Jumping Fleas: the rise and rise of the Ukulele

The Listening Service by BBC

Jan 16, 202429:03Music

Tom Service explores the world of the Ukulele, from the Hawaiian Royal Court of King Kalakaua to Blackpool Pier with George Formby, the Royal Albert Hall where hundreds of ukulele players performed Beethoven's Ode to Joy...

Related Episodes

Continue listening to more episodes from The Listening Service.

What's the point of Listening?

Mar 31, 2024 - 28:34

Isn’t it great to be able to listen to so much music, to be able to search and scroll and find anything y...

Needle Drop: the power of classical music in film

Mar 10, 2024 - 28:29

Tom Service discovers the mighty musical power of needle drop - the use of pre-existing music in film sou...

Impassioned argument: Elizabeth Maconchy's string quartets

Mar 3, 2024 - 28:40

"For me, the best music is an impassioned argument". So said one of Britain's greatest 20th-century compo...

Songs of the Moon

Feb 25, 2024 - 28:28

Many of the most instantly recognisable works in classical music are inspired by the Earth’s moon – Debus...

'Pathétique'

Feb 5, 2024 - 28:35

Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony is given the subtitle "Pathétique", the use of the French word removing some o...

Turangalila!

Jan 21, 2024 - 29:03

It made Pierre Boulez want to vomit: Francis Poulenc thought it was atrocious: and Igor Stravinsky said a...

Resolutions

Dec 31, 2023 - 29:03

The word 'resolution' has several meanings. It can refer to something that has been settled or resolved....

New York, New York!

Dec 11, 2023 - 29:14

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's Tom Service, exploring the musical life of The Big Apple, from its...