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Quiet your mind with soothing classical music

Niall Breslin brings you calming classical music to help you release the stresses of the day, recharge and prepare to rest.

Three hours of calming classical music to help you release the stresses of the day, recharge and prepare to rest - presented by Irish musician and mindfulness expert Niall Breslin.

This episode features a rich blend of music from the likes of Brahms, Gabríel Ólafs and Meredi. Plus, a chance to Press Pause with meditation teacher Maude Hirst, and some essential Wind Down Wisdom from science podcaster Caroline Steel on how tasks like doing the laundry can help calm the mind.

To listen on most smart speakers just ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Wind Down.

4 days left to listen

3 hours

Last on

Sat 10 May 2025 18:00
BBC Radio 3 Unwind

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Music Played

  • Gabriel Fauré

    Apres un reve, Op 7 No 1 (arr. for piano)

    Performer: Lucas Debargue.
    • 3 Songs, Op. 7: No. 1 "Après un rêve" (Arr. for Piano by Lucas Debargue).
    • Sony Classical.
    • 1.

  • Dieterich Buxtehude

    acaglia from Trio sonata in A minor, BuxWV 272

    Performer: Kinga Ujszászi. Ensemble: Spiritato!.
    • 17th-Century Sonatas from the Düben Collection.
    • 2022 Delphian Records Ltd..
    • 9.

  • Chanda Dancy

    Everything Before Us

    Performer: Chanda Dancy.
    • Cydou Music.

  • Sean Doherty

    It's Strange About Stars

    Choir: New Dublin Voices. Conductor: Bernie Sherlock.
    • Doherty: It's Strange About Stars.
    • VOCES8 Records.
    • 1.

  • James Scott Skinner

    Hector the Hero

    Music Arranger: Maxwell String Quartet. Ensemble: Maxwell String Quartet.
    • Haydn: String Quartets Op. 77 & Folk Music from Scotland.
    • Linn Records.
    • 11.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Violin concerto in D major, Op 35 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Christian Li. Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35: II. Canzonetta. Andante.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 1.

  • Liam Bates

    Earthrise: 2. Gently

    Performer: Beth McNinch. Ensemble: Musici Ireland.
    • Earthrise.
    • Métier.
    • 103.

  • Dardust

    Pavane Floue

    • Masterworks.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Piano quintet in F minor (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Elisabeth Brauss. Ensemble: Quatuor Arod.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Sarabande (arr. from Cello Suite No. 6 BWV 1012)

    Music Arranger: Lodestar Trio. Ensemble: Lodestar Trio.
    • Bach to Folk.
    • ARC Music Productions International Ltd.
    • 06.

  • Marie Awadis

    Etude No 2: Breathless

    Performer: Marie Awadis.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Diana Yukawa

    Rise

    • 1631 Recordings.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Bassoon concerto in B flat major, 'La notte' (3rd mvt - Sleep)

    Performer: Sophie Dervaux. Orchestra: La Folia Barockorchester.
    • Berlin Classics.

  • Ludovico Einaudi

    Santiago

    Performer: Ludovico Einaudi.
    • Decca (UMO) (Classics).

  • Gustav Holst

    Venus from The Planets, Op 32

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sakari Oramo.

  • April Chung

    Picturesque

    Performer: April Chung.
    • Enjou.

  • Malcolm Arnold

    Sarabande from Solitaire

    Orchestra: Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Bryden Thomson.
    • Chandos.

  • Thomas Tallis

    Miserere nostri

    Choir: Tallis Scholars. Conductor: Peter Phillips.
    • Gimell.

  • Alice Mary Smith

    Melody for cello and piano

    Performer: Leo Popplewell. Performer: Dominic Degavino.

  • Arthur Sullivan

    Symphony in E major 'Irish' (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Chandos.

  • Pakk Hui

    Save Me a Seat

    Performer: Pakk Hui.
    • Enjou.

  • Arrowsmith

    Fleeting Rays - 432Hz

    • Enjou.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Vocalise arr. Ryan Linham

    Music Arranger: Ryan Linham. Ensemble: New European Ensemble.
    • Halidon.

  • Lucy Walker

    Intuition

    Conductor: Graham Ross. Choir: BBC Singers.

  • Joep Beving

    For Mark

    Performer: Joep Beving.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Imogen Holst

    On Westhall Hill

    Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Alice Farnham.
    • Discovering Imogen.
    • NMC.
    • 10.

  • Gabríel Ólafs

    The True Meaning Of Forever

    Performer: Gabríel Ólafs. Orchestra: Reykjavík Orkestra. Conductor: Viktor Orri Árnason.
    • Decca Records US.

  • Gabríel Ólafs

    Coda

    Performer: Gabríel Ólafs. Orchestra: Reykjavík Orkestra. Conductor: Viktor Orri Árnason.
    • Decca Records US.

  • Franz Liszt

    Consolation No 3

    Performer: Sheku Kanneh‐Mason. Performer: James Baillieu. Music Arranger: Jules Deswert.
    • Collaborations.
    • Decca.
    • 2.

  • Tony Ann

    SCORPIO - The Mysterious

    Performer: Tony Ann.
    • SCORPIO “The Mysterious”.
    • Universal Music Division Decca Records .
    • 1.

  • Mel Bonis

    Oriental suite (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.

  • FIRL

    Little Bird

    • Gaos Music.

  • Felix Räuber

    Plata

    Performer: Felix Räuber.
    • Elements.
    • Every Motion Records.
    • 2.

  • Ernest John Moeran

    Lonely waters (Two Pieces for small orchestra)

    Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • Moeran: Violin Concerto etc.: Mordkovitch/Wallfisch/Ulster Orch/Bournemouth Sinf.
    • Chandos.
    • 5.

  • Ben Ponniah

    Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Se So Hung

    Ensemble: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Graham Ross.

  • Fraser Wilson

    Anam

    Ensemble: Apollo5.
    • Anam: Music to Move the Soul.
    • VOCES8 Records.
    • 1.

  • Meredi

    I Am Stardust

    Performer: Meredi.
    • Stardust.
    • Modern Recordings.
    • 2.

  • Mike Beever

    Point Of No Return

    Performer: Mike Beever.
    • Mike Beever - A Song A Day.
    • Neogarde.
    • 9.

  • Chanda Dancy

    Everything After Us (from the soundtrack to Everything Before Us)

    Performer: Chanda Dancy.
    • Everything Before Us - soundtrack.
    • Cydou Music.
    • 24.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Venetian Boat Song (Songs without words, Op 19 No 6)

    Performer: Olga Pashchenko.
    • Guess Who?.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 28.

Broadcasts

  • Thu 13 Mar 2025 18:00
    BBC Radio 3 Unwind
  • Sat 10 May 2025 18:00
    BBC Radio 3 Unwind