Leave your stress behind and drift off with the most relaxing classical music we could dream up! CRB's new Dream Stream features calming choral performances, soothing piano works, and velvety nocturnes perfect for settling in at the end of the day. Hosted by morning anchor David O’Leary, the Dream Stream inspires your imagination and calms your nerves. Listen now in the CRB Classical app, by smart speaker, or by clicking "All Streams" in the player above.
Six Highlights From the Dream Stream
CRB’s Lead Music Programmer, Will Peacock, shares six tracks from the Dream Stream to help your insomnia.
It’s 3am and your mind is spinning. 99.5 WCRB lights up your day with a wide range of music perfect for every waking moment. But now that it’s long past time for lights out, you need a new type of musical companionship.
We’ve always felt it would be a disservice to our late-night listeners to lean fully into “sleepy” music. After all, if you’re awake in the early morning hours, there’s often a reason for that and we’re here to help you feel engaged and entertained with music.
For those that are ready to drift off, enter the Dream Stream! This expertly curated playlist is designed to ferry your mind toward rest and relaxation, hosted by Boston radio veteran and CRB’s morning drive host, David O’Leary. Check it out in the CRB Classical app and here on classical.org! To give you a taste of this somnolent journey, CRB Lead Music Programmer and "Dream Stream builder" Will Peacock shares six of the dreamiest tracks from our collection, ranging from centuries-old lute masterworks to contemporary pieces composed for William and Kate.
Respighi: Nocturne (arr. harp)
Is there a better place to start than nocturnes, musical works inspired by or evocative of the night?
While Ottorino Respighi is widely known for his stunning orchestration on display in the Roman Trilogy and the neoclassicism of his Ancient Airs and Dances, his oeuvre also boasts an abundance of smaller gems such as this Notturno, or Nocturne, the third in a set of six piano pieces. Arranged and performed here by harpist Magadelena Hoffman, the dreamy and delightfully rich character of this nocturne is made even more delicate and emotive by virtue of Hoffman’s intimate touch and extraordinary attention to expressive detail and dynamic contrast.
Harvey: Concerto Antico: III. Cantilena
While more widely known as a film composer, Richard Harvey’s concert works include a uniquely idiomatic and expressive contemporary guitar concerto in his Concerto Antico for guitar and orchestra, a favorite of many at CRB and a frequent flyer on our airwaves. The Cantilena, performed here by guitarist John Williams with Paul Daniel leading the London Symphony Orchestra, is a slow and touching movement that contrasts an inflection of perceived ancient idioms with expressive and cinematic orchestration to match. Harvey’s cascading guitar melodies and sweetly singing strings are a balm for the ears; perfect for lowering your blood pressure on your commute, and just as good over some speakers while in bed.
Dowland: Mr. Dowland’s Midnight
Widely recognized for his immense contributions to the lute repertory, John Dowland excelled at producing a satisfyingly melancholic ambience to his works, even appropriating his playful personal motto “Semper Dowland, semper dolens,” or “Always Dowland, always doleful” as a title to one of his pavanes.
A staple of the great lute masterworks, Mr. Dowland’s Midnight is a flowing breath of cool night air, composed by the work’s namesake and richly executed here by Hopkinson Smith. Its gently flowing melody and repetitious structure lend itself well to the mind’s wanderings as you drift towards rest.
Haydn: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 1 No. 1: III. Adagio
It should come as little surprise that the father of the string quartet hit the slow movement of his first string quartet out of the park. This Adagio, well-realized here by The Angeles String Quartet, is sublime, richly harmonious, and perfectly understated in its form and presentation as only Haydn can achieve. It is a gentle repose for the early morning hours.
Faure: Requiem: V. Pie Jesu
Who would have thought a work as macabre as a requiem would have some of the sleepiest music ever composed? Gabriel Faure’s delicious Pie Jesu is a masterclass in understated simple beauty. A serene chant-like melody is expertly conjured here by soprano Sandrine Piau, with Laurence Equilbey leading Accentus in straight-ahead yet compelling orchestral and organ harmonies to accompany her. It is divinity made manifest, as breathtaking in a concert hall as it is emanating from the CRB Classical app on your nightstand.
Mealor: Ubi Caritas
Canadian composer Paul Mealor came to international prominence with the commission of his Ubi Caritas for the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, itself a re-working of his piece Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal. Presented here with crisp attention to detail and a highly alluring choral color by Tenebrae as led by Nigel Short, Mealor’s profound setting is immediately compelling in its newly liturgical trimmings, and is especially enhanced by the addition of a boy soprano soloist that opens and closes the work. It is as effective at celebrating royal weddings as it is at helping you get some sleep.