Classic FM has commissioned an original piece of music designed to help calm anxious pets as its annual Pet Classics programme returns for fireworks season.
Composed by Classic FM Calm Ambassador Noah Inada-Kim, When The Night Goes Quiet is a gentle piano piece created to bring a sense of calm to animals during one of the noisiest periods of the year.
The new composition marks the ninth year of Classic FM’s Pet Classics, which will offer three evenings of soothing classical music for pets and their owners for the first time, running from Thursday 5 November to Saturday 7 November.
The specially commissioned music follows research from the universities of Belfast and Glasgow, which suggests animals respond best to slow tempos, low pitches and little or no percussion.
Inada-Kim has recorded the soft, flowing piano piece to provide a relaxing soundtrack for pets during fireworks season, with the track also pressed onto limited-edition zoetrope vinyl featuring illustrations of snoozing cats and dogs as fireworks explode in the distance.
Classic FM’s Pet Classics will air each evening from 5pm to 10pm, with Breakfast presenter Dan Walker, Mid-Morning presenter Aled Jones and Saturday-afternoon presenter Dawn O’Porter each hosting one of the programmes.
The station is again partnering with the RSPCA, which will provide practical advice and tips to help owners care for their animals during the fireworks period.
The programmes will feature music selected for its calming qualities, alongside pieces connected with animals, including Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals: The Swan and Edward Elgar’s Mina, named after his beloved Cairn Terrier.
Classic FM Managing Editor Joseph Zubier said: “For many pets and their owners, the programme is an essential tool, offering a calming soundtrack and a relaxing sanctuary during the fireworks season.”
He added that it was wonderful to work with Inada-Kim on the original composition as the programme celebrates its ninth year.
Inada-Kim said: “It’s been truly magical working with Classic FM to write and record When The Night Goes Quiet, my first original piece composed to bring a sense of calm to pets across the country.”
He hopes the composition and the music played across the three programmes will help anxious pets and owners find some respite from the noise outside.
Classic FM’s Pet Classics will be broadcast on Thursday 5 November with Dan Walker, Friday 6 November with Aled Jones and Saturday 7 November with Dawn O’Porter, with each programme running from 5pm to 10pm.