Tune in Saturday to BBC Radio 3 for James MacMillan and Me
A Conversation on Faith and Music through the Book of Genesis
Dear Friends,
Tomorrow, Saturday December 13th, 2025, on BBC Radio 3 at 8 am ET (1 pm UK) you can hear me on the third of a unique six-part series on faith and music. I was invited to be a part of this program by Sir James MacMillan, who in turn, was invited by the BBC to share his insights on Biblical themes that resonate in the works of his favorite composers past and present. The others who engage in conversation on this series include Dr. Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Sarah Moerman of the University of St. Andrew’s, and a young Scottish composer named Jay Capperauld.
The genesis of this incredible opportunity to reflect about God’s creation and human co-creation with God through music was produced by Freya Hellier for BBC Radio 3, a channel dedicated to great music. The six days of creation in the Book of Genesis set the theme for the six sessions which are named: Darkness and Light, Sky and Air, The Green Planet, The Cosmos, The Sea and the Living Planet.
How does one prepare for a conversation with one of the most celebrated living composers and a man of deep faith? Riding up on the train from Oxford to Glasgow, I poured over my academic writings and my spiritual journals, creating pages of notes on faith and creativity, the mysterious nature of inspiration, and the call to create something beautiful for others to enjoy.
I had never been inside such a large recording studio, so I was graciously given a tour. Inside one studio, I decided to pretend I was recording the news. As with singing, before I speak publicly, I warm up my voice so I can get the right tone and speed. Next thing I knew, I was creating this ‘fake news’ clip that some people saw on Instagram and thought was real!
The conversations are beautifully presented as introducing great works of music, ranging from Haydn, Beethoven, and Hildegard Von Bingen. It makes me smile to hear James’s introduce my remarks—the way he pronounces my name in his Scottish accent is music to my ears!
While listening to the digital radio live this past Saturday, I walked over to the Princeton University Chapel, where I sing every Sunday in a choir for the Aquinas Institute. I marveled at how this neo-Gothic church, modeled on a 14th century English Cathedral, imitates God’s creation: beautiful windows celebrate our salvation through Biblical stories; wood carvings remind us that God invites us to participate in his ongoing governance over all creation.
Singing James’s “O Radiant Dawn” the following day during Sunday Mass, again at the Princeton University Chapel, I pondered how the vaulted ceilings are reminiscent of the sky. Human creation, as beautiful as it is, lifts us up to the infinite, the abyss, on the other side of which we intuit an eternal present touching us now.
Anyone can listen to the digital radio live, but, unfortunately, recordings of past sessions are only available to BBC subscribers. So, tune in live this Saturday, December 13th, at 8 am ET, and again at the same time December 20th, December 28th and January 3rd.
I’m eager to hear the remaining four episodes, and hope you enjoy the music and the inspiration during this time of Advent and Christmas.
Sincerely,
Margarita Mooney Clayton, PhD
Founder, the Scala Foundation