Sean Rafferty: The second movement of Beethoven's great Symphony No. 5 received its premiere on a programme that also included the Fourth Symphony, the Choral Fantasy, the Fourth Piano Concerto and several other choice pieces. It lasted four hours.

Nicholas Collon and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe are here on In Tune, and later we have music for one instrument that sounds like a full orchestra. Coming up after six, Ryan Corbett plays Life.

Now, twenty minutes to six, we celebrate someone whose Music for 18 Musicians became one of the defining works of minimalism. Steve Reich once said, "I am interested in perceptible processes."

The Hallé Orchestra is giving Steve Reich a three-day festival. His music is described by two of its most passionate devotees: Colin Currie, often called the summit of percussion performance, and Jonny Greenwood, lead guitarist of the phenomenal band Radiohead.

[Music]

Sean Rafferty: Jonny Greenwood, and music from his work for harpsichord and compression, which was used in the film Spencer, about Diana.

Jonny, that's not what Radiohead fans would necessarily expect from you, is it?

Jonny Greenwood: I suppose not, no.

Sean Rafferty: No guitars involved.

Jonny Greenwood: Indeed.

Sean Rafferty: But your musical palette is enormous. You've written for the Proms, you've worked with the BBC Concert Orchestra... Is there any genre of music you haven't embraced?

Jonny Greenwood: Master of none, as my mother would have said.

I'm just very much in love with musicians, with music, and with the way people play their instruments.

It's a very big lake to swim in.

Sean Rafferty: Where did your passion for Steve Reich begin?

Jonny Greenwood: It was actually a recording of Tehillim that a friend gave me.

Sean Rafferty: And you still have it? You never returned it?

Jonny Greenwood: That's true.

I stole it. Nat, I'm really sorry. I've still got your CD.

It completely fascinated me. Then I started hearing Steve Reich's music performed live, and it just became an obsession.

Sean Rafferty: It's a double obsession in a way, because Steve Reich loves your music as well. He reworked your songs in Radio Rewrite. That's quite an accolade.

Jonny Greenwood: It is. It's completely surreal and incredibly flattering. He created an entirely new piece from just a few chord changes. It was fascinating to see what could grow from such a simple idea.

Sean Rafferty: You're celebrating Steve Reich with this three-day festival in Manchester. Colin Currie is here as well.

Colin, you actually founded a group specifically to perform Reich's music, didn't you?

Colin Currie: Yes. The Colin Currie Group was founded to specialise in this music. Our way into it was through the great seminal work Drumming. As soon as we played that piece, we all caught the bug and knew we wanted to perform as much of this music as possible. That's exactly what we've done.

Sean Rafferty: Steve Reich is a remarkable figure. He actually gave a world premiere performance in this very studio. You probably haven't heard this story.

Jonny Greenwood: Go on.

Sean Rafferty: His mobile phone went off during an interview. He couldn't find it for about thirty seconds. I said, "Did you write that tune?" He replied, "Yes, I did. That's how I recognise my wife calling."

So that was a world premiere, and I don't think it's ever been repeated. That's my claim to fame.

How would you describe his music? People call him a minimalist with an extraordinary fascination for rhythm, but is it really that simple?

Colin Currie: I think the beauty of it is that it's utterly expansive. We've had one day of rehearsal with the Hallé Orchestra. We worked on The Desert Music this morning and the remaining sections this afternoon.

This music is so powerful that it can never be reduced to a label like "minimalism" or "it's all about rhythm." There's absolutely nothing minimal about it. It's proud, big-hearted, bold, beautiful. Its harmonic range and colours are utterly intoxicating, enthralling and uplifting.

Sean Rafferty: We're about to hear the opening of Pulses from Music for 18 Musicians. Colin, is this one of your earlier recordings?

Colin Currie: Music for 18 Musicians was always a bucket-list piece. We first performed it in 2013. After playing it many times, we finally recorded it at Abbey Road and released the album last year. It was a wonderful project to record.

[Music]

Sean Rafferty: The opening of Pulses from Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, performed by the Colin Currie Group.

Colin, it never seems to lose its impact.

Colin Currie: The timeless quality of this music is extraordinary. Time seems to stand still. You're completely captivated as this remarkable sound unfolds. It's a constant wonder.

Sean Rafferty: Jonny, you've often said there's something both visual and visceral about Reich's music, and that people really need to experience it live.

Jonny Greenwood: Yes. It's only when you see it performed live that you realise how much it's about the physical effort involved. You watch musicians moving from instrument to instrument, carrying their music with them. You witness this collective act of performance.

It makes music that already feels deeply emotional to me seem even more emotional, more heartfelt, more human. Those are probably all the wrong things to say about supposedly minimalist music.

Sean Rafferty: No, it's got to touch the heart as well.

Three days of Steve Reich's music, including Radio Rewrite, his tribute to Radiohead.

And before we finish, Jonny, a little surprise. Everyone knows you as the guitarist from Radiohead and as someone who's embraced so many different musical worlds. What I didn't realise is that you still rather love the recorder, and occasionally even play it at enormous concerts. Is that true?

Jonny Greenwood: I do love playing the recorder. It's true.

We play these huge venues, and some of them are sports arenas with shower rooms for the basketball teams afterwards. I use those rooms to practise my terrible violin or recorder playing, because the acoustics make me sound a little more in tune than I really am.

I've basically carried on playing the recorder long after I should have given it up, and I'm still very proud and very happy to play it.

Sean Rafferty: You've conjured up quite an image that's going to stay with me for some time.

Gentlemen, thank you both very much indeed.

Here comes the recorder.