Features

This week David Bremner and guest Jeff Garza focus on the most mellow-toned brass instrument in the orchestra, the horn. Composers like Strauss, Mahler and Wagner loved its expressive qualities and wrote spectacular music for the horn section. Audio

Review - Despite starring two favourite actors - Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick - and boasting smart women-led comedy director Paul Feig, A Simple Favour features too many tonal switches for its own good, Simon Morris writes. Video, Audio

In this archival radio, three women residing in Auckland - Mrs. Dickson, Mrs Hills and Mrs Mankelow - recall their first vote in the general election on November 28, 1893. Audio

Brockhampton (BRKHMPTN) describe themselves as “the hardest working boy band in show business”, so Yadana Saw measures them up against the greats of boy bandom. 

The APRA Silver Scroll songwriting awards take place on October 4th at Auckland's Spark Arena. They've been running since 1965 and have recognised everyone from Ray Columbus to Lorde. Nick Bollinger gives us a rundown of what the awards are all about.

Episode 10: A kitchen hand talks about her hair-pulling boss, a hospitality worker discusses her rude customers, and a carer remembers washing a chain-smoking, incontinent man. Video

A selection of live music performances from some of NZ's favourite musicians, including Bic Runga, Neil Finn, Tiny Ruins, David Dallas, Ladi6, Dave Dobbyn and the Phoenix Foundation.

Every weekday after the 8:00am news, RNZ Concert listeners are guaranteed a moment of musical loveliness in the Beauty Spot – and so it's been for the last 20 years. We look back at some of the best-loved Beauty Spot pieces.

A damning inquiry into domestic violence in Samoa has attempted to pull back the "veil of silence" that shrouds the issue.

Swedish soprano Miah Persson sings Strauss songs with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in tonight's concert from BBC Proms 2018.

People love coincidences, so often find the English statistician David Spiegelhalter to be a "miserable old git" for questioning their existence. Spiegelhalter ​features in the BBC radio documentary What Are The Odds? Audio

The world première of Gareth Farr's new symphony honouring Sir Edmund Hillary and the return of Kiwi favourite drum and bass group 'Shapeshifter' feature in the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra's 2019 programme. Audio

Brockhampton, the "hardest working boy band in show business", are about to play their first - sold-out - NZ shows. But how does the thirteen-member hip-hop group stand up against historic stars of this much-maligned genre?

Review - Maverick film-maker Shane Black attempts to breathe new life into the '80s monster movie in The Predator, but the twists and turns lose the simplicity that made the original a true action hit, Simon Morris writes.  Video, Audio

Glen Common and Pete Rainey founded Rockquest back in 1989. They share some of their favourite competitors – including Anika Moa and Broods – and chat about why NZ's high school songwriting competition is still thriving. Video, Audio

Opinion -  Heather du Plessis-Allan's recent comments on national radio that the Pacific are leeches on New Zealand is dangerously ignorant, insulting to Pacific Islanders working hard for their countries, and undermines New Zealand itself.

A damning inquiry into domestic violence in Samoa has attempted to pull back the "veil of silence" that shrouds the issue.

The New Zealand Green Party co-leader says Pacific and Māori women need to keep disrupting the patriarchy to increase their say in society.

Paul Barton has performed Bach, Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin to soothe the mammal residents of Elephant World Sanctuary in Thailand, some of whom are elderly and disabled.

♫ "I don't need another word of Māori coming out my radio" ♫ "You're a bunch of leftie-loving loonies when you let your colours show" ♫ Listen to the RNZ Complaints Choir make sweet music out of our listeners' complaints. Audio

For 20 years now RNZ Concert's breakfast programme has been helping listeners prepare for their day with a morning moment of tranquility.

Most New Zealanders are interested in living and building sustainably, but it's a challenge moving people away from the "quick bang for buck" mindset, says writer Melinda Williams. Audio, Gallery

Prize-winning Muay Thai and kickboxing fighter Kelly Broerse is one of three fighters in the VICE New Zealand documentary Lethal Ladies. She's also a forensic DNA lab technician. Audio, Gallery

Legendary country band The Warratahs are taking to the road to celebrate 30 years since they released their debut album The Only Game In Town. Trevor Reekie spoke to Barry Saunders about how to group got to where they are today. Video, Audio