Get ready to experience Halloween like never before with WHRO-FM’s hauntingly curated music lineup all day on October 31. From chilling classics to eerie movie scores, we’ve got a selection to keep you spooked from morning until night, whether you’re carving pumpkins, hosting a haunted gathering, or trick-or-treating with the family. Here’s what’s in store:
Wednesday: A Prelude to Halloween with ‘A Local Touch’
Join us on Wednesday at 9 p.m. for “A Local Touch: Music with a Virginia Connection,” our spooky prelude to Halloween. This week’s lineup is filled with haunting classics, featuring performances under the direction of JoAnn Falletta, Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Raymond Jones will set the mood with Paul Dukas´s “The Sorcerer´s Apprentice.” Then it is time for the spidery “Tarantella” by Saint-Saëns, and Rachmaninoff’s shadowy “The Isle of the Dead.” The evening culminates with Berlioz’s powerful Requiem, recorded live at the Virginia Arts Festival, for an unforgettable prelude to Halloween.
Thursday: Halloween Day on WHRO-FM
Halloween festivities begin with Dwight Davis on Morning Classics, who’s handpicked a playlist of macabre masterpieces. Start your day with the ghostly charm of Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” the eerie Ballet Music from “The Demon” by Rubinstein, Saint-Saëns’s iconic “Danse Macabre,” and more spooky gems like “Minuet of the Will-o’-the Wisps” by Berlioz, William Bolcom’s “Graceful Ghost,” and Bazzini’s lively “Dance of the Goblins.”
As we head into midday, Midday Classics with Jana Lee Ross takes us to the movies! This Halloween special will feature spine-tingling soundtracks from cinematic masters like John Williams. There will also be music from William Bolcom and Camille Saint-Saëns. Get ready for a special program showcasing music tied to witches, ghosts, and even the Grim Reaper himself!
Later, Wayla Chambo hosts Afternoon Classics, where goblins, elves, and fairies join the mix in a revelrous setlist to welcome dusk. Musical highlights include the devilishly challenging “Devil’s Trill Sonata” by Giuseppe Tartini and Carl Maria von Weber’s thrilling overture “The Ruler of the Spirits.” Perfect for those venturing out or creating an eerie atmosphere at home!
Thursday Night: Halloween Night with ‘Crypt Keeper’ Raymond Jones
Finally, on Halloween night at 9:00 p.m., the inimitable “Crypt Keeper” Raymond Jones returns with a ghostly lineup to close out the evening. This special Evening Classics episode features Feeney’s ballet suite “Dracula,” Act One of “Frankenstein” by Lowell Lieberman, Geoffrey Toye’s “The Haunted Ballroom,” selections from “The Little Vampire,” and the timeless horror of “The Wolf Man.” Knock on our radio door, and let Raymond’s chilling selections soundtrack your Halloween night!
Whether you are staying in or heading out, WHRO-FM has your Halloween soundtrack covered. Tune in to 90.3, or listen online, and embrace the spooky spirit with us – if you dare!
