Programs & Hosts

Five O’Clock Favorite

Hosted by
Christa Wessel

Five O’Clock Favorite

Every weekday at 5pm PT

Every weekday at 5:00 PM PT, All Classical Radio and host Christa Wessel invite listeners to be part of the programming. During the Five O’Clock Favorite, you’ll hear a listener-suggested piece of music along with a personal story about their choice. With pieces that are fun and familiar, music for remembrance and reflection, and everything in between, the Five O’Clock Favorite is a perfect way to ease your commute, end your workday, or start off your evening soundtrack on All Classical Radio. 

graphic for five o clock fav

Your Host
Christa Wessel

Weekdays at 5:00, you’ll find me in my happy place on the radio: sharing your Five O’Clock Favorite. This special program is an opportunity for me to celebrate listeners’ memories and favorite pieces of classical music. Our stories connect us to each other, and this daily segment allows us to hear what’s in the hearts of our friends and neighbors. I hope you’ll submit your suggestion for a future Five O’clock Favorite!

Christa Wessel
woman with glasses sitting on a blue couch, leaning slightly forward — Photo by Christine Dong

Submit your favorite piece:
Suggestions are easiest to honor if they’re 20 minutes or less.

Recent Favorites

Air date: August 6, 2024

Spem in Alium, Thomas Tallis

Suggested by Christine in Lexington, Kentucky

I find the piece to be calming and a complete masterpiece.

Air date: August 5, 2024

Clair de Lune, Claude Debussy

Suggested by Nate in Portland, Oregon

If ever there was a piece of music that can evoke so many images at once for me it has to be this. I’ve loved this song all my life and since I work nights the moonlight has been my sunlight since I can remember.

Air date: August 1, 2024

Fanfare For The Common Man, Aaron Copland

Suggested by Rick in Salem, Oregon

The first time I heard this piece was at a dress rehearsal for the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. I was sitting in a nearly empty LA Memorial Coliseum watching the proceedings when the USC Marching Band appeared all around the stadium, in the seating area. They started to play and I started to sob for reasons unknown to this day. The sound of those horns blasting and drums pounding and echoing around the Coliseum was indescribable. Every time I heard it after that I had the same response, though not nearly as dramatically as the first time.

Air date: July 31, 2024

Hungarian Dance No. 5, Johannes Brahms

Suggested by John in Gresham, Oregon

When I moved to Portland I got into the Junior Symphony Orchestra as a violinist when I was about 12 years old. Mr. A, the conductor, asked me to switch to viola about 4 weeks before the Christmas concert, Originally I said no but eventually relented. So there I was: a was a newly minted violist who could not read the clef sitting at the back of the section. In one rehearsal he had some problem with the principal violist so he sent her to the back of the section and I went up to second chair. We were learning Brahms Fifth Hungarian Dance. Now, whenever I do not want to do something out of fear, I play this piece to remind me that I can.

Air date: July 30, 2024

The Bartered Bride: Overture, Bedrich Smetana

Suggested by John in Portland, Oregon

Nothing much to share other than this really lifts my spirits!

Air date: July 29, 2024

Enigma Variations: Nimrod, Edward Elgar

Suggested by Samuel in Oregon City, Oregon

Without getting into too much detail, I recently lost someone very important to me. This piece of music captures my grief like almost nothing else.

Air date: July 25, 2024

Piano Concerto No. 1: Movement 1, Sergei Prokofiev

Suggested by Elizabeth in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Once upon a time I was a consultant and on the road all the time. Generally I would fly Sunday nights to where ever the client was. As the plane took off and I settled in for the flight I would play this piece. The thunderous chords and fast piano work at the beginning seemed to help me transition from home to my persona as advisor to businesses. I particularly love the first few minutes, which I would play over and over again.

Air date: July 24, 2024

Danny Boy, Traditional Irish

Suggested by Elaine in Portland, Oregon

I've been having a rough month, and I just need to hear this.. for me, it lifts the weight of the world from my shoulders.

Air date: July 23, 2024

Amazigh Lullaby, Traditional Berber

Suggested by Marie in Portland, Oregon

I think I first heard this on Sunday Brunch and it took my breath away. I know you like it, too, Christa, as I've heard you swoon over it on-air. :) It is so lovely and transfixing; I think every All Classical listener would enjoy this during rush hour.

Air date: July 22, 2024

Improvisation on Canon in D, Johann Pachelbel (arr. Gabriela Montero)

Suggested by Sam in Portland, Oregon

I recently discovered (thanks to Friday Happy Hour!) the improvisations of Gabriela Montero. Could you please play her adaptation of Pachelbel's Canon? It's beautiful!

Air date: July 18, 2024

Nutcracker Suite, Peter Tchaikovsky

Suggested by Elizabeth in Portland, Oregon

How about a little Christmas in July? I'd love to hear the Snowflake Waltz from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite to help us ease out of the recent Heat Wave. I love watching the snowflakes dance at the end of Act I!

Air date: July 17, 2024

Dance of the Paper Umbrellas, Elena Katz-Chernin

Suggested by Loris in Portland, Oregon

I heard this performed by the Oregon Symphony last Fall and was so impressed. I'd love to hear it again.

Air date: July 16, 2024

Cat Duet, Gioacchino Rossini

Suggested by Crystal in Portland, Oregon

I heard this on All Classical when I was driving home from work one day. It made me laugh, even though I was stuck in rush hour traffic. Could you play it for everyone who has had a long hard day at work and needs a good laugh?

Air date: July 15, 2024

Piano Concerto No. 2: II.Larghetto, Frederic Chopin

Suggested by Tessa in Beaverton, Oregon

I'd love to hear a performance of this work by Benjamin Grosvenor. It was the last concert I attended with my husband, who passed unexpectedly in April. I have a new job and every night at five when I drive home, I listen to the 5 O’clock Favorite. It would be wonderful to listen knowing it is in his honor.

Air date: July 11, 2024

Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror), Arvo Part

Suggested by Michael in Vancouver, Washington

My wife passed away in November 2019 from breast cancer. I am retired and living with my grief every day. She was a lifelong Portland resident and reminisced often about Mr. Moon, the Children's Parade, Elephant and Castle, Beef and Brew, etc. She also often mentioned how she loved the soft warm mist-like rain as it was so calming and reassuring. I don't know of any specific song that might covey this however I'm sure you would.

[Christa's reply to Michael]
In reading Michael's message, I thought about how, in grief, time takes on a different shape... and that slowing of time caused me to remember a piece of modern dance that I was lucky to experience back in the year 2000 performed by the Shen Wei Dance Ensemble. The work I'm recalling was a world premiere called "Near the Terrace," which was set to Arvo Part's "Spiegel im Spiegel," or "Mirror in the Mirror." The music itself is haunting... repetitive and very slow. The choreography was very slow, too, and actually very simple as far as the dancers' movement. Walking, bending... deliberate movements. They moved like statues -slowly- and seemingly delicately floated and hovered over a blue-lit stage. It almost appeared as if they were underwater. Every movement was excruciatingly, beautifully slow. So, Michael, when you speak of your beloved wife and your grief, I immediately thought of this piece of music... and how time, in grief, can feel like it stands still. And because I associate that dance with water, I'm now also imagining the soft warm mist your wife enjoyed, calming and reassuring.
https://www.shenweidancearts.org/near-the-terrace

Air date: July 10. 2024

The Planets: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, Gustav Holst

Suggested by Olivia in Portland, Oregon

[Olivia made a contribution and attached this request, without a specific story]

Air date: July 9, 2024

The Armed Man (A Mass for Peace): Benedictus, Karl Jenkins

Suggested by Kirke in Albany, Oregon

It's a very quiet piece with a mix of cello and gentle chorus with full orchestra behind. I expect this to bring a sigh from Christa and probably many listeners. :)

Air date: July 8, 2024

Marble Machine, Martin Molin (Wintergatan)

Suggested by Kurt in Albany, Oregon

This piece of music is most amazing! My wife sent me this YouTube video knowing that I like obscure stuff. It's crazy to think that this entire piece of music is being played by marbles. The engineering of the machine that does this is absolutely beautiful and phenomenal. I never tire of listening to this song even though it is repetitious, which of course it has to be based on the design of the machine. If you haven't seen the video for this, you need to. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do.

Air date: July 4, 2024

Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1, Joan Tower

Suggested by Amy in Portland, Oregon

I love American composer Joan Tower's "answer" to Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. She wrote 6 of these fanfares, each tribute to "women who take risks and are adventurous", and each dedicated to an inspiring woman in music. I'd like to hear the first of these fanfares, which Joan Tower dedicated to conductor Marin Alsop.

Air date: July 3, 2024

Breathing Light, Nitin Sawhney

Suggested by Pie in Portland, Oregon

When I first hear this I thought that it was fun and beautiful at the same time. You can forget life's problems and listen to this on your way home from work especially if it was a bad day.

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