Music

Howard Goodall traces the story of music from the ancient world to the modern day BBC2 has a late Christmas present for Goodall fans: six hours of him, charting the entire history of how the complex beast we now call music came to be. Every other modern presenter would fly around Europe at licence-payers’ expense to do links in lovely places — not Goodall. He stays in a sparse studio explaining why Pérotin, Guido of Arezzo and Dunstaple were great innovators and demonstrating triads on his keyboard. He thinks subject matter is more important than presentation. He’s right.

From punk to pop, hip-hop to classical, music has the power to stir up powerful emotions, memories and passions. But it is only now, thanks to cutting-edge experiments, that scientists are starting to understand how our brains process and react to music. Using rock star Sting as a guinea pig, this fascinating documentary sees The Police singer go from stage to brain scan, as experts explore how his grey matter responds to different types of music. Also featuring interviews with Michael Bublé, Feist and Wyclef Jean, find out just why music means so much to us.

The four-part, four-hour documentary travels the Lost Highway and uncovers the story of country music on a journey to the heart of America and the music that has come to define it. From the makers of the award-winning series Dancing in the Street and Walk On By comes another major heritage music series charting the history of American country music in the words of its greatest performers, producers, musicians and songwriters.

Just how did Britain become the place where the best music goes with the most eye-catching styles? Lauren Laverne narrates a series about the love affair between our music and fashion, looking at how musicians and designers came up with the coolest and craziest looks and how we emulated our idols. British pop and rock is our great gift to the world, at the heart of the irrepressible creative brilliance of Britain. But it has never just been about the music. Across the decades we have unleashed a uniquely British talent for fusing the best sounds with stunning style and fashion to dazzling effect.

With a diverse set of hosts from all facets of music and pop culture, A Year in Music examines each year from a unique perspective. Not only does A Year in Music dive into the year's biggest band albums, breakups and breakthroughs, but also the political and social relevance of the time. Each episode puts the year's relevance in a bigger context of its overall effect on music.

GREENWICH VILLAGE: MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION is a feature-length documentary about the Greenwich Village music scene and how it sparked everlasting political, social and cultural changes. For the first time, the greatest singer-songwriters, authors and performers from Greenwich Village reflect on how they collectively became the voice of a generation. Through poignant interviews, rare archival footage and new live performances, GREENWICH VILLAGE: MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION tells a story about community, courage and most importantly – music.

Documentary series in which actor and former chorister Simon Russell Beale explores the flowering of Western sacred music. Taking the viewer on a pilgrimage spanning six centuries Simon presents a rich mix of personal, political and musical stories. Each episode features some of the greatest music ever written.

Tale of a father who struggles to bond with his estranged son Gabriel, after Gabriel suffers from a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. With Gabriel unable to shed the beliefs and interests that caused their physical and emotional distance, Henry must learn to embrace his son's choices and try to connect with him through music.