Depending on your personal philosophical standpoint, this music emanates from the depths of the River Rhine, or the bowels of the earth or the beginning of time. Here is the start of opera’s greatest epic story. Fervent Wagnerians will curse me for ending this track where I do. My lame response is, it’s either then or many hours later.

Possibly the most abrupt and inappropriate segue in Playlist history. A ‘round’ from the 13th century. I hope most of you have by now heard your first cuckoo this spring. If not, here’s one.

We see and smell roses starting to bloom. No song more appropriate.

From one iconic 20th voice to another, albeit in a somewhat different context. I had the pleasure of hearing Ghiaurov sing this in Covent Garden. One of those moments when time stops, and every thought and sound is savoured. Such a sure sense of deep and open-hearted contentment is conveyed here.

Surprisingly, this piece was first performed in New York, on Broadway and 11th, in 1855. The piano opens with a solemn noble chorale, which then develops into a stimulating, enriching three-way conversation. Chamber music-making is sometimes more fun for the players than the listeners, but here we can eavesdrop on masters of their art with wrapt contented concentration.

One of the English madrigal classics. We used to sing this on midsummer night perched on both banks of the Cam at King’s, probably aided by excess alchohol and undoubtedly cheered or jeered on by irreverent punters.

Commissioned by the Parisian harp (and piano) maker Erard to show off their new instrument to rival their competitor (Pleyel), who had previously commissioned Debussy to do the same, this is a mini Harp concerto. As we listen, I think we are allowed to imagine warm summer breezes and a langorous French pastoral idyll.

From wind to brass: a trombone (or rather sagbutt) consort and two counter-tenors. The Biblical text describes Rachel on a mountain peak lamenting the loss of her innocent children.

I have read that several well-known opera stars have revealed that their lockdown listening has ultimately come back to the greatest - Callas. Who could disagree ? This scene from Tosca will be known to many of you, but the visceral intensity of the drama in this electrifying performance never fails to make the hair stand up, even with it as long as mine currently is. This scene starts with Tosca’s prayer to God (“Vissi d’arte”) after Scarpia has made her his devilish offer, and ends with her response, “This is Tosca’s kiss”. Callas, Gobbi, de Sabata. Everyone should have this recording.

An innocent moment of 70’s nostalgia. We sadly hear little of this band now.

One of the time-stopping moments from our 2019 festival, at least for me, was this, Susanna’s aria. The multiple layers of pretence and truth as revealed in this vulnerable opening of her heart define the whole opera.

Here is the ‘Theme’ on which the last track is based. The actual fragment Tippett uses you can hear between 1’ 4” and 1’ 15”.

We travel seamlessly from the Italian Baroque to a thoroughly English pastoral sensibility. The first time I heard this music was in the film ‘Akenfield’, a nostalgic record of Suffolk rural life, and the last at the Memorial service in Westminster Abbey of that film’s director, Sir Peter Hall. It was indeed memorable.