Classical Music Playlist, March 18, 2026
Grace Williams (1906-1977) | [old photo enhanced by AI]
As World War II raged, English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams used his time and talents to lift people up. With people stressed, worried and worse, he composed his Symphony No. 5 which reviews at the time called transcendent, benedictory and consoling. This symphony of serenity and uplift is today's Midday Masterpiece.
This Women's History Month CapRadio highlights a different woman in music each weekday. Today's classical spotlight is on Welsh composer Grace Williams (1906–1977) who studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1926 with Ralph Vaughan Williams (no relation).
- The first of her two symphonies was the first symphony by a Welsh composer.
- She also composed religious, opera, orchestral, chamber and vocal works.
- Williams was also the first British woman to score a feature film, in 1948.
- She is considered to have brought Wales to the world through her music inspired by Welsh culture, landscapes and the sea.
- For more, here’s a very good biography written by Pamela Blevins.
- Listen for music by Grace Williams throughout the day.
6:00 a.m.
Tomaso Albinoni
Concerto a cinque in D minor
The English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor David Reichenberg, oboe
6:12 a.m.
Johan Halvorsen
Ancient Suite (Suite ancienne) Opus 31a
Bergen Philharmonic; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
6:38 a.m.
Giulio Caccini
Amarilli mia bella in A minor
John Lenti, theorbo
6:44 a.m.
Frederic Chopin
Fantasia on Polish Airs in A major Opus 13
Warsaw Philharmonic; Antoni Wit, conductor Eldar Nebolsin, piano
6:59 a.m.
Camille Saint-Saens
SAMSON ET DELILA: Bacchanale Opus 47
Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, conductor
7:07 a.m.
Modest Mussorgsky
Pictures at an Exhibition
Philadelphia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, conductor
7:40 a.m.
Grace Williams
Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes
Royal Ballet Sinfonia; Andrew Penny, conductor
7:52 a.m.
Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto No. 1 for four violins and orchestra in D major Opus 3 RV 549
Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, conductor Members of...
8:01 a.m.
Carl Maria Von Weber
Oberon Overture J 306
Tapiola Sinfonietta; Jean Jacques Kantorow, conductor
8:10 a.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Trio "Gassenhauer" in Bb major Opus 11
Emanuel Ax, piano; Leonidas Kavakos, violin; Yo Yo Ma, cello
8:33 a.m.
Grace Williams
Carillons, for oboe and orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Groves, conductor Anthony Camden, oboe
8:44 a.m.
Charles Stanford
Irish Rhapsody No. 5
Ulster Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
9:01 a.m.
Gustav Holst
The Planets Opus 32
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Yoel Levi, conductor
9:51 a.m.
Astor Piazzolla
Summer in Buenos Aires (Verano Porteno)
David Tanenbaum, guitar
9:55 a.m.
Edward Elgar
Salut d'amour (Love's Greeting) Opus 12
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor Pinchas Zukerman, violin
10:00 a.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Slavonic Rhapsody No. 3 in Ab major Opus 45
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra; Zdenek Kosler, conductor
10:14 a.m.
Armas Jarnefelt
Song of the Crimson Flower: Shooting the Rapids
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Ilpo Mansnerus, conductor
10:27 a.m.
Luigi Boccherini
Symphony No. 5 in Bb major Opus 21 G 497
Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, conductor
10:44 a.m.
Catrin Finch
Celtic Concerto
Sinfonia Cymru; John Rutter, conductor Catrin Finch, harp
10:58 a.m.
Robert Schumann
Cello Concerto in A minor Opus 129
Radio Philharmonic Orchestra of France; Paavo Jarvi, conductor Truls Mork, cello
11:24 a.m.
Agustin Barrios
Vals de Primavera
David Russell, guitar
11:29 a.m.
Andrew York
Sunburst
Jason Vieaux, guitar
11:34 a.m.
Benjamin Britten
Soirees musicales (Suite after Rossini) Opus 9
National Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Bonynge, conductor
11:45 a.m.
Cesar Franck
The Accursed Huntsman (Le Chasseur Maudit)
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor
12:00 p.m.
Felix Mendelssohn
Fair Melusina Overture Opus 32
London Symphony Orchestra; Claudio Abbado, conductor
12:12 p.m.
Grace Williams
Symphony No. 2: III. Allegro scherzando
BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
12:21 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Quintet for piano & winds in Eb major K 452
Mitsuko Uchida, piano; Neil Black, oboe; Thea King, clarinet; Frank Lloyd, horn; Robin O'Neill, bassoon
12:47 p.m.
Bedrich Smetana
Ma Vlast: II. The Moldau (Vltava)
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra; Libor Pesek, conductor
1:00 p.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9: II. Molto Vivace (Scherzo and Trio) in D minor Opus 125
Cleveland Orchestra; Christoph Von Dohnanyi, conductor
1:13 p.m.
Grace Williams
Hiraeth for Harp
Sandrine Chatron, harp
1:15 p.m.
Gabriel Faure
Pavane Opus 50
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor
1:22 p.m.
Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 101 "Clock" in D major
Orchestra of St. Luke's; Charles Mackerras, conductor
1:50 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Prelude and Fugue (from the Well-Tempered Clavier II:09) in E major BWV 878
Angela Hewitt, piano
2:00 p.m.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 5 in D major
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor
2:42 p.m.
Grace Williams
Penillion
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Sir Charles Groves, conductor
2:59 p.m.
Arnold Bax
Overture to a Picaresque Comedy
London Philharmonic Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor
3:11 p.m.
Isaac Albeniz
Asturias (Leyenda) - from "Suite Espanola" Opus 47
Raphael Feuillatre, guitar
3:18 p.m.
Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" in B minor D 759
Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra; David Zinman, conductor
3:40 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 31 "Paris" in D major K 297
English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
3:59 p.m.
Paul Dukas
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor
4:11 p.m.
Frederic Chopin
Variations on Mozart's "La ci darem la mano" in Bb major Opus 2
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; Charles Mackerras, conductor Emanuel Ax, piano
4:30 p.m.
Grace Williams
Ballads
BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
4:48 p.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 4: III. Rondo: Vivace in G major Opus 58
Mahler Chamber Orchestra; Leif Ove Andsnes, conductor Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
5:00 p.m.
Jean Sibelius
Finlandia Opus 26
Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, conductor
5:08 p.m.
Oskar Bohme
Trumpet Concerto Opus 18
Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra; Arnie Roth, conductor George Vosburgh, trumpet
5:26 p.m.
Luigi Boccherini
Symphony No. 6 in D minor Opus 12/6 G 506
Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, conductor
5:44 p.m.
Hamilton Harty
Comedy Overture
Ulster Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor
5:59 p.m.
Grace Williams
Sea Sketches, for string orchestra
English Chamber Orchestra; David Atherton, conductor
6:19 p.m.
George Gershwin
An American in Paris
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; James Levine, conductor
6:37 p.m.
Francesco Tristano
Toccata
Arctic Philharmonic; Christian Kluxen, conductor Francesco Tristano, piano
6:41 p.m.
Scott Joplin
Maple Leaf Rag
Eugene List, piano
6:45 p.m.
An-Lun Huang
Saibei Suite No. 2: "Saibei Dance"
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
6:49 p.m.
Claude Debussy
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Cleveland Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, conductor
