Christmas Day radio choice Charlotte Runcie

Soul Music

RADIO 4, 11.00AM

 There’s plenty of jolly festive radio on Christmas Day, as always, but to strike a slightly different tone, this deeply moving edition of Soul Music is my highlight of the schedule. The Coventry Carol is uniquely haunting, and reflections on its poignant meaning and history are shared by musicians, writers and others who love it, have performed it and have even chosen it for their children’s funerals. The mood mightn’t be right for everyone, but it serves as a much-needed acknowledgement that Christmas can be a sad time for many people too.

Sean Rafferty at Home with Lang Lang

RADIO 3, 1.02PM

 More cheerfully, the virtuoso pianist Lang Lang gives a masterclass in one of the most famous piano pieces of all, Beethoven’s Für Elise. Seated at the piano at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Lang Lang also discusses his musical passions and his early influences, from Franz Liszt to Tom and Jerry cartoons. The pianist also talks about how much he enjoys visiting museums and galleries in the cities where he performs, as he and Sean Rafferty stand together in front of Sunflowers at the Museum Van Gogh.