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So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcast

So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcast

By: Southbank Centre
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About this listen

 So, 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 instruments and styles from other cultures?” — and opens the door to two hand-picked pieces of music. Some you’ll recognise instantly, others might be brand new to you, but all will spark new perspectives. Expect surprising connections, plenty of feeling (not just theory), the occasional detour to Gillian’s piano, and a warm invitation into the classical world — no PhD required.Southbank Centre Music
Episodes
  • What does pop owe to classical music? | So, Hear Me Out

    What does pop owe to classical music? | So, Hear Me Out
    Nov 25 2025

    In 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 Introduction

    00:47 Pop music's classical roots

    02:33 Personal musical journeys

    05:10 Classical inspirations in Pop

    06:21 Nas and Beethoven

    19:24 Chopin's Influence on Barry Manilow’s ‘Could it be Magic?’

    33:27 Conclusion and final thoughts


    Featured music:

    Nas' I Can (2002)

    Barry Manilow's Could It Be Magic? (1971)


    Get in touch:

    📩 Send your classical questions to ⁠podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk⁠

    Get updates on ⁠Instagram⁠

    Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠

    ⁠Subscribe to The Tonic newsletter⁠ for articles, video and audio

    And don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, wherever you get your podcasts.


    Credits

    Produced by Connor Gani

    Executive Producers Emily Dicks and Phil Smith

    Sound Mix by Solomon King

    A Reduced Listening production for Southbank Centre
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Are film and game soundtracks proper classical music? | So, Hear Me Out

    Are film and game soundtracks proper classical music? | So, Hear Me Out
    Nov 18 2025

    Using 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 Introduction

    01:55 Debating the legitimacy of film and video game scores

    06:16 Exploring Mica Levi's score for 'Under the Skin'

    14:48 The genius of live Instruments and synthesised sounds

    23:16 Healing Winds from Soulcaliber II

    26:26 The evolution of game music

    35:51 The role of orchestras in game music


    Featured music:

    • Mica Levi's Under the Skin (2014)

    • Junichi Nakatsuru, Yoshihito Yano, Asuka Sakai, Rio Hamamoto, Ryuichi Takada, and Junichi Takagi's Soulcalibur 2 (2002)


    • Get in touch:

      📩 Send your classical questions to ⁠podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk⁠

      Get updates on ⁠Instagram⁠

      Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠

      ⁠Subscribe to The Tonic newsletter⁠ for articles, video and audio

      And don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, wherever you get your podcasts.


      Credits:

      Produced by Connor Gani

      Executive Producers Emily Dicks and Phil Smith

      Sound Mix by Solomon King

      A Reduced Listening production for Southbank Centre
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • Can classical music make you happier? | So, Hear Me Out

    Can classical music make you happier? | So, Hear Me Out
    Nov 11 2025

    We 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 Out

    00:59 Today's Big Question: Why Does Classical Music Make Us Happy?

    01:19 Felix Mendelssohn: A Burst of Brilliance

    02:15 Nile Rodgers and the Joy of Music

    04:19 Mendelssohn's Musical Legacy

    08:43 The Joyful Octet in E Flat

    15:50 Mendelssohn's Signature Sound

    18:54 Mozart's Early Masterpieces

    19:42 Felix Mendelssohn's Emotional Journey

    21:56 Discovering Francesca Cini

    24:20 The Joy of Baroque Music

    35:00 The Science of Joy in Music

    38:44 Conclusion and Farewell

    Featured music:

    Felix Mendelssohn's Octet in E Flat

    Francesca Caccini’s Chaconne

    Get in touch:

    📩 Send your classical questions to podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk

    Get updates on Instagram

    Follow us on TikTok

    Subscribe to The Tonic newsletter for articles, video and audio

    And don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, wherever you get your podcasts.

    Credits

    Produced by Connor Gani

    Executive Producers Emily Dicks and Phil Smith

    Sound Mix by Solomon King

    A Reduced Listening production for Southbank Centre
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
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