Linton Stephens and Gillian Moore sit side by side on a leather seat in the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer

So, Hear Me Out: classical music, deconstructed

Our sonic exploration exploring the big questions around classical music – and why it still matters today

Concept & writing

Classical music has a reputation: dusty, serious, and exclusive. So, Hear Me Out dismantles that narrative.

Hosted by BBC Radio 3’s Linton Stephens and Gillian Moore, each episode anchors on a single, provocative question—from ‘Can classical music be protest music?’ to ‘Is it okay to borrow from other cultures?‘

We blend musicological expertise with accessible, sharp wit, creating a narrative arc that invites the novice in while challenging the connoisseur.

It’s not a history lesson, but how the music speaks to us today.

@southbank.centre
The first episode of ‘So, Hear Me Out’ just dropped!! 🎧🔊 Take dad jokes to a whole new level with hosts Linton Stephens (@lintstogram) and Gillian Moore (@gillianmooresoutheastlondon) 🤭 Expect orchestral pranks, singing teacups and musical punchlines as our hosts figure out the hidden humour behind Haydn’s Surprise Symphony to Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges - just to give you a sneak peek! Think you’re funny? We want to hear your Classical music jokes in the comments! ⬇️ 🎧 Listen to the full audio version of So, Hear Me Out wherever you listen to podcasts or head to link in bio #ClassicalMusic #MusicPodcast #ClassicalPodcast
♬ original sound - Southbank Centre

Quality of craft

Produced in collaboration with the award-winning audio production company Reduced Listening, So, Hear Me Out upholds the Southbank Centre’s heritage of cultural excellence.

We move far beyond the standard conversational format to create a rich, immersive sonic tapestry that rivals high-end radio documentaries. Each episode is a carefully engineered blend of hand-picked musical excerpts and archival audio that illustrate our arguments in real-time.

By weaving these elements together, we ensure the music is never just background noise; instead, it acts as the third host, driving the narrative and emotional arc as much as the spoken word

@southbank.centre
Which utensil would you use to conduct an orchestra? 🪥🎶 Ethel Smyth composed ‘The March of Women’ in 1910. Two years later, whilst imprisoned in Holloway Prison, she conducted the same song hanging out of her cell window with a toothbrush, whilst her fellow imprisoned suffragettes sang the famous tune. This defiant act turned music into a weapon of resistance 📣 In the newest episode of So, Hear Me Out, our hosts Linton Stephens (@lintstogram) and Gillian Moore (@gillianmooresoutheastlondon) explore how classical music can be an act of defiance, from behind bars to protests on the ground. 🎧 Listen to the full audio version of So, Hear Me Out wherever you listen to podcasts or head to link in bio. #ClassicalMusic #MusicPodcast #EthelSmyth #FeministHistory
♬ original sound - Southbank Centre - Southbank Centre