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: March 7, 2024

Big Fish: Sandra’s Theme, Danny Elfman

Suggested by Kat in Wilsonville, Oregon

This movie has been my absolute favorite for as long as I can remember. It's one of those films that you can watch over and over again and get something new from it each time. I see so many people in every character, so much color in every song. This piece is my most favorite from the movie - I love how the music swells with anticipation as the sound grows, filling you with an undeniable sense of wonder.

Air date: March 6, 2024

The Competition: People Alone, Lalo Schifrin

Suggested by Jeff in Portland, Oregon

In 1980 a movie called "The Competition" starred a young Richard Dreyfus and Amy Irving. Their characters were in a piano competition. We bought the soundtrack at a record store and were mesmerized and flabbergasted that ANYone could play such complex, yet exhilarating works for the keyboard such as Prokofiev's Concerto No. 3, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 and more. Wow, we had no idea this kind of performance was even possible!

Air date: March 5, 2024

Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea, Joe Hisaishi

Suggested by Margie in Portland, Oregon

Every Friday morning at 8:55 Warren Black plays this piece. (And he says “that’s how you know it’s Friday.”) When he plays it, I am always in the car on my way to care for my granddaughter. The piece is so joyful, it puts me in the just the right frame of mind to spend the day with a curious 2 year old. I suggest that after a full day, this could also help with rush hour attitude adjustment.

Air date: March 4, 2024

Peer Gynt: Morning Mood, Edvard Grieg

Suggested by Thomas in Fukushima, Japan

Being a former Portlander, I still love listening to your station here in Japan. Morning Mood has long been one of my favorites. I first heard it as I child growing up in Seattle. At that time (the early sixties) there was a great children’s program on the local TV station which was hosted by a clown named J.P. Patches. J.P. lived in a ramshackle house in the city dump with his girlfriend, Gertrude. He showed classic cartoons and engaged in all kinds of antics. The show aired twice a day, once in the morning around 7am, and that morning show always opened with a grandfather clock and the gorgeous strains of Grieg’s Morning Mood. I have loved it ever since. Perhaps some of your other NW listeners may remember this, too!

Air date: March 1, 2024

Fanfare and Allegro, Clifton Williams

Suggested by Dave in Federal Way, Washington

This is more of a nostalgia piece -- I don't think it's possible for anyone to have gone through high school and college band without having played this at least once! There's just something about it that grabs you and won't let go, and I just think a lot of wind players would like to hear it again.

Air date: February 29, 2024

Miserere, Gregorio Allegri

Suggested by Pie in Portland, Oregon

This music is so beautiful. It's on my bucket list to experience it live, in person.

Air date: Robert in Portland, Oregon

String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Opus 135: 3. Lento Assai, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by February 28, 2024

With the recent passing of Seiji Ozawa I was reminded of a concert I attended as a sophomore in college in 1974. The Toho School of Music String Orchestra was in the US on tour led by Maestro Ozawa. The concert became a memorial tribute to Hideo Saito, one of Ozawa's mentors and a leader at the Toho School of Music in Japan who had passed away in September of that year. The concert included a wonderful performance of Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings but more so what remains with me to this day -as though it just happened- was a performance of the slow movement from Beethoven's String Quartet Number 16, set for full string orchestra. The poignant movement was a favorite of Mr. Saito and the emotion on stage as the student orchestra played the movement was apparent - many of the young musicians wept as they played. When the movement ended Maestro Ozawa held his arms stretched out, completely still for several moments. The audience was completely silent. His arms slowly descended to his side and he then quietly walked off the stage, the audience still in hushed silence. It is an intensely emotional memory for me as I reflect on my own years as a music director, my life filled with the power of music and the importance of all my music teachers and mentors

Air date: February 27, 2024

Four Last Songs: September, Richard Strauss

Suggested by Tony in Portland, Oregon

Many years ago I was living in Pittsburgh while my then wife, a music major, was studying violin at a university there. He teacher introduced us to lots of wonderful music — the Strauss Four Last Songs, chamber music by Bruckner, and so on. Everything he introduced me to was good, but when I heard the Strauss I was knocked out—so gorgeous, so richly autumnal.

Air date: February 26, 2024

The Mermaid and the Shiny Wing, Evan Call

Suggested by Nate in Beaverton, Oregon

This piece is from the anime movie "Josee, the Tiger, and the Fish." I went into this film expecting almost nothing. Now, it's my favorite movie, and I listen to the soundtrack in my high school classes often. This piece is my favorite one in the film. It fills my soul with joy when I listen to it, and I want to spread the joy this piece gives me to many more people.

Air date: February 23, 2024

North And South: Main Titles, Bill Conti

Suggested by Sharyn in Portland, Oregon

I love this miniseries and the theme music has always evoked such emotion in me every time I hear it. I feel as if I am back in the Civil War time period fighting to end slavery...

Air date: February 22, 2024

Alvamar Overture, James Barnes

Suggested by Erica in Vancouver, Washington

My senior year at Camas high school, in 1990, the band Director, Mr. Ron James, picked this piece of music for our concert. It was the hardest piece of music that the band had attempted. I will never forget during one of the rehearsals when everything came together, and Mr. James shed a tear, telling us we had just made beautiful music. An unforgettable, treasured memory.

Air date: February 21, 2024

Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra, George Gershwin

Suggested by Margo in Corvallis, Oregon

Somehow I had never even heard this piece until I played it (violin I) in the Rogue Valley Symphony 30 years ago or so, whereupon I utterly fell in love with it.

Air date: February 19, 2024

Mavis in Las Vegas, Peter Maxwell Davies

Suggested by Tony in Portland, Oregon

I suggested "An Orkney Wedding" a few weeks ago, and I’m not trying to sell or push Peter Maxwell Davies, but there’s another piece of his that’s not so well known that I have always found to be equally delightful, “Mavis in Las Vegas,” which is described as a foxtrot for orchestra. It’s an affectionate homage to ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s popular music, and is both humorous and serious (like an “Orkney Wedding"). And the ending is equally moving—a foxtrot that goes to heaven.

Air date: February 16, 2024

Old Wine in New Bottles, Gordon Jacob

Suggested by Dave in Federal Way, Washington

When I was attending OSU a few decades ago I played in every brass group offered, as well as woodwind ensembles, too (much to the consternation of my academic advisor, who couldn't understand why I was so involved with the musical groups). This is one of the pieces I played. The various sections pop into my head now and then as I hear the "old wine" performed straight. I'd love to hear the modern treatment again!

Air date: February 15, 2024

Sara la baigneuse (Sara the Bather), Hector Berlioz

Suggested by Jeff in Portland, Oregon

I'm in the midst of resurrecting my high school French in preparation for a trip to France in May. So, in addition to hours with DuoLingo, I'm reading and listening to everything French that I can. I had discovered the French song "Sara la Baigneuse" by Berlioz many years ago... it's fun to now translate (a bit risqué!) and the music is great!

Air date: February 13, 2024

Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (“I Am Leaving The World…”) from Ruckert-Lieder, Gustav Mahler

Suggested by Erika in Portland, Oregon

My desire to hear this song has been prompted by the recent return of my mother's grand piano to our home, 4 years after her passing. My mother was my son's piano accompanist through high school until he went to music school to study voice. My son sang this song at his senior recital, which we recorded. When my mother was about to pass and did not seem responsive, we played the recording of my son singing it. Although she could not speak, she slowly brought her hands on top of the covers and began to play the accompaniment. As soon as the song was over, she slowly put her hands back under the covers. We knew that she could hear and was responding to the song she had played with my son so often.

Air date: February 12, 2024

The Wind Rises: A Journey (A Dream of Flight), Joe Hisaishi

Suggested by Eden in Beaverton, Oregon

This song is from the movie The Wind Rises, Hayao Miyazaki’s last movie before retiring (though he has since made a comeback). Joe Hisaishi composes most of the music in the soundtracks of Studio Ghibli movies, and this one is by far my favorite. It evokes feelings of nostalgia for me, and when I listen to it I can’t help but think of mild summer days accompanied by a cool breeze. This song has been a comfort to me during dark times, and I hope it can do the same for others!

Air date: February 9, 2024

Emmanuel, Michel Colombier

Suggested by Jamie in Beaverton, Oregon

My name is Jamie Marie, and I need to share with you how grateful I am for this station. Every time I hear about All Classical's donors I break into tears, because I know they helped save my life just as much as this music did.

I listened to All Classical with parents since I was a kid, They're both gone now, and through those very tough years I almost gave up all hope... then I heard this song - "Emmanuel"- and it was as if my Mother was talking to me through the music. Every single cell in my body lit up with a chill; it was as if every part of me was rejoicing and singing together!

This song, along with this radio station absolutely saved my life. I cannot listen to the song without my whole body reminding me, "we love you Jamie, we believe in YOU Jamie!!! You Got this!!!"

And so, although I do not have much to give back to all of you beautiful people who have absolutely EACH been a key player in saving my life, I want to give back everything I can: by having us all hear this song together, all across the world. Maybe if we all rejoice together, we can fly away home.

Air date: February 8, 2024

Gramofon Waltz, Eugen Doga

Suggested by Kristina in Vancouver, Washington

When I listen to it, it makes me think of snowflakes dancing... and calling me to dance with them. It’s like a winter fairytale. I think more people need to hear this wonderful piece.

Air date: February 7, 2024

The Nutcracker: Mother Ginger, Peter Tchaikovsky

Suggested by Elizabeth in Portland, Oregon

Christa, you played a song recently that had a tambourine in it that reminded me of the Nutcracker. When I was little, my grandma would take my sister and I to see the Nutcracker at Keller Auditorium every year. My favorite part was when Mother Ginger, or as I used to call her, "the big lady" would come out. I loved the upbeat music with the tambourine. But my favorite part about the big lady was how she would interact with the crowd, making us laugh. And that music will always make me want to dance!

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