Here's how we're celebrating Christmas on Scala Radio
Take a look at our festive schedule
Christmas is officially on the way, and we have a wonderful festive schedule to take you through to the New Year. We also have our new Premium channel, Scala Radio Christmas, which you can find out more about here.
See our guide to all the shows and specials you can hear on Scala Radio.
Mark Kermode’s Christmas Movie Music Special – Saturday 24th December 1-3pm
Mark Kermode presents a show packed full of festive favourites like Elf, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Muppet Christmas Carol and more, including Die Hard – and before you ask, yes, it is a Christmas movie!
Along with all the classics, Mark will select some recent Christmas movies including Falling for Christmas starring Lindsay Lohan and Spirited starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.
Simon Mayo’s Essential Albums – Saturday 24th December 3-5pm
Simon Mayo showcases the ultimate classical albums every Saturday afternoon, shining a spotlight on brand-new releases, archive recordings and musical anniversaries. On Christmas Eve, he presents a selection of festive works including Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Corelli’s Christmas Concerto and highlights from Handel’s Messiah in a recording by the English Concert Choir and the English Concert, conducted by Trevor Pinnock.
He showcases a recent release by the Girl Choristers and Lower Voices of Merton College, Oxford, performing ‘Sing to the Infant Boy’ by Charpentier, and he also selects tracks from A Very Chilly Christmas by pianist and composer Chilly Gonzales, including a version of ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ starring Jarvis Cocker on vocals.
The Console Christmas Special – Saturday 24th December 5-6pm
Composer, arranger and video games fan Luci Holland presents Scala Radio’s weekly celebration of gaming soundtracks – the only weekly show devoted to games music on UK national radio!
On Christmas Eve, Luci selects festive and seasonal tracks from games including ‘Theme of Winters’ from Earthbound and ‘Buried in Snow’ from Final Fantasy VII, both performed by The Game Brass from their album Snowtopia. Other selections include ‘Winter Shines’ and ‘Snowy Blankets’ from Viva Piñata by Grant Kirkhope, ‘When Winter Pays a Visit’ from Bee Simulator by Mikolai Stroinski and ‘Deck the Hulls’ from Sea of Thieves.
The Scala Radio Residency with Marin Alsop – Sunday 25th December 3-5pm
The Scala Radio Residency is a 6-month series in which 4 inspiring and innovative classical musicians present and curate a show a month, hosting in rotation. The Residents joining the Scala Radio presenting family are pianist and composer Chloe Flower, Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin, cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson and, on Christmas Day, the trailblazing conductor Marin Alsop.
The first woman to conduct a Viennese orchestra shares music that she enjoys with her family over the festive period, including film scores from Home Alone and The Polar Express, which Marin has fond memories of watching with her son when he was little. She explains why festive classical works hold a special place in her heart – from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio to ‘L'Adieu Des Bergers’ from L'enfance Du Christ by Berlioz.
Marin pays a special homage to her old friend and colleague, the legendary film composer John Williams, as she gives his Christmas tunes with the Boston Pops Orchestra an outing! She also treats us to her gospel version of Handel’s Messiah called ‘Too Hot To Handel’ from her collaboration with musical arranger Bob Christianson.
Scala Radio Christmas Live – Sunday 25th December 6-8pm
Penny Smith presents highlights from Scala Radio’s Christmas concert at the London Palladium which took place on Sunday 27th November. Re-live highlights from star performers such as musical duo Ball & Boe, the Oscar-winning composer, pianist and founding member of The Art Of Noise Anne Dudley, the West End, film, and TV star Luke Evans, classical guitarist MILOŠ, violinist Esther Abrami and The Ayoub Sisters.
Find out more about Scala Radio Christmas Live here!
Sunday Night Scala – Sunday 25th December 8-10pm
Darren Redick presents a classical concert every Sunday evening, offering complete musical escapism as the weekend draws to a close. On Christmas Day, Darren will treat us to the family festive favourite, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker in its entirety, performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Mark Ermler.
End of 2022 & NYE Shows
Screen Time with Charles Nove – Friday 30th December 9-10am
Charles Nove serves up a mix of vibrant and soothing music for your morning with a light look at the newspapers and his Questions of the Day.
From 9am, it’s Screen Time, an hour of music from films, TV shows, adverts and video games – with some trivia thrown in for good measure!
In the final Screen Time of 2022, Charles selects the best TV soundtracks of the year, showcasing music from House of the Dragon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Frozen Planet II and more.
Mark Kermode’s Film Music of 2022 – Saturday 31st December 1-3pm
Mark Kermode reviews the year in movie music, from box office hits like Top Gun: Maverick, scored by Hans Zimmer to award winners like Dune, also scored by Hans Zimmer.
Mark will round off the show, as is tradition, by counting down his Top 5 Film Scores of the year. Favourites at the time of writing include Blonde by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Nope by Michael Abels, Everything Everywhere All At Once by Son Lux and Living by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch.
Simon Mayo’s Essential Albums of 2022 – Saturday 31st December 3-5pm
Simon Mayo showcases the ultimate classical albums every Saturday afternoon, shining a spotlight on brand new releases, archive recordings and musical anniversaries, and for his final programme in 2022, he presents a special show highlighting the essential classical albums released over the past 12 months.
Selections in the first hour include LYS by Mari Samuelsen, Il Tenore by Freddie de Tommaso, Bach’s St Matthew Passion performed by Pygmalion and Raphael Pichon, Hollywood Soundstage by John Wilson and Sinfonia of London and Mandolin On Stage by Raffaele La Ragione.
Simon will focus on the best Mozart recordings of 2022 in the second hour of the programme, reflecting his regular feature ‘the weekly Mozart pick’, where Simon indulges himself – and us – with music by his favourite composer every Saturday afternoon. His favourites of 2022 include Mozart Momentum 1785 by pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, Mozart X 3 by soprano Elsa Dreisig and Mozart y Mambo: Cuban Dances by French horn player Sarah Willis.
The Best Video Game Music of 2022 in The Console – Saturday 31st December 5-6pm
Composer, arranger and gaming fan Luci Holland presents Scala Radio’s video games music show – the only weekly show dedicated to the genre on UK national radio! For the final edition of The Console in 2022, Luci looks back at the best game soundtracks from the year, rounding off with her Top 5 Game Soundtracks of 2022.
Contenders include Intimacy by Nainita Desai, Hoa by Johannes Johannsson and The Spirit and the Mouse by Gisula, but join Luci to find out which soundtracks she crowns the best of the year!
The Scala Radio Residency – Sunday 1st January 3-5pm
The Scala Radio Residency is a series in which 4 inspiring and innovative classical musicians present and curate a show a month, hosting in rotation.
The Residents are the singer, cellist, pianist and composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson, the first composer of video game music to win a Grammy Award, Christopher Tin, the pioneering conductor Marin Alsop and, on New Year’s Day, the crossover pianist and composer Chloe Flower. Chloe will look ahead to 2023, sharing music that reminds her of Fresh Starts and New Beginnings. Listen out for Chloe's own compositions as well as Max Richter's re-working of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
NEW SERIES: Charlie Higson and Friends – Sunday 1st January 6-8pm
Now a celebrated author and TV director, Charlie Higson is also a passionate classical music fan. In this second series for Scala Radio, Charlie invites some more of his famous friends to share their favourite classical music and to talk about their work.
In the first episode, he’s joined by the writer, director and producer Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, Veep). Their music selections include Holst, Philip Glass and Christopher Willis, and they discuss Armando’s youth spent in the record libraries of Glasgow, his work on pioneering BBC shows like On The Hour and The Day Today, the creation of iconic characters such as Alan Partridge and Malcolm Tucker, and his films The Death Of Stalin and The Personal History of David Copperfield.
Here are all the exclusive stations you can listen to with Scala Radio Premium:
Oscar Winners
Oscar-winning songs, scores and soundtracks from across the decades. Listen to Oscar Winners on Scala Radio Premium.
Dinner Party
Whether you're socialising or relaxing, the very best music for your dinner party.
Listen to Dinner Party on Scala Radio Premium.
Mindfulness Music
Giving you a moment of mindfulness, whenever you need it.
Listen to Mindfulness Music on Scala Radio Premium.
In the Park
A relaxing mix of the best music and the sounds of nature.
Listen to In The Park on Scala Radio Premium.
Screen Time
From the big screen to the small screen. Film scores, TV themes, music from commercials and videogames. From Silent Witness to Spielberg.
Listen to Screen Time on Scala Radio Premium.
Peaceful Piano
Celebrating the sound of the piano. From Eine Kleine Nachtmusik to the Moonlight Sonata.
Listen to Peaceful Piano on Scala Radio Premium.
Movie Blockbusters
Playing the very best film scores. From John Williams to Hans Zimmer to Howard Shore.
Listen to Movie Blockbusters on Scala Radio Premium.
Epic Classical
Playing the best works by the world's biggest composers. Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and more.
Listen to The Big Composers on Scala Radio Premium.
The Console
The greatest video game scores. From Tomb Raider to Call of Duty.
Listen to The Console on Scala Radio Premium.
The Study Space
Easing your mind into a state of concentration - with zero distractions. Piano to strings, Mozart to Bach.
Listen to The Study Space on Scala Radio Premium.
The Jukebox
Nothing but rock, pop and soul hits in a classical style. To play The Jukebox on your Alexa say 'Alexa, play The Jukebox on Planet Radio'.
Listen to The Jukebox on Scala Radio Premium.
Classical Bangers
To play Classical Bangers on your Alexa say 'Alexa, play Classical Bangers on Planet Radio'.
Listen to Classical Bangers on Scala Radio Premium.
100% Baroque
The finest classical music from the Baroque era. From Vivaldi to Bach to Handel. To play 100% Baroque on your Alexa say 'Alexa, play 100% Baroque on Planet Radio'.
Listen to 100% Baroque on Scala Radio Premium.
Women Composers
Women Composers is an uninterrupted playlist of music by women composers, from Clara Schumann to Amy Beach and Nainita Desai to Rachel Bruerville. To listen to Women Composers on your Alexa say 'Alexa, play Women Composers on Planet Radio'. Listen to Women Composers on Scala Radio Premium.
Read more:
Scala Radio Christmas: Introducing our new Premium station