Helen Mansfield

James Galway at the BBC

A dazzling music tribute to the Man with the Golden Flute, Sir James Galway. Features archive performances across 40 years of television including The Chieftains, Cleo Laine and Sir James himself.

Stunning Soloists at the BBC

Solo show-stoppers from the world's greatest musicians including John Williams, Jacqueline du Pre, Wynton Marsalis, Nigel Kennedy, James Galway, Ravi Shankar and Dudley Moore.

Classic Quartets at the BBC

Clemency Burton-Hill celebrates the rich and ravishing world of the string quartet in a journey through 50 years of BBC archive. Some of the world's greatest ensembles including the Amadeus, Chilingirian, Borodin and Kronos quartets perform in myriad styles and settings, from stately homes to helicopters. Music ranges from Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert to Steve Reich, Elvis Costello and Pete Townshend, in a tradition which stretches back to Haydn in the 18th century.

Classic Cellists at the BBC

Julian Lloyd Webber takes an extraordinary musical journey through the BBC archives from the 1950s to the present to celebrate the world of the cello through some of its greatest interpreters. From dazzling performances by legendary masters such as Paul Tortelier, Jacqueline du Pre and Mstislav Rostropovich to some of today's leading interpreters including Yo Yo Ma, Steven Isserlis and Mischa Maisky, Julian gives us a cellist's perspective on an extraordinary virtuoso tradition.

Virtuoso Violinists at the BBC

Nicola Benedetti introduces performances by celebrated violinists including Nathan Milstein, Mischa Elman, Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Nigel Kennedy.

Simon Rattle: The Making of a Maestro

This documentary portrait, the first television biography of Rattle for 15 years, follows him through an extraordinary year of concerts, oratorios and opera with five different orchestras. We see his rigorous preparation and experience his irresistible dynamism in rehearsal and performance. We will watch him at work with the Berliner Philharmoniker, often described as the world’s leading orchestra. We will also see him with the Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment and with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. We see him preparing a score for performance, share his experiences with the players and gain privileged insights into the day-to-day life of a conductor

BBC Swingin' Christmas

Michael Parkinson presents the sensational John Wilson Orchestra in a celebration of festive musical treats from the golden age of swing, with soloists Seth MacFarlane, Anna-Jane Casey and special guest Curtis Stigers. The Christmas classics include Winter Wonderland, Baby It's Cold Outside, Let It Snow and White Christmas.