Classical

Welcome Christmas!

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Airs Tuesday, December 25 at 2:00 p.m. Bring a Torch! This year's program puts the focus on old French carols, alongside two world premieres in the annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Christmas carol contest. The new carols call for the intriguing combination of men's chorus with English horn. Long a favorite from their appearances on A Prairie Home Companion, VocalEssence rings in the season with an all-new Welcome Christmas! It's an hour of joyful holiday music featuring the Minneapolis-based chorus, VocalEssence, and hosted for the fourteenth year by APM's John Birge.

The Story of Christmas: A Pageant from Washington National Cathedral

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Airs Thursday, December 20 at 2:00 p.m. This year's annual special Christmas broadcast from the Washington National Cathedral with the Cathedral Girls' Choir brings a unique performance of Benjamin Britten's much-loved Ceremony of Carols, marking 70 years from its first performance in England in 1942. Often performed by boys and harp, its first performance was in London with women's voices and the celebrated Welsh harpist Osian Ellis. The girls are joined by young actors from Princeton Day School in Princeton, NJ, who present the biblical narrative in their own words and commentary.

A Traditional Lessons and Carols from Dallas

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Airs Thursday, December 20 at 1:00 p.m. The Dallas Christmas Lessons & Carols has emerged as one of the most distinctive holiday events in Texas. Taking its British forebear as a starting point, it has made the rhythm of the familiar service its own in both song and text. The artistic director, Scott Dettra, is widely regarded as one of the finest concert organists of his generation, whose career has taken him from major appointments in Philadelphia and Washington, where he was associate director at National Cathedral.

Christmas with Madrigalia 2012

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Airs Tuesday, December 18 at 2:00 p.m.
This holiday season, Madrigalia returns to public radio for Christmas with Madrigalia: A Time to Rejoice. This program of holiday cheer fills the season with joy, and features many Madrigalia favorites along with some new seasonal tunes to brighten the darkest of winter's days. The program features settings of familiar tunes and texts by some of today's most brilliant young composers along with some less familiar, yet captivating melodies. Christmas with Madrigalia was conducted by Lee Wright and recorded live in concert at Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY. The special includes music by David Hogan, Eric Whitacre, Roger Wilhelm, Cary Ratcliff, Libby Larsen and others.

A Chanticleer Christmas

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Airs Tuesday, December 18 at 1:00 p.m. The 12-man San Francisco vocal ensemble bring their special seasonal glee to traditional carols and newer works. A Chanticleer Christmas is American Public Media's one-hour celebration of the season as told through the glorious voices of Chanticleer, the 12-voice San Francisco-based men's choir. The program spans the globe and the centuries — from England in the 1300s to new arrangements of classic and contemporary carols.