BBC Philharmonic Gets New Series

Musical Storyland, a new ten-part series featuring the BBC Philharmonic, has been commissioned by CBeebies and BBC Education.

The series follows the success of the BBC Philharmonic’s film The Musical Story of the Gingerbread Man. The stories are narrated by a host of stars and feature renowned guest musicians, accompanied by teaching resources available on the BBC Teach website.

Musical Storyland will be launched on CBeebies and BBC Teach on November 27, with the first five episodes available on iPlayer the same day. The remaining episodes will be saved for the Easter season of 2024.

Stories featured in the series include The Baobab Tree, Jack and the Beanstalk, Ananse and the Monkeys and The Hare and the Tortoise.

The lineup of presenters includes Nihal Arthanayake, Jan Blake, Molly Rainford and Sean Chandler. Alongside the BBC Philharmonic, guest musicians include Chandler, Kuljit Bhamra MBE, Sidiki Dembélé and Zi Lan Liao.

Kate Morton, senior head of children’s commissioning 0-6 for BBC, said: “Musical Storyland is set to be an inspirational series and an amazing resource for young people and families. This is the first time an orchestra has been commissioned to make content for network television, and it is full of incredible musicians. The talented team behind the scenes has brought these stories to life in a unique way, and we are sure children and adults alike will enjoy this truly magical series of programs.”

Helen Foulkes, head of BBC Education and Newsround, added: “This collaboration provides schools with classroom resources fully integrated with what is beautiful CBeebies programming. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn through storytelling and to bring world class musicians–and their instruments–into the classroom.”

Simon Webb, head of orchestras and choirs for BBC, commented: “The BBC Philharmonic is one of the most adventurous and versatile orchestras in the U.K. Perhaps best known for performances at home in Salford and across the north of England, the orchestra also delights in being involved in new projects. We are thrilled to have created Musical Storyland with the BBC Philharmonic, a series of programs for TV that will entertain and teach our youngest audiences about storytelling through music.”