Shows
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastWhat does pop owe to classical music? | So, Hear Me OutIn this episode, we find Beethoven in hip-hop and Chopin in pop. We're diving into how modern music channels the classics, starting with Linton, who unpacks Nas’s hip-hop anthem ‘I Can’ and its iconic 'Für Elise' sample.And then Gillian traces the transformation of Chopin's Prelude No. 20 into Barry Manilow’s soaring pop sensation, 'Could It Be Magic?'Episode highlights:00:00 Introduction00:47 Pop music's classical roots02:33 Personal musical journeys05:10 Classical inspirations in Pop06:21 Nas and Beethoven19:24 Chopin's Influence on Barry Manilow’s ‘Could it be Magic?’33:27 Conclusion and final thoughtsFeatured music:Nas' I Can (2002)Barry Manilow's Could...
2025-11-2534 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastAre film and game soundtracks proper classical music? | So, Hear Me OutUsing the examples of Mica Levi's score for the 2013 film 'Under the Skin' and the soundtrack from the video game 'Soulcalibur II', Gillian and Linton explore whether film soundtracks and video game scores should be considered true classical music. Episode highlights:00:00 Introduction01:55 Debating the legitimacy of film and video game scores06:16 Exploring Mica Levi's score for 'Under the Skin'14:48 The genius of live Instruments and synthesised sounds23:16 Healing Winds from Soulcaliber II26:26 The evolution of game music35:51 The role of orchestras in game musicFeatured music:Mica Levi's Under the Skin (2014)Junichi Nakatsuru, Yoshihito Yano, Asuka Sakai, Rio Hamamoto, Ry...
2025-11-1841 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastCan classical music make you happier? | So, Hear Me OutWe deep dive into why and how classical music is able to capture pure joy in sound, featuring joyful pieces by Felix Mendelssohn and Francesca Caccini.Gillian and Linton discuss the innovative and emotional power of Mendelssohn's Octet in E Flat, written by the composer when he was just 16, and the hypnotic, rhythmically alive Chaconne by Cini, one of the first women composers in Europe to earn a living from her music.In this episode:00:00 Welcome to So Hear Me Out00:59 Today's Big Question: Why Does Classical Music Make Us Happy?01:19 Felix Mendelssohn: A Burst of Brilliance02:15 Nile Rodgers and...
2025-11-1139 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastCan classical provide hope to the imprisoned? | So, Hear Me OutCan music provide hope when freedom has been taken away? Ethel Smyth’s March of the Women rang out as a rallying cry for imprisoned suffragettes, its rhythms defiant and unifying. Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, composed and first performed in a Nazi POW camp in 1941, fused faith, birdsong, and dazzling visions of colour into music that offered hope and transcendence to prisoners and guards alike.Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens explore how these works — and many others — testify to the resilience of creativity. Gillian also recalls her own encounters with music behind bars, where moments of song b...
2025-11-0445 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastIs classical music just one big remix? | So, Hear Me OutExpect a whirlwind tour through Luciano Berio’s mashup masterpiece Sinfonia, complete with Mahler, Beckett, and a generous helping of 1960s political angst.Then it’s off to a galaxy far, far away to explore how Star Wars composer John Williams borrowed from the greats to create some of the most iconic music in film history (spoiler: Holst and Wagner would probably want royalties).In this episode of So Hear Me Out, your ever-curious hosts Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens dig into how classical music has been sampling, stealing from (sorry, paying homage to), and reinventing itself for centuries.This epis...
2025-10-2850 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastCan classical be protest music? | So, Hear Me OutLinton and Gillian explore how classical music has been used to challenge power, uplift marginalised voices, and fuel social movements. From radical sounds to revolutionary ideas, we discover how music becomes activism.Linton introduces Julius Eastman’s Gay Guerrilla, a defiant and deeply moving work that reclaims the idea of the ‘guerrilla’ as a symbol of queer resistance. The piece is raw, repetitive, and electrifying – built to reflect both personal struggle and collective power.Gillian guides us through Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated, a towering set of 36 variations based on a Chilean protest anthem. Together Gillian an...
2025-10-2142 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastIs it ok to use music from cultures not your own? | So, Hear Me OutMusic doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it travels, it transforms, and sometimes it takes what isn’t freely given.Hosts Linton Stephens and Gillian Moore wade into one of the most complex questions in music today: is it okay to use sounds from cultures that are not your own? And, perhaps more importantly, how can you tell the difference between inspiration and appropriation?Together they dig into Claude Debussy’s Pagodas, written after his encounter with Javanese gamelan music at the 1889 Paris Exhibition, asking whether his East meets West composition is an act of respectful homage or something more problema...
2025-10-1442 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastCan classical music be funny?Kicking off with the worst classical music jokes we could find, Linton and Gillian dive into the hidden humour of the classical world — from Haydn’s cheeky Surprise Symphony to Ravel’s mischievous opera L’enfant et les sortilèges.Q: Why did the pianist keep banging her head against the keys?A: Because she was playing by ear.(We’re sorry. It only gets slightly better from here.)Expect orchestral pranks, singing teacups, and musical punchlines you didn’t see coming. But it's not all laughs — our hosts also unpack how humour intersects with performance, culture, and the sometimes tricky territor...
2025-10-0741 min
So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastTeaser: So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastCan classical music be protest? Can it make you laugh? Or is it just one big remix?In So Hear Me Out, hosts Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens dig into the big questions, uncovering unexpected stories, surprising connections, and the hidden humour behind the music you thought you knew.This is classical music without the clichés — and with plenty to say about the world today.👉 Subscribe now to So Hear Me Out and don’t miss an episode.Get in touch:📩 Send your classical questions to podcasts@southbankcentre.co.ukGet updates on Instagram @southbankcentreFollow us on TikTok @southbank.centreSubscribe to The Toni...
2025-10-0400 minSo, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcastTrailer: Welcome to So Hear Me OutSo Hear Me Out is a brand new podcast from London’s Southbank Centre, exploring the big questions around classical music — and why it still matters today.Join hosts Linton Stephens (musician, broadcaster and Deputy Artistic Director of Chineke! Orchestra) and Gillian Moore (writer, broadcaster and Artistic Associate at Southbank Centre) as they challenge assumptions, unpick controversies, and share fresh ways of listening to the music you thought you knew.Each episode starts with a question — from “can classical music be laugh-out-loud funny?” to “is it okay to borrow styles from other cultures?” — and opens the door to two hand-picked piec...
2025-09-2603 min