Five O’Clock Favorite

Hosted by
Christa Wessel

Five O’Clock Favorite

Every weekday at 5:00 PM 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: November 3, 2026

Canon in D, Johann Pachelbel

Suggested by Stephen in Portland, Oregon

On my first date with my wife-to-be, we attended a party at a friend of mine’s home where I heard this piece for the first time, and was dumbstruck by its beauty. That was February of 1976. We were married that October, and whenever I hear this piece of music, I am reminded of that evening. She died this June, just 4 months shy of our 50th anniversary. At her memorial, a friend arranged 4 cello players from the Oregon Symphony to play the classical music she loved, and of course I asked that Pachelbel’s Canon be on the list

Air date: November 2, 2026

William Tell Overture, Gioacchino Rossini

Suggested by Patrick in Portland, Oregon

This is a scary story of a near-death classic for this Halloween season.
This is not my favorite piece of classical music, but it is the most memorable. All Classical was still broadcasting from Benson High School when this happened, and I was new to classical music. The memory of that night is still vivid after all of these years.
As I drove West on SE Division Street towards the Willamette River, I turned left onto Southeast 9th Avenue. That street goes into the industrial area and it crosses a double set of Union Pacific railroad tracks immediately after the turn. Today it is a well-lit intersection and there is a railroad crossing gate with lights and bells. Not so back then. It was a dark intersection and there was no crossing gate.
I was driving a 1970 Ford Maverick that has the loudspeakers in the front doors. It was an old beater of a car with a lot of road noise, so I had the volume turned up high so I could hear the music clearly.
On that dark night I remember that the music I was hearing reminded me of a Spring day. The melody was sweet, slow and calm. Just as my car started to cross the railroad tracks the loud sound of a horn blasted exactly as you would expect a frantic engineer would blow his locomotive's horn as he tried to avoid the imminent collision. The adrenaline shocked my body as I braced for the crash. For two long seconds I was sure I was about to die. Then I recognized the William Tell Overture.
The timing was perfect. The drycleaning bill was enormous. I will never forget it.

Air date: October 30, 2026

Ave Maria, Franz Biebl

Suggested by Elizabeth in Lake Oswego, Oregon

I was listening to this piece and it reminded me of a time long forgotten. In 3rd grade, at St. Catherine's Elementary School in Burlingame, CA, my teacher Miss Jean asked to see me after school. As a good Catholic kid, I spent the WHOLE DAY going over every possible sin I might have committed, trying to figure out the reason she wanted to see me. After a day of guilt, when we met, Miss Jean wanted to see me simply to ask me if I would play the part of Betsy in a class production of Betsy and the Violin. A very short play in which Betsy asks each of the string instruments to tell the audience about themselves. Of course I said yes! The Catholic Church fostered my early love of music, particularly choral music.

Air date: October 29, 2026

Symphony No. 9 “New World”: 1. Adagio-Allegro molto, Antonin Dvorak

Suggested by Laura in Corvallis, Oregon

I first heard this piece performed by the Seattle Symphony my last year of high school when I was preparing to attend college thousands of miles away from home. I've returned to this piece often since then, in hard times and in moments of joy. I find something new to love about it each time I listen. I hope it provides some comfort and hope for others listening. It always boosts my mood!

Air date: October 28, 2026

El Camino Real, Alfred Reed

Suggested by Megan in Beaverton, Oregon

I grew up in band and played through high school and college. Now that I’ve graduated and no longer play in an ensemble, this song me reminds me to enjoy the process and enjoy it while it lasts even if it’s tough.

Air date: October 27, 2026

Casey at the Bat, Peter Hamlin

Suggested by Ken in Camas, Washington

When October rolls around, I try to make a point of taking in the World Series. As I do, I am often taken back to those years when our children were still at home and we were fully engaged with their many endeavors that included sports, music, and dance. Four of our boys took up baseball, and we put in a lot of time in the bleachers at those ball parks, encouraging our boys to learn to be team players and good sports. One day, AllClassical introduced me to a remarkable piece of music that celebrates baseball: It was by the men's vocal ensemble Cantus, and they were singing, of all things, the classic poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer: “Casey at the Bat”! I was spellbound by their exquisite interpretation of this remarkable poem. On the surface “Casey at the Bat” is all about baseball. But it really is more than that; it reminds us of the utter folly of engaging in hubris. And so, this work sits at the intersection of sports, poetry, music, and wisdom for living. What a combination.

Air date: October 26, 2026

Symphony No. 9 “New World”: 4. Allegro con fuoco, Antonin Dvorak

Suggested by Braedon in Salem, Oregon

My brother and I used to play a video game called "Star Patrol" when we were kids, and this was the music they used for the start of the adventure. He passed away earlier this year at the age of 32, and to honor his first missed birthday today (October 26), I'd like to share a piece that was special to the two of us.

Air date: October 23, 2026

String Quartet No. 2: Nocturne, Alexander Borodin

Suggested by Diane in Newport, Oregon

Once when I was listening to the Nocturne from Borodin's String Quartet No. 2, which he wrote for his wife, I found myself thinking, "Oh how Borodin loved his wife so much." (In the musical "Kismet" Borodin's music is joined with the lyrics, "This is my beloved.") And as I listened, I heard the audible voice of God say, "I love you so much more." I will always remember those powerful words, and I listen to this beautiful piece of music often.

Air date: October 22, 2026

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Opus 23: Mvmt 1, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Suggested by Donna in Gresham, Oregon

In 1964-1965 my future husband and I were "courting". One thing we had in common was a love of symphonic music. We were avid listeners to the classical music station in Los Angeles Their evening concert program closed with Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1. That became our theme song. 54 years later we relocated to the NW and discovered All Classical Radio. Now, without my husband, it is still a precious piece of music and brings back wonderful memories.

Air date: October 21, 2026

Good Day Sunshine; Penny Lane; When I’m Sixty-Four, Lennon / McCartney

Suggested by Ken in Camas, Washington

In social gatherings, the conversation has on occasion turned to the question, "What is a memorable concert you have been to?” My most memorable one was Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966—the occasion of the final concert of The Beatles’ North American tour of that year. We did not know it at the time, but it was also a historic event in that it was the last regularly scheduled concert ever given by The Beatles.
Fast forward 60 years: While listening to All Classical’s Fall Fundraiser recently, I could not help but smile as I noticed the charming music playing in the background during pledge breaks. I wondered, “How many listeners realize that our beloved classical station is playing the Beatles' Music?" The song Penny Lane was often playing in the background. I was intrigued that music could move between our arbitrary categories that we call "genres"; all it takes is “a little rearranging," and a song from the Beatles repertoire can fit right in to a classical setting.
And so, my Five O’Clock Favorite suggestion is that we commemorate the 60th anniversary of that last concert by The Beatles and celebrate the fact that music really can move readily between genres, with a “Beatles Medley” of songs “in the Classical Style". And I hope you will include that charming rendition of Penny Lane :-)

Air date: October 20, 2026

Piano Sonata No. 8, “Pathétique”: Adagio cantabile, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by Dan in Vancouver, Washington

There are two instruments in the world I love the most: violin and piano. When I was a child, I longed to learn how to play at least one of them. Around the time I was trying to make up my mind, Charles Schulz's "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" aired on television, and my family recorded it onto VHS so we could watch it again. In my case, repeatedly (as children are apt to do). It has been MANY years since I've seen it, but a scene seared into my memory is when Lucy interrupts Schroeder's practicing to ask if piano players make a lot of money. He replies that some do if they practice very hard, and then she say, "Keep practicing, kiddo!" then kisses him on the nose, much to his surprise. Immediately after that scene, Schroeder plays the second movement of "Pathetique." After watching and hearing that piece, my mind was made up: the piano is what I would learn to play. While I learned to play many pieces on the piano (some composed by Beethoven), I never got around to learning that particular piece. And so, I request it today as motivation, not just for me but also others wishing to begin or continue their musical education.

Air date: October 19, 2026

Don Quixote Ballet: Cupid Variation, Leon Minkus

Suggested by Issy in Hillsboro, Oregon

I studied ballet at a pre-professional school for several years when I was younger and Cupid was the first variation that I learned. It's really lively and playful but also requires a ton of precision which I just loved. It has been over 10 years since I stopped dancing but I can't help but smile whenever I hear it.

Air date: October 9, 2026

Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”: 1. Adagio-Allegro molto, Antonin Dvorak

Suggested by Laura in Corvallis, Oregon

I first heard this piece performed by the Seattle Symphony my last year of high school when I was preparing to attend college thousands of miles away from home. I've returned to this piece often since then, in hard times and in moments of joy. I find something new to love about it each time I listen. I hope it provides some comfort and hope for others listening. It always boosts my mood!

Air date: October 8, 2026

Serenade for Strings in C, Opus 48: 1. Andante non troppo, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Suggested by Rebecca in Portland, Oregon

This is the last concert I went to with my mom before she passed away - it was performed winter of 2014 by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. It remains one of my top three classical concerts of all time. The musicians stood for the whole piece amidst the backdrop of a beautiful suburban church. It was the dead of winter in Minnesota - marked by one of the coldest and snowiest winters on records and my last one at home before I moved to Oregon. My mom suffered from lifelong severe depression which eventually took her life, and I think of this concert often and the pure, raw joy I saw spread across my mom's face. That memory holds the version of my mom I want to remember. She was a classically trained musician, and music always held an important part of her life, and mine. We shared joy amidst unspeakable heart break by going to concerts together in my 20s. I played the first 90 seconds of it when I got married, after my mom passed, to bring her memory to the moment. Music has so much power, so much beauty, to bind memories in unequivocal joy. This piece is that for me.

Air date: October 7, 2026

Goodbye Again: Main Theme (1961), Georges Auric

Suggested by Al in Portland, Oregon

I recently watched the movie "Goodbye Again" starring Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Perkins because, wow, what a pairing that is! I thought the theme music was so fun! It's a lovely, sweeping, melodramatic adaptation of the melody in the 3rd movement of Brahms' Symphony No. 3. Considering that the movie is based on a book called "Do You Like Brahms?" I thought this was rather clever. (And yes, I do like Brahms! And I quite enjoyed the movie as well.)

Air date: October 6, 2026

The Gadfly: Romance, Dmitri Shostakovich

Suggested by David in Peekskill, New York

Many may think "Shostakovich - eww, heavy, dark, angsty" - not so in this piece which has a sweet yearning that shows his versatility as a composer. He wrote a fair amount of lighter music and some catchy tunes! (Including one from the 1932 Soviet movie Counterplan, which was later used as the basis for the wartime tune "United Nations on the March.") BTW, Shostakovich and I also share a birthday!

Air date: October 5, 2026

El Colibri (The Hummingbird), Julio Sagreras

Suggested by Tim in Portland, Oregon

I met my guitarist friend Jeff in Germany in the early 1980s. I loved to hear him play at concerts and small parties and eventually I became very close friends with him. When Jeff saw me--an actor and mime-- flapping and fluttering my arms around and taking stoic stances every time he played a piece by Julio Sagreras called "El Colibri" (Spanish for "The Hummingbird"). We all had such a good laugh that he invited me to participate in one of his concerts, doing my mime act while he played "El Colibri" as his last number.

I really got into developing my costume and make-up. At the concert, when my moment came to do my posed hummingbird flutters and flaps, I leapt to a designated spot on the stage to take my stance -- which in itself startled the German audience. But when the stage collapsed and crashed under me, I can still picture the shocked, horrified expression on those intense Bavarian faces. But "the show must go on", so Jeff continued playing his entire 3-minute plus arrangement with me faithfully flapping and leaping away. In the end we got quite an appreciative applause--a bit confused I imagine but nonetheless, no longer horrified.

So, to the love and memory of my great friend of yesteryears, Jeffrey Ashton (as well as to the most awkward performance of my dubious career), could you play your best recording of "El Colibri", by Julio Sagreras?

Air date: October 1, 2026

William Tell Overture, Gioacchino Rossini

Suggested by Eric in Beaverton, Oregon

The William Tell Overture makes me think of an old western with horses running at a very fast pace!

Air date: September 30, 2026

“Gayne’s Adagio” from Gayne Ballet & “Ase’s Death” from Peer Gynt, Aram Khatchaturian & Edvard Grieg

Suggested by Frederick in Portland, Oregon

Music has always been paramount in my life. Through good times and bad times it has always been a key ingredient in dealing with all aspects of my life. These two pieces, although very sad are very powerful and beautiful and are essential in dealing with pain and hardship by giving you a sense of hope and encouragement! I strongly recommend them whenever you’re feeling “down in the dumps”. They are a beautiful tonic for what ails you!!!

Air date: September 29, 2026

Elizabethan Serenade, Ronald Binge

Suggested by Annalisa in Depoe Bay, Oregon

I was 8 years old when I first heard a piece of music that instantly mesmerized me …a piece of music I never forgot and whose name I sought in vain to find for the next 50 years….
My parents and I were living in the Republic of Panama when I first heard this piece of music. My dad worked as an elementary school teacher through the Dept of Defense and we were living in what was then called the Canal Zone.
We had three TV channels, one was American and the other two were Panamanian. My dad was a lover of education (as well as opera and classical music), he disliked TV intensely, so rare were the times when I was allowed to watch it. Evenings after dinner were spent reading which I loved, but when we were allowed to watch TV, it was quite a treat.
Anyway, one evening I turned on the TV as the Muppet Show was due to begin and I was very excited. It was a bit early so I watched disinterestedly as a few commercials flitted across the screen until one of them caught eye yes, but what it really caught was my ear: in this commercial there was a beautiful, serene lake, behind it a setting sun. On the lake drifted a small rowboat. In the boat sat a handsome man pushing the boat along with a single oar. A beautiful woman stood on the bow of the boat looking out towards the sunset. A gentle breeze blew through her long hair and her silken, flowing dress. And quietly in the background a male narrator crooned in Spanish about the product the commercial was promoting: of all things, a brand of cigarettes!
But it wasn’t the handsome couple, or the lake, nor the cigarette brand that stopped me in my tracks. It was the music playing in the background…
I was mesmerized by this piece of music and couldn’t stop thinking about it. Whenever we were allowed to watch TV (which as I said was very rarely), I would rush into the room, sit in front of it and wait, hoping to catch that commercial again. And when it did come on, I listened to the music with great concentration, humming along with it trying to burn it into my brain so that I would never forget it. I had no way of knowing if I would ever find out the name of it.
That was back in the late ‘60s. To my sorrow, that commercial, like most of them, eventually disappeared off the air and I never saw it again. But I had the music in my head and would hum it to myself every once in a while over the years, vowing never to forget it.
As the years passed, I did try to find out its name. I would hum it to musically inclined friends, teachers, musical directors…I would wander aimlessly through music stores hoping to hear it on the speakers overhead. But, alas, no-one seemed to know it. I never was able to identify that sweet piece of music I had chanced upon so long ago.
And then something amazing happened. One day, several months ago I was in my kitchen intently chopping vegetables and stirring them into a pot to make a vat of soup. To entertain myself I had All Classical Radio playing in the background (I always have All Classical playing, my kitty Vanessa insists on it). I was deeply focused on the chopping and stirring when suddenly on the radio…there it was. I froze, soup ladle clattering to the floor.
I was 63 at that time, I was 8 when I first heard that piece of music. For over 50 years I had been seeking its identity in vain, and suddenly here it was playing in my very living room. I raced over to the radio and turned the volume up hardly daring to believe what I was hearing.
And then it came, what I had been seeking for more than 50 years: its name…Elizabethan Serenade… it was like an exhale of breath I had been craving for so long…
And despite my joy and relief, I must confess my first thought was, ‘Well, of course I would finally hear it and learn its name on All Classical Radio!”

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