Season 2

Simon Russell Beale travels to Germany and Austria to explore the work of two musical giants, Brahms and Bruckner. With Harry Christophers and his choir The Sixteen, Simon discovers how Bruckner approached his sacred music as a devout Catholic, while Brahms found himself unable to believe in anything but his music.

Simon Russell Beale travels through the urban and rural landscapes of France to explore the story behind Faure's Requiem, one of the best-loved pieces of sacred music ever written. With Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, he goes on to discover how this work laid the foundations for a distinctively French style, a tradition continued by the compelling music of the outrageously fashionable Francis Poulenc, working in the heart of jazz-age Paris.

Simon Russell Beale visits Poland and Estonia to discover why the sacred music of the two highly spiritual composers Gorecki and Part strikes such a chord in today's noisy and fast-moving world. Alongside music performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, Simon's journey takes him through the turbulent religious and political history of Eastern Europe as he explores the important symbolic role of sacred music in the struggle against Communism.

Simon Russell Beale returns to the UK to explore how three very different musical approaches to Christian music have captured the spiritual imagination of the nation. The composers James MacMillan, Sir John Tavener and John Rutter give a special insight into the challenges and rewards of writing sacred music for the 21st century. Music is performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.