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Festive sounds for winter warmth ft. The Staves

Join composer 脫lafur Arnalds for a special wintry journey into calm, with a musical safe haven from The Staves, an old Icelandic tale of trolls and an exclusive live performance.

Ward off the winter cold and get cosy by the fire with a special seasonal episode of Ultimate Calm with Icelandic composer 脫lafur Arnalds. 脫lafur shares a selection of tracks to transport you out of the hectic noise that comes with this time of year, and reflects on how music can be an escape. With music from the likes of Anoushka Shankar and Erland Cooper.

We鈥檒l visit the musical safe haven of some special guests - hearing the music that 脫lafur鈥檚 special guests retreat to in times of stress. Jess and Millie from English indie folk band The Staves pick a soothing song that makes them take a deep breath and gives them respite from the busy chaos of life.

脫lafur also performs a very special live version of his piano piece 鈥榮aman鈥�, which means 'together' in Icelandic, and shares some reflections on the quirky festive folktales of Iceland, with stories of trolls and icy darkness.

Produced by Kit Callin
A Reduced Listening production

59 minutes

On radio

Christmas Eve 2024 21:00
麻豆约拍 Radio 3 & 麻豆约拍 Radio 3 Unwind

More episodes

See all episodes from Ultimate Calm

Music Played

  • 脫lafur Arnalds

    Saman

    Music Arranger: The Westerlies. Ensemble: The Westerlies.
    • The Westerlies.
    • Westerlies Records.
    • 3.

  • Erland Cooper & Scottish Ensemble

    Cold (mvmt 3)

    • Folded Landscapes.
    • Mercury KX.

  • Hania Rani

    Whispering House (feat. 脫lafur Arnalds)

    • Ghosts.
    • Gondwana Records.

  • Meitei

    Heiwa

    • Heiwa.
    • KITCHEN. LABEL.

  • Library Tapes & Shivre

    Blids

    • Blids.

  • Jim Perkins & Curve Ensemble

    A Distant Sun

    • From the Deep.
    • bigo & twigetti.

  • Sophie Hutchings

    Back of Beyond

    • A World Outside.
    • Mercury KX.

  • JJJJJerome Ellis

    Movement IX

    • Compline in Nine Movements.
    • NNA Tapes.

  • Anoushka Shankar

    Daydreaming

    Performer: Nils Frahm. Performer: Anoushka Shankar.
    • Chapter I: Forever, For Now.
    • LEITER.

  • Dau

    Neu

    • Gilly's Wood.

  • Haruomi Hosono

    Muji Original BGM

  • JFDR

    Flower Bridge

    • Museum.

  • Harmonia & Brian Eno

    Welcome

    • Tracks and Traces.
    • Rykodisc.

  • The Staves & yMusic

    Sprig of Thyme

    • The Way Is Read.
    • Nonesuch Records.

  • The Staves & yMusic

    Bladed Stance

    • The Way Is Read.
    • Nonesuch.

  • Kait Dunton

    this one's for you

    • Keyboards.
    • Real & Imagined Music.

  • Sin Fang

    Parallel Universes

    • Sikadene.
    • I N N I.

  • Keith Jarrett

    Ko虉ln, January 24, 1975, Pt. II C (Live)

    • The K枚ln Concert.
    • ECM.

  • Lara Somogyi & Cyrus Reynolds

    acceptances (orchestral expansion)

    • ! (expansion).
    • Mercury Classics.

  • Grouper

    A Light Change

    • Grouper / Inca Ore.
    • YELLOWELECTRIC.

  • Hauschka

    Loved Ones

    • Philanthropy.
    • City Slang.
    • 8.

  • Kate Carr

    Snowstorm

    • Snowstorm.

  • Kjartan Holm

    Begin

    • HORIZON.
    • I N N I.

  • Daigo Hanada & Yoko Komatsu

    Asa

    • Asa.
    • Moderna Records.

  • John Martyn

    Small Hours

    • One World.
    • Island Records.

  • Hidden Orchestra

    Wingbeats Source III - Piano and Wings

  • Tomo-Nakaguchi

    Twilight Glow of The Sky

    • The Long Night in Winter Light.
    • Audiobulb Records.

  • Josiah Steinbrick

    Lullaby

    • For Anyone That Knows You.
    • Unseen Worlds.

  • 叠箩枚谤办

    闯辞虂濒补办辞虉迟迟耻谤颈苍苍

    • Hv铆t Er Borg Og B忙r.
    • 贬濒箩贸冒补办濒别迟迟耻谤.

  • Ola Gjeilo

    Winter Light

    Performer: Roberto Sorrentino.
    • Dreamweaver.
    • DECCA RECORDS.

  • Simeon Walker

    Gleam

    • Imprints 1 & 2.

  • Natalia Beylis

    Mermaids

    • Mermaids.
    • Touch Sensitive Records.

  • Suso S谩iz

    Looking You in Silence

    • Resonant Bodies.
    • Music from Memory.

Broadcasts

  • Christmas Eve 2023 22:30
    麻豆约拍 Radio 3
  • Christmas Eve 2024 21:00
    麻豆约拍 Radio 3 & 麻豆约拍 Radio 3 Unwind