Tom Service
Columnist, BBC Music Magazine
Tom Service is a familiar voice to BBC Radio 3 listeners, the station on which he has presented Music Matters since 2003 and his own programme The Listening Service, in which he breaks down how music works. He is also a monthly columnist for BBC Music Magazine. For many years, Service wrote for The Guardian, where he was chief classical music critic. In 2012, he released two books published by Faber: Music as Alchemy: Journeys with Great Conductors and their Orchestras and Thomas Adès: Full of Noises, a series of conversations with the great composer and conductor. His PhD, undertaken at the University of Southampton, was on the music of contemporary composer and musician John Zorn.
Recent articles by Tom Service
These movie directors are using classical music to create viral memes and memorable moments
From Brahms to Samuel Barber, the use of classical music in films can create all sorts of unlikely connections in the minds of the audience, as Tom Service explains
How classical crossover music has fuelled creativity
Though classical crossover is often met with snobbery by purists, historically the phenomenon has acted as a fundamental creative catalyst, says Tom Service
History of memorising music: the trend for binning scores and music stands on stage
Performing from memory hasn’t always been required of our soloists – so why is it universally expected today? We explain the history of performers learning music by heart
Ravel Boléro: what makes it so unique?
Bluebeard's Castle: how Bartók's psychodrama holds a dark fascination
Bluebeard’s Castle, Bartók’s bloodthirsty psychodrama, invites us to explore the hidden recesses of our own imaginations, as Tom Service explains
Are TV theme tunes 'real' music?
Often dismissed as trivial, television theme tunes are in fact snippets of musical magic, capable of capturing a time and mood, argues Tom Service
Can wordless music ever really be funny?
Though several composers have made valiant attempts to integrate comedy into their wordless music, the joke is more often on us, observes Tom Service
Why modern technology is ruining the way we hear music
Modern technology should, in theory, help musicians be more in tune than ever; but, Tom Service argues, it may actually distort how we hear the music we perform
How Erik Satie liberated music
While late-Romanticism was at its height, a cabaret pianist was turning music on its head. Tom Service celebrates the legacy of the great eccentric, Erik Satie
Is music ACTUALLY that good for us?
Since ancient times, many of us have liked to believe in music as a civilising force for good. Tom Service offers a more pessimistic view of music and its capabilities
This is why so many composers write variations, Tom Service reveals
Variations on a theme: Tom Service explores a time-honoured technique which, like life itself, offers infinite creative possibilities that very few composers have been able to resist
Why don't people take Gilbert and Sullivan seriously?
Gilbert & Sullivan shows were huge hits in the late Victorian age; yet, as Tom Service has discovered, they remain not only masterful but also sharp and pertinent
Why cartoon theme tunes should be taken seriously
With its musical references and stylistic innovations, the music for Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry cartoons was way ahead of its time, argues Tom Service
Why is breath important in classical music?
Our breaths are the fundamental building blocks of music, whether creating its sounds or helping to shape symphonic works, says Tom Service
What is the role of the viola in ensemble playing?
The viola may have its challenges as a solo instrument, but as part of an ensemble it has a unique perspective on music’s inner workings, says Tom Service
Which came first, music or language?
Did our ancestors speak or sing first? Or are music and language more closely intertwined than anyone ever previously thought, asks Tom Service