The Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck

Great Sacred Music

Sundays, 8:00 a.m.-Noon Eastern Time

Over 4 hours of inspiring music.

Our weekly schedule of Great Sacred Music draws from the traditions of many faiths.

Sing for Joy

SUNDAYS AT 7:30 a.m. EASTERN

Alexandra Jacob

Rev. Jacob

Produced by St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., Sing for Joy is a 30-minute program of great choral music and thoughtful commentary.

The musical performances eloquently “do the talking,” while the Rev. Alexandra M. Jacob, your host, concisely illuminates the meaning.

Great Sacred Music

SUNDAYS, 8:00 a.m. TO NOON EASTERN

James Steelmon

Steelmon

We get your Sunday morning off to a gentle start. During Hour 1, you’ll hear a variety of shorter choral and organ works, from the Renaissance through the 20th century.

Then, a Bach cantata airs at approximately 9:00 a.m. Eastern. A major choral work follows. A regular feature of the program is a commentary offered by a distinguished church musician or member of the clergy.

During hours 3 and 4, we feature major choral works such as oratorios, masses and requiems.  Your host is James Steelmon.

Summer 2026

June 7
MacMillan: Edinburgh Te Deum
Bach: Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75

June 14
Brahms: German Requiem
Bach: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76

June 21
Haydn: Paukenmesse
Bach: Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21

June 28
Jenkins: Mass “The Armed Man”
Bach: Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185

July 5
Bruckner: Te Deum
Bach: Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88

July 12
Zelenka: Requiem in C minor
Bach: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165

July 19
Tchaikovsky: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Bach: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186

July 26
Hummel: Mass in E-flat
Bach: Erforsche mich, Gott, BWV 136

August 2
Vaughan Williams: Mass in G minor
Bach: Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht, BWV 105

August 9
Mendelssohn: St. Paul
Bach: Schauet doch und sehet, BWV 46

August 16
Thompson: The Peaceable Kingdom
Bach: Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei, BWV 179

August 23
Delius: A Mass of Life
Bach: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a

August 30
Mozart: Requiem
Bach: Du sollst Gott, deinen Herren, lieben, BWV 77

Great Sacred Music is made possible by our listeners and the following people and organizations:

  • All Saints Anglican Church, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • The Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • First Presbyterian Church, Durham, North Carolina
  • The Kirk of Kildare, Cary, North Carolina
  • University Presbyterian Church, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Dr. & Mrs. Harold Chapman, Macon, Georgia
  • David Crabtree, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Ms. Ethel Girvin, Timberlake, North Carolina
  • Dr. Alfred Goshaw, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Dr. Jerry Grise, Cary, North Carolina
  • Mrs. Carole Keeler, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • The Rev. David Livingstone James, Cary, North Carolina
  • James H. Lazenby, Fearrington Village, North Carolina
  • William Marley, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Thomas Nutt-Powell, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Blaine Hall Paxton, Fearrington Village, North Carolina
  • William Raper of Trinity Concepts, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Carter Reed, Montgomery, Alabama
  • Claude and Sarah Snow, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

If you or your organization would like to be a patron of Great Sacred Music, please e-mail Mary Moonen!

Now Playing

Cello Concerto in C minor, RV 401

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

H. Schiff/Academy SMF/Brown

Label

Philips Digital Classics

Catalog Number

411

Today's Playlist

5:01am Suite from Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Karajan

5:24am The Walk to the Paradise Garden

Composed by

Frederick Delius (1862-1934)

Performed by

BBC Symphony/Davis

5:35am Suite Antique, for flute, harpsichord and strings

Composed by

John Rutter (1945-)

Performed by

Royal Philharmonic/Rutter

5:55am Music selected by the announcer

6:01am Introduction, Theme & Variations, Op. Posth.

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

Manasse/Manhattan String Quartet

6:13am Selections from Water Music

Composed by

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

Performed by

King's Consort/King

6:34am Violin Concerto No. 2 in E, BWV 1042

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Hahn/L.A. Chamber Orchestra/Kahane

6:51am Romeo and Juliet Before Parting from Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75

Composed by

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Performed by

Jorge Federico Osorio

7:01am Hungarian Dance No. 20 in E minor

Composed by

Johannes Brahms/orch. by Antonín Dvorák

Performed by

Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy

7:04am Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished"

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Performed by

Marlboro Festival Orchestra/Casals

7:28am Quintet in C minor, Op. 52

Composed by

Louis Spohr (1784-1859)

Performed by

Les Vents Francais

8:00am Concerto in C, RV 181a

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

Podger/Holland Baroque Society

8:11am Symphony No. 101 in D, "Clock"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

English Chamber Orchestra/Paillard

8:41am Carnival Overture, Op. 92

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Eschenbach

8:52am Music selected by the announcer

9:01am Violin Concerto No. 3 in G, K. 216

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Manze/English Concert

9:26am Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Ax/Orch Age Enlightenment/Mackerras

9:59am Fantasia on Greensleeves

Composed by

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Performed by

Boston Pops/Fiedler

10:07am Guitar Quintet No. 9 in C, "Retreat from Madrid"

Composed by

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

Performed by

Pepe Romero/Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble

10:35am Suite No. 1 for 2 Pianos, Op. 5 "Fantaisie-tableaux"

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Trifonov/Babayan

11:00am Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67

Composed by

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Performed by

Richardson/London Symphony Orchestra/Sargent

11:27am Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue in D minor, BWV 903

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Burkard Schliessmann

11:40am Concerto in F for 3 Violins from Tafelmusik, Part II

Composed by

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Performed by

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra/Koopman

11:55am Music selected by the announcer

12:01pm Manfred Symphony, Op. 58

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

Indianapolis Symphony/Leppard

12:56pm Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), arr. Ignaz Friedman

Performed by

Ma/Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra/Koopman

1:00pm Les Deux Pigeons: Act I

Composed by

Andre Messager (1853-1929)

Performed by

Welsh National Opera Orchestra/Bonynge

1:31pm Les Deux Pigeons: Act II

Composed by

Andre Messager (1853-1929)

Performed by

Welsh National Opera Orchestra/Bonynge

2:06pm Gaité Parisienne

Composed by

Jacques Offenbach, arr. by Manuel Rosenthal

Performed by

Montreal Symphony/Dutoit

2:49pm Music selected by the announcer

3:00pm Symphony No. 092 in G, "Oxford"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Bernstein

3:30pm Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathetique"

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Jonathan Biss

3:49pm Summer from Four Seasons, RV 315

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

Capucon/Lausanne Chamber Orchestra/Capucon

4:00pm Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K. 503

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Perahia/English Chamber Orchestra

4:33pm Violin Concerto No. 11 in B flat

Composed by

Georg Philipp Telemann, attr.

Performed by

Brown/Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

4:51pm Lullaby from African Suite

Composed by

Fela Sowande (1905-1987)

Performed by

CBC Vancouver Orchestra/Bernardi

5:00pm Overture to If I Were King

Composed by

Adolphe Adam (1803-1856)

Performed by

Detroit Symphony/Paray

5:07pm Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, Op. 58

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Cliburn/Chicago Symphony/Reiner

5:43pm Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

Composed by

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Performed by

BBC Symphony/Davis

6:02pm Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, BWV 1041

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Oistrach/Vienna Symphony

6:18pm Suite populaire espagnole

Composed by

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)

Performed by

Perlman/Sanders

6:33pm Fantastic Scherzo, Op. 25

Composed by

Josef Suk (1874-1935)

Performed by

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Mackerras

6:49pm Bagatelle in A minor, “Für Elise”

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Leon Fleisher

6:54pm Ave Maria, D. 839

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Performed by

Studer/London Symphony/Marin

7:02pm Lieutenant Kije Suite, Op. 60

Composed by

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Performed by

Netherlands Radio Philharmonic/Dorati

7:25pm The Three Elizabeths Suite

Composed by

Eric Coates (1886-1957)

Performed by

East of England Orchestra/Nabarro

7:48pm Estudiantina

Composed by

Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915)

Performed by

Gulbenkian Orchestra/Swierczewski

7:58pm Russian Easter Overture, Op. 36

Composed by

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

Performed by

Mexico City Philharmonic/Batiz

8:15pm Miroirs

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Philippe Entremont

8:44pm Prairie Journal

Composed by

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Performed by

Buffalo Philharmonic/Falletta

8:58pm Concert Waltz No. 2, Op. 51

Composed by

Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936)

Performed by

Philharmonia/Svetlanov

9:09pm Cantata 66, "Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen"

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir/Koopman

9:36pm L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1

Composed by

Georges Bizet (1838–1875)

Performed by

French National Orchestra/Ozawa

9:57pm Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Wang/Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra/Dudamel

10:39pm 3 Orchestral Pieces from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56

Composed by

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Performed by

Utah Symphony Orchestra/Abravanel

10:56pm Symphony No. 3, Op. 36

Composed by

Henryk Gorecki (1933-2010)

Performed by

Upshaw/London Sinfonietta/Zinman

11:51pm Music selected by the announcer