Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Following on from the enthusiastic response to volume 1, ABC Classic is delighted to present a second volume of Classical Music to Lift Your Spirits.

When ABC Classic asked listeners to recommend the music that gives them an instant mood boost, the response was almost overwhelming, with hundreds of different suggestions. This album brings together traditional favourites - the ecstatic joy of sunrise in the 'Morning Mood' from Peer Gynt; the soaring melody of the 'Adagio from Spartacus', the irrepressible good humour of 'Haydn's Trumpet Concerto', the joyous energy of 'Jupiter' from The Planets - with uplifting new favourites from Australian composers, including the whimsy of Michael Leunig's poetry, set by Paul Stanhope in 'The Duck'; the Grigoryan Brothers' exuberant musical portrayal of the effortless grace and strength of cricketing great Don Bradman in 'Don's Bat'; Jabra Latham's 'Hut' - a celebration of the pleasures of a warm, cosy shelter after battling Antarctic storms; Graeme Koehne's jaunty homage to vaudeville in 'Santa Ana Freeway'; and the gentle optimism of Nat Bartsch's 'Brightness in the Hills'. It's music that stops us in our tracks with its beauty, and music that gets our toes tapping; music that shines through tears, and music that bubbles up with joy.

Performed by Australia's top orchestras and ensembles, from the full symphonic glory of our state symphony orchestras to the intimacy of Gondwana Voices and the Seraphim Trio, and including soloists Karin Schaupp, Tamara-Anna Cislowska, Diana Doherty and Sara Macliver, this is truly music to lift your spirits.