

• 30 mins

Series 21

Fairytale of New York

The stories behind 1988's 'Fairytale of New York' by the Pogues.

• 30 mins

Series 3

Fever

Peggy Lee's daughter Nicki Foster talks about her mother's life and her hit record.

• 30 mins

Series 3

Barber's Adagio for Strings

Leonard Slatkin on the impact of the adagio that became America's 'national funeral music'

• 30 mins

Series 3

Moon River

Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer's film theme for Breakfast at Tiffany's.

• 30 mins

Series 3

Kol Nidrei

Max Bruch's piece for cello is based on Jewish prayer sung at Yom Kippur.

• 30 mins

Series 3

Somewhere

Exploring what Leonard Bernstein's song from 'West Side Story' means to different people.

• 30 mins

Series 3

The Pathétique

Anthony Holden and Vassily Sinaisky explore the impact of Tchaikovsky's final symphony.

• 30 mins

Series 4

Mad About the Boy

Noël Coward wrote 'Mad About the Boy' to celebrate the appeal of the silent movie star.

• 30 mins

Series 4

Swing Low Sweet Chariot

An exploration of the spiritual song, from its origins in slavery in America.

• 30 mins

Series 4

Stand By Me

Ben E King talks about writing the classic song, and others reflect on its lasting power.

• 30 mins

Series 4

Bach's Concerto in D minor for Two Violins

Terry Waite and Steve Hackett talk about the impact of Bach's music for two violins.

• 30 mins

Series 4

Like a Rolling Stone

Robbie Robertson, Al Kooper and Greil Marcus reflect on Bob Dylan's iconic song.

• 30 mins

Series 5

Clair de lune

An exploration of Claude Debussy's music for piano, inspired by a poem about moonlight.

• 30 mins

Series 5

I Vow to thee my Country

An exploration of the hymn which stirs patriotism and controversy.

• 30 mins

Series 5

Ol' Man River

Tony Benn, Cleo Laine and Paul Robeson Jr reflect on the emotional power of Ol' Man River.

• 30 mins

Series 5

Widor's Toccata

Widor's Toccata is a favourite for married couples to exit the church by in the UK.

• 30 mins

Feed the Birds

'Feed The Birds' was written for the film Mary Poppins by Richard and Robert Sherman.

• 28 mins

Series 22

Bring Him Home

Contributors explain what Bring Him Home, from the musical Les Miserables, means to them.

• 30 mins

Series 22

Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou)

Personal stories of the 1960s Japanese hit song Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou).

• 30 mins

Series 22

The Way You Look Tonight

The Way You Look Tonight was made popular by Fred Astaire in the 1936 film, Swing Time.

• 30 mins

Series 22

Mozart's Requiem

How Mozart's Requiem, written when he was dying, has touched and changed people's lives.

• 30 mins

Series 22

Feed the Birds

Feed the Birds was written for the film Mary Poppins by Richard and Robert Sherman.

• 30 mins

Series 23

A Change Is Gonna Come, by Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come has become a classic anthem for civil rights in the USA

• 30 mins

Series 23

Jerusalem

How the very English 'Jerusalem' came to be loved by people from different cultures.

• 30 mins

Series 23

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Stories of the timeless love song written by Ewan MacColl and made famous by Roberta Flack

• 30 mins

Series 23

The Star-Spangled Banner

Exploring America's national anthem, set to the tune of an English social men's club song.

• 30 mins

Auld Lang Syne

Stories of love, loss and joy associated with Auld Lang Syne.

• 28 mins