Sacred Music is a documentary series broadcast on BBC Four and BBC Two from 2008. Presented by actor and former chorister Simon Russell Beale, it is produced in conjunction with The Open University and features performances and interviews by Harry Christophers and his choir, The Sixteen.
| Episode | Title | Summary | First Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Gothic Revolution | Filming locations included Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint Denis, the Sainte-Chapelle, and Laon Cathedral. | 21 Mar 2008 |
| 2 | Palestrina and the Popes | This episode was filmed on location in Italy (in Rome and Palestrina), and at St Peter's Italian Church, London and St Columba's Catholic Church, Glasgow. |
28 Mar 2008 |
| 3 | Tallis, Byrd and the Tudors | Filming locations included Waltham Abbey Church, Ingatestone Hall, Stondon Massey, St James's Palace, St Alfege Church, Greenwich, Winchester Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral. | 4 Apr 2008 |
| 4 | Bach and the Lutheran Legacy | This episode was filmed on location in Eisenach, Germany and Rome, Italy, and at the Bach Church, Arnstadt, St. Mary's Church, Lübeck, St George's German Lutheran Church.[1] | 11 Apr 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Summary | First Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brahms and Bruckner | 12 Mar 2010 | |
| 2 | Fauré and Poulenc | 19 Mar 2010 | |
| 3 | Górecki and Pärt | 26 Mar 2010 | |
| 4 | Searching Out the Sacred | 2 Apr 2010[2] |
| Title | Summary | First Broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Easter Celebration | A 90-minute concert which was recorded at St Luke Old Street, containing music from the first series.[3] | 23 Mar 2008 | |
| The Story of Allegri's Miserere | A 30-minute episode, detailing the history and performance of the Miserere, and including a full performance.[4] |
21 Dec 2008 | |
| Sacred Music at Christmas | A Christmas History | Simon Russell Beale explores the history of Christmas music on location in Europe.[5] | 24 Dec 2010 |
| A Choral Christmas | A 30-minute concert of Christmas choral music, including some of the works featured in the preceding documentary. Recorded at St Augustine's, Kilburn[6] | ||
| God's Composer | Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria's death.[7] | 2 Dec 2011 | |
| Monteverdi in Mantua: The Genius of the Vespers | On location in Italy, Simon Russell Beale examines the relationship between Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and his court composer Claudio Monteverdi, exploring the world from which Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 was borne out.[8] | 4 Apr 2015 | |
Most episodes have been released on DVD under The Sixteen's own label, Coro.[9]
