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Episode details

Radio 3,13 Sep 2026,59 mins

1. Claiming the Classics

Goldie: Street to Symphony Hall

Available for 6 days

Goldie traces the ways Black British artists have engaged with classical music, from early attempts to capture its atmosphere through sampling, to commissioning orchestral musicians and creating records shaped by classical forms and ideas. Through a series of carefully chosen pairings, he reveals how composers and performers across genres have drawn inspiration from the classical tradition and transformed it into something new. Each pairing begins with a classical work before moving to its contemporary counterpart, uncovering connections between Elgar and Goldie鈥檚 Inner City Life, Ravel and Soul II Soul, and Samuel Barber and Massive Attack. Along the way, Goldie explores how Delibes鈥檚 celebrated Flower Duet found an unexpected new life in The Rapsody's Dear Mallika. The programme concludes with G贸recki鈥檚 Symphony No. 3 and its direct influence on one of Goldie鈥檚 most personal and iconic recordings, Mother. Music featured: Elgar, Nimrod from Enigma Variations; Goldie, Inner City Life; Ravel, Daphnis et Chlo茅; Soul II Soul, African Dance; Barber, Adagio for Strings; Massive Attack, Unfinished Sympathy; the Flower Duet from Delibes鈥檚 Lakm茅; The Rapsody featuring LL Cool J, Dear Mallika; G贸recki, Symphony No. 3; and Goldie, Mother.

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Tracklist

  1. Track
    Artist
  2. 1.
    Nimrod (Enigma Variations)
    Nimrod (Enigma Variations)
    Edward Elgar
  3. 2.
    Inner City Life (Baby Boy's Edit)
    Inner City Life (Baby Boy's Edit)
    Goldie
  4. 3.
    Pantomime (Daphnis et Chloe)
    Pantomime (Daphnis et Chloe)
    Maurice Ravel