Skip to content
    skip to navigation

    Classic FM

    Listen

    On Air Now

    Bill Overton 1am - 4am

    Bill Overton

    Now Playing

    Symphony No.3 in Eb major Opus 55 (4) Ludwig Van Beethoven

    • Playlist
    • Schedule
    • Home
    • Radio
    • News
    • Discover Music
    • Composers
    • Artists
    • Lifestyle
    • Win
    • Charity
    • Podcasts
    • Events
    • Dating
    • Follow us on:
      Follow Classic FM on Twitter
      Follow Classic FM on Facebook
      Follow Classic FM on Instagram
      Follow Classic FM on Youtube

    Pictures

    More Pictures

    Football-mad musicians: music's obsession with the beautiful game

    With the Olympics done and dusted, it's time to turn our attention to other sporting events: namely, the new football season, starting this Friday. But, being Classic FM, we couldn't resist a little delve into the archives to see which composers and musicians throughout history have been inspired by football. Whether they were ardent supporters of particular clubs or just loved the beautiful game, we've put them into a handy list for you.

    1. Nigel Kennedy

      1. Nigel Kennedy

      Pineapple-haired superstar violinist and occasional jazz dabbler Nigel Kennedy is about as ardent as it gets when it comes to his beloved Aston Villa. Click below to see him and his whole band kitted out in Villa strips to honour his passion.

    2. Zenit St Petersburg fans

      2. Dmitri Shostakovich

      When it comes to downright football fanaticism, Dmitri Shostakovich was one of classical music's most avid. His love for Zenit Leningrad meant that he could often be found hollering from the terraces. He even qualified as a referee, and wrote a whole ballet, 'The Golden Age', about a Soviet football team that falls victim to match rigging and imprisonment.

    3. Michael Nyman

      3. Michael Nyman

      Composer Michael Nyman was such a fan of Queen's Park Rangers that he wrote an entire piece for them, entitled 'The Final Score'. It accompanied a film of the same name, and is basically a collection of QPR-related images set to Nyman's exciting music. He also wrote two more footie-related pieces, 'After Extra Time' and 'Memorial'.

    4. Duncan Ferguson

      4. Osmo Tapio Räihälä

      While he's not a huge name when it comes to composing, Finland-born Osmo Tapio Everton Räihälä's work dedicated to the majesty of Everton's Duncan Ferguson caused a stir at the club. Entitled 'Barlinnie Nine' (presumably a reference to HM Prison Barlinnie, where Ferguson was once an inmate), the orchestral piece was premiered on the same day that Ferguson scored the only goal in the FA Cup Final against Manchester United.

    5. Edward Elgar

      5. Edward Elgar

      Edward Elgar would regularly cycle for miles through the countryside to see his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he's even been credited with writing the first ever football chant. He took the phrase 'He banged the leather for goal' and set it to music but, alas, it doesn't seem to have caught on. Wolves fans have taken 'Nimrod' for their own, though, and apparently can be regularly heard singing it from terraces.

    6. Mark-Anthony Turnage

      6. Mark-Anthony Turnage

      In his 2000 opera 'The Silver Tassie', which is about a footballer injured in the first world war, British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage adapted the stage play of the same name. It's not quite a terrace chant, but you can't fault its footie spirit.

    7. The Three Tenors

      7. The Three Tenors

      The World Cup is where the world was first properly introduced the Three Tenors, thanks to their performance on the eve of the 1990 final. Since then, they played at every World Cup until 2002.

    8. World Cup

      8. Gabriel Fauré - Pavane

      The BBC's coverage of the 1998 World Cup was soundtracked by this elegant little piece, until then not one of Faure's best known works. Since then, it's undergone a resurgence and is now one of the composer's most-performed works.

    9. Sunderland fans

      9. Sergei Prokofiev - Dance of the Knights

      You might know it as the music from The Apprentice, but this ballet classic is also the music that Sunderland play at home games as they come onto the pitch. It's all in the footwork, obviously.

    10. Vuvuzela

      10. The Dreaded Vuvuzela

      The 2010 World Cup was a great tournament, but one thing that lingers in the memory is the discovery of the Vuvuzela, otherwise known as one of the world's most annoying instruments. Still, that didn't stop some wag 'composing' a concerto for it... Listen to it below and view the extremely complex score.

    Latest on Classic FM

    What classical music is in Spielberg’s ‘The Fabelmans’?

    What classical music is in Spielberg’s ‘The Fabelmans’, and does Michelle Williams really play the piano?

    Williams

    Best piano works

    The 16 best pieces EVER written for piano

    Discover Music

    15 most famous opera songs and arias

    15 most famous opera songs and arias

    Discover Music

    A smaller, but still immense, 5,000 strong choir in Japan sing Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’

    Listen to this 10,000-strong Japanese megachoir sing Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’

    Beethoven

    The traditional ‘piping in of the haggis’

    The haggis gets its own entrance music on Burns Night – here’s what it sounds like

    Discover Music

    9-year-old violinist Sora Lavorgna plays Richter's 'Summer 1' in finals of 'Prodiges'

    9-year-old violin prodigy plays Max Richter’s thrilling take on Vivaldi ‘Summer’ in talent show finale

    Discover Music

    Kelvin Harrison Jr. stars as Joseph Boulogne in 'Chevalier' (2023)

    ‘Chevalier’ film: plot, release date, cast and all details about the Joseph Boulogne biopic

    Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2022

    Classic FM Live 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall: get your tickets to enjoy opera’s greatest hits!

    Events

    Martha Argerich Performs With The Youth Orchestra de Bahia in 2018

    Pianist Martha Argerich cancels performances due to heart-related health condition

    Martha Argerich

    John Williams makes history as oldest person to be nominated for an Academy Award

    John Williams makes history as oldest person to be nominated for an Academy Award

    Best classical music

    See more Best classical music

    10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

    10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

    Discover Music

    4 eras of classical music

    The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

    Discover Music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    Discover Music

    Women composers gallery

    21 of the greatest women composers in classical music

    Discover Music

    Best pianists of all time

    The 25 best pianists of all time

    Discover Music

    Some of history's greatest composers were part of the LGBTQ+ community.

    15 LGBTQ+ composers in classical music history that you probably already know

    Discover Music

    Latest news

    See more Latest news

    Steven Spielberg confirms plans to make a documentary on film composer John Williams.

    Steven Spielberg confirms a documentary on film music legend John Williams is coming

    Discover Music

    Cellist HAUSER plays ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Lloyd Webber musical’s 35th anniversary

    Cellist HAUSER plays ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Lloyd Webber musical’s 35th anniversary

    Lloyd Webber

    Xiaole the piano playing robot

    Watch the piano-playing robot developed by leading AI lab that can also read human emotions

    Videos

    This week’s on-air highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery.

    This week’s Classic FM radio highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery

    King Charles’ Coronation Concert will take place the day after his coronation

    King Charles III’s coronation and concert: what music could feature over the Royal weekend?

    RIOPY

    Meet RIOPY: the unbreakable French pianist who escaped a childhood cult

    Discover Music

    Isata Kanneh-Mason and Classic FM’s Tim Lihoreau play piano duet at St Pancras station

    Isata Kanneh-Mason and Classic FM’s Tim Lihoreau play charming duet at St Pancras station piano

    Violinist Boglarka Gyorgy plays with a washing machine

    Violinist plays a surprisingly charming duet… with her bleeping washing machine

    Discover Music

    Cate Blanchett stars as Lydia Tár

    ‘I didn’t base the character of Lydia Tár on anyone’ – Cate Blanchett in conversation with Classic FM

    From Tár to Amadeus – the greatest films about classical music

    15 most memorable films about classical music

    Discover Music

    Latest videos

    See more Latest videos

    Page turn fail

    Pianist’s page-turn nightmare as Chopin score goes flying across stage

    12 days ago

    Videos

    Tiny model train plays huge 2,840-note classical music medley with breathtaking accuracy

    Tiny model train plays huge 2,840-note classical music medley with breathtaking accuracy

    12 days ago

    Discover Music

    Hurdy-gurdy player cranks out a dark medieval melody

    Hurdy-gurdy player cranks out a dark medieval melody to give you goosebumps

    16 days ago

    Videos

    Jeff Beck at the Crossroads Guitar Festival

    When late rock legend Jeff Beck turned Puccini’s ‘Nessun dorma’ into a roaring electric guitar solo

    17 days ago

    Puccini

    David Bowie Life on Mars

    David Bowie’s isolated vocals from ‘Life On Mars’ reveals the true power of his tenor range

    19 days ago

    Discover Music

    France’s Cathy Féchoz and Fabrice Becker (circle) performing at the finals of the Ballet Ski demonstration at the 1992 Winter Olympics

    Unearthed footage shows virtuosic ‘Ski Ballet’ performed at the 1992 Winter Olympics

    25 days ago

    Discover Music

    Back to top

    Also on Classic FM

    • Listen to Global Player
    • Alexander Armstrong on Classic FM
    • Google Doodle
    • Quizzes
    • Mozart
    • Debussy
    • Music theory
    • Instruments
    • Classic FM Live
    • Brahms
    • Vivaldi
    • Bach
    • LBC News
    • Tchaikovsky
    • Chopin
    • Andrea Bocelli
    • Florence Price
    • Beethoven
    • Best classical music
    • Classic FM Requests
    • Best pianists
    • Harry Potter music
    • Saturday Night at the Movies
    • Star Wars soundtrack
    • Composer or pasta
    • Music for Studying
    • Best violinists
    • Classical music tearjerkers
    • Relaxing classical

    Useful Links

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • How To Listen
    • About Classic FM
    • Company Details
    • Cookies
    • Privacy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Advertise
    • Global Jobs

    Download the app

    Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

    Follow Us

    Follow Classic FM on Twitter
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube
    © Global 2023
    30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
    Privacy Manager