Video game music show returns for second series

A radio series dedicated to video game music is returning for a second series.

The first of six new editions of High Score will be broadcast on Saturday 4th November at 9pm.

The BAFTA Award-winning composer Jessica Curry will present each hour-long programme in the series, the first and last of which will be ‘all-request’ shows. Classic FM listeners will be able to choose their favourite pieces of video game music to play in the shows.

The other four programmes will focus on:

  • Depictions of love (11th November)
  • Quests (18th November)
  • Spoken and sung voices within games (25th November)
  • The best video game music of 2017 (2nd December)

The first series was broadcast in April and May this year and became the most popular programme ever on Classic FM’s listen again service.

Presenter Jessica Curry is known as a co-founder of The Chinese Room and is a BAFTA award-winning composer of contemporary classical music. She wrote the music for the games Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Dear Esther. The latter was featured on stage last year where it was played in real-time alongside musicians and the BAFTA-nominated narrator Oliver Dimsdale. The live concert starts a tour on Friday 3rd November.

Classic FM first featured video game music in its Hall of Fame in 2012 and has since been a supported of the genre. It has recently premiered several video game scores including Fantasia: Music Evolved by Inon Zur and Abzû by Austin Wintory.

The station says the return of the series comes as it marks a big increase in younger listeners. According to recent listener figures 1.2 million under-35s tune in each week and there has been a 30% rise in under-25s listening to the station.

Jessica Curry said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to present a second series of High Score for Classic FM. The first series was so much fun to do and the huge response that the show received was absolutely incredible. I’m just over the moon that people enjoyed it. I’m raring to go on the next one and can’t wait to hear what people come up with for the requests shows!”