Once Upon A Time... Hans Christian Andersen

Available for 29 days

As part of the BBC's 'Once Upon a Time...' week, Elizabeth Alker introduces a week-long celebration of the fairy tale in music. Elizabeth begins her journey in the world the great Danish creator of tales, Hans Christian Andersen. Also in today’s Classical Live, specially recorded performances from lutenist Thomas Dunford from LSO St. Luke’s, and as usual, Classical Live begins its Mondays with a live concert from Wigmore Hall. Today, the internationally-acclaimed vocal group VOCES8 present an eclectic mix of music through the ages. Live from Wigmore Hall VOCES8 Tomás Luis de Victoria - Regina caeli a 8 Eric Whitacre - All Seems Beautiful to Me Lucy Walker - Give Me Your Stars Gustav Holst - Nunc dimittis Franz Schubert - Liebe Op. 17 No. 2 Michael McGlynn - Dúlamán Taylor Scott Davis - To Sing of Love - A Triptych: II. ‘Effortlessly’ Traditional (arranged by Joshua Pacey) - Danny Boy Bill Conti (arranged by Jim Clements) - For Your Eyes Only John Barry (arranged by Jim Clements) - You Only Live Twice Irving Berlin (arranged by Jim Clements) - Cheek to Cheek Vernon Duke (arranged by Jim Clements) - April in Paris Introduced by Petroc Trelawny ***** c14:00 Presented by Elizabeth Alker Igor Stravinsky The Fairy’s Kiss - Divertimento (After music by Tchaikovsky) BBC Symphony Orchestra Andrei Feher (conductor) From LSO St. Luke’s - Thomas Dunford and Friends: John Dowland Praeludium Fortune My Foe A fancy Thomas Dunford (lute) Alexander von Zemlinsky The Mermaid (Die Seejungfrau) Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra Jonathon Nott (conductor) Igor Stravinsky The Song of the Nightingale BBC Symphony Orchestra Sakari Oramo (conductor) The BBC’s ‘Once Upon a Time…’ week celebrates fairytales and storytelling in partnership with the British Library. On BBC Radio 3, Edith Bowman explores fairytales and fantasy in 'Sound of Cinema', actors Pearce Quigley and Lydia Wilson delve into the worlds of princesses, frogs, and spells in 'Words & Music', Sara Mohr-Pietsch charts a course to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf in 'Music Map', and Elizabeth Alker presents music inspired by enchanted lands, magical creatures, and timeless tales, in 'Classical Live' and 'Unclassified'. Just search ‘Once Upon a Time…’ in BBC Sounds. The British Library’s major new exhibition Fairy Tales runs from 27th March – 23rd August 2026.