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Join us for your holiday soundtrack! As always, we are happy to bring you rich and joyful music for the Christmas season from the WHRO FM library, along with special programs from American Public Media, the WFMT Radio Network, and more.
Here are some highlights of what’s in store:
Thursday, December 17:
9 p.m. – A Soulful Christmas from American Public Media
Julie Amacher and Tesfa Wondemagegnehu host this uplifting Christmas special that features Black music and composers. A Soulful Christmas celebrates classical music by Black artists, while exploring Spirituals, Gospel Music, Jazz and other Black musical traditions.
Friday, December 18:
9 p.m. – A Baroque Noel with Pegasus Early Music from WXXI Public Broadcasting
Celebrate the holiday season with 17th century flair! Join Pegasus Early Music for seasonal baroque gems, featuring Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Messe de Minuit pour Noel. Acclaimed lutenist Paul O'Dette leads an ensemble of sought-after musicians from across the country in this grand Christmas mass that quotes many popular Christmas carols of the 1600s. The program is rounded out with virtuosic concertos for oboe and mandolin by Vivaldi, as well as French Christmas carols.
Saturday, December 19:
6 a.m. – Harmonia: An Oratorio Quilt
This week on Harmonia, as the winter nights get colder, we’ll keep warm with an “oratorio quilt,” weaving together music for the season from France, Germany, and Italy—by composers both devout and mischievous. Our featured release showcases medieval Christmas music performed by Gothic Voices.
7 a.m. – Noon – Holiday Car Tunes
1 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – The Metropolitan Opera presents Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel
Donald Runnicles conducts this English-language version of the classic fairytale, starring Lisette Oropesa (Gretel), Tara Erraught (Hansel), Dolora Zajick (Gertrude), Gerhard Siegel (Witch), and Quinn Kelsey (Peter).
3:15 – 6 p.m. – Holiday Intermezzo
8-11 p.m. – This Just In with Raymond Jones: Holiday Edition
Enjoy a tour of new classical releases for the Christmas season, featuring the world premiere recording of The Ballad of the Brown King by Margaret Bonds, with text by Langston Hughes.
11 p.m. – Harmonia: An Oratorio Quilt
Sunday, December 20:
7 a.m. – Noon – Holiday Musical Brunch
Noon – 1pm – With Heart and Voice: A Christmas Celebration
As we prepare for the eve of Christmas, we’ll begin the festivities with music to celebrate the arrival of the Christ Child on this edition of With Heart and Voice. Tune in as Peter DuBois shares sacred choral and organ treasures of the season.
3 – 4 p.m. – From the Parlor with Dwight Davis: Christmas Edition
4 – 7 p.m. – Holiday Sunday Classics
7 – 8 p.m. – Classical Guitar Alive: Music for Christmas
This week’s episode features traditional and new music for Christmas, and interviews with Canadian guitarist Liona Boyd and American guitarist-composer Mark Cruz.
8 – 10 p.m. – Pipedreams: Make We Merry
Enjoy a special program of jubilant and celebratory selections for the Christmas holiday.
10 p.m. – Midnight – Holiday Evening Classics
Monday, December 21: Winter Solstice Celebration
Noon – Winter Holidays Around the World with Bill McGlaughlin from the WFMT Radio Network
Winter holidays are celebrated around the world, and their music is wonderful to hear, regardless of which tradition you observe. Bill’s spirited selection starts in the 12th century with Nova Stella, medieval Italian Christmas music from Saint Francis of Assisi’s staging of the nativity; jazz pianist Dave Brubeck’s classical composition La Fiesta de la Posada, evoking a Mexican Christmas celebration; and Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols. We will enjoy this time of year in Paris with music from Debussy, and then travel to Polynesia for a traditional hymn, Anau Oia Ea. And then ending with an excerpt from Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors from the original television production. Turn on your radio, pour a cup of tea, cozy up to a warm fire, and enjoy the music!
9 p.m. – The Christmas Revels: In Celebration of the Winter Solstice 2020
A musical celebration of the winter holidays – Christmas, the Solstice, Chanukah, New Year’s and Twelfth Night/Epiphany – featuring traditional carols, chants, wassails, hymns, children’s game-songs, and folk dance-tunes excerpted from live Christmas Revels stage productions presented around the country in December, 2019.
Tuesday, December 22:
Noon – Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square from American Public Media
The sounds of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square floated into many homes during the holidays in the '60s & '70s on Goodyear and Firestone albums, bringing lush renditions of favorite Christmas carols. Those warm memories and feelings come right back again in this holiday special. The choir continues its tradition of great artistry with touching arrangements of familiar carols, and surprises with lesser-known melodies that are fast becoming the new classics.
9 p.m. – All is Bright: Contemplative Music for Christmas from American Public Media
Lynne Warfel hosts an hour of gorgeous, contemplative choral music that tells the traditional Christmas story with songs about angels, the star and the manger scene. Featured artists include Cantus, Chanticleer, Cambridge Singers, Bryn Terfel, Emma Kirkby, Jessye Norman, and a variety of choirs.
Wednesday, December 23:
Noon – Welcome Christmas! from American Public Media
Welcome Christmas is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world’s premiere choral groups, conducted by Philip Brunelle. John Birge hosts this hour of traditional carols and new discoveries, including the world premiere of two carols from the annual Christmas Carol Contest.
9 p.m. – A Local Touch with Raymond Jones: Holiday Edition
Host Raymond Jones is reaching into his Virginia stocking for Music from Advent to Candlemas with the Choir of Christ & St. Luke’s in Norfolk, the Williamsburg Choral Guild performing Christmas music by Stephen Paulus, Sounds of the Season with JoAnn Falletta and the Virginia Symphony, and Raymond even chipping in by narrating Aldo Forte’s “A Cup of Christmas Tea” after the famous Tom Hegg poem with the Air Force Heritage of America Band.
Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve
10 a.m. – Noon – A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
An annual and beloved Christmas tradition, “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” is an extraordinary and memorable service of word and music from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England. Share in this world-wide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols, and related seasonal music (anthems a cappella and with organ accompaniment, and congregational hymns), presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue.
3 p.m. – St. Olaf Christmas Festival from American Public Media
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival is one of the nation’s most treasured holiday celebrations, enjoyed annually by listeners across the country. F. Melius Christiansen started the Christmas Festival in 1911 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota as a simple service in word and song for students, faculty, friends and family. In the 109 years since, it has grown to traditionally include more than 500 student musicians who share their gifts with more than 12,000 audience members at the four live concerts – tickets for which always sell out months in advance. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 St. Olaf Christmas Festival will not be performed live, so this year’s program will feature archived music from previous broadcasts, as well as special retrospective interviews.
6 p.m. – All is Bright: Contemplative Music for Christmas
7-9 p.m. – Handel's Messiah with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from WQXR
Originally broadcast live in December 2019 from the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, this performance features up-and-coming conductor Roderick Cox leading the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and a stellar lineup of soloists: Sarah Shafer, soprano; J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano; Frederick Ballentine, tenor; and Douglas Williams, bass-baritone.
9 p.m. – Christmas Eve Classics with Raymond Jones
Enjoy music for Christmas Eve featuring Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols,” a Midnight Mass for Christmas Eve, a Santa Claus Symphony from William Henry Fry, and even “The Night Before Christmas” narrated by legendary broadcaster Robert Conrad. We’ll add some Vaughan Williams – “On Christmas Night, a Masque after Dickens’ Christmas Carol,” and some carols for brass. Tune in for great music to keep you company as you finish wrapping those gifts!
Friday, December 25: Christmas Day
As always, WHRO-FM will offer joyous and beautiful music for your celebrations throughout the day.
Here are a few highlights:
8 a.m. – Welcome Christmas!
10 a.m. – Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square
12 p.m. – St. Olaf Christmas Festival
7 p.m. – A Baroque Noel with Pegasus Early Music
8 p.m. – A Soulful Christmas
Friday, January 1: New Year’s Day
11 a.m.-1 p.m. – New Year's Day From Vienna 2021
The ever popular annual New Year’s Day Concert will be performed by the Wiener Philharmoniker under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti. You'll hear your favorite waltzes, polkas and more – a great way to start off 2021! Hosted by WBUR's Lisa Mullins.
You can also listen live online or through the WHRO app.
*Program times may be subject to change
