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WMRA & WEMC Holiday Programming 2021

Join WMRA this holiday season with music and stories for the season.

WMRA Holiday Schedule

Monday, December 20:

8pm   Selected Shorts: Holiday Hurdles with David Sedaris

Selected Shorts’ late host and founder Isaiah Sheffer is featured as the reader of Tobias Wolff’s “Powder,” in which a pre-Christmas snowstorm provides an adventure for a father and son. In Allegra Goodman’s gentle borrowing from an O’Henry classic, a long-established couple discover they can surprise one another; Dana Ivey and Michael Cerveris read her “Gifts of the Jewish Magi.” And David Sedaris says English writer Jeanette Winterson captures the city to a T in “Christmas in New York,” a modern fairy tale with just a hint of magic, performed by Richard Masur.

Tuesday, December 21

8pm Hollywood Holiday

Join Saturday Cinema host Lynne Warfel for this one-hour musical retrospective of some of Hollywood's most cherished Christmas-themed movies. Whether you're running holiday errands or trimming the tree, you're likely to sing and dance with these stars.

Wednesday, December 22

8pm   Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites

This year a radio tradition continues - stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk--these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season.

Thursday, December 23

8pm  An Afro Blue Christmas

Here's a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut. The a-cappela group performs a variety of holiday songs including African-American spirituals, jazz and pop tunes, and classical repertoire. The joyous celebration includes one of a kind arrangements on traditional holiday songs plus new compositions. Hosted by Michele Norris.

Friday, December 24

8pm      Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites 2

NPR fills millions of homes each holiday with humor, warmth, and a host of festive voices. Continuing with the tradition of first Tinsel Tales program, this is another collection of the best and most requested holiday stories. Joy, hope, and childhood memories overflow as NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season.

Saturday, Dec. 25

12pm       Acoustic Café Holiday Special

WMRA’s Tina Owens will spin holiday favorites from the acoustic folk music world.  Join us to hear your favorite holiday music done acoustically.
 
3pm               Jonathan Winters' A Christmas Carol
Master comedian Jonathan Winters presents a distinctive reading of Dickens' holiday classic, with a special performing edition prepared by Dickens for his own presentations.

6pm            Blues Valley Holiday Special

Professah Blues will share holiday favorites from the blues music world.  Join us to hear your favorite holiday music done with the blues.

WEMC Holiday Schedule

Sunday, Dec. 12 (7pm), Tuesday, Dec. 14 (7pm), & Thursday, Dec. 16 (1pm):

Airplay: Selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker (hosted by Kimberlea Daggy)

Join WEMC’s Kimberlea Daggy as we celebrate the holiday season with selections from The Nutcracker.

Sunday, December 12 (8am), Wednesday December 15 (8pm)

Sing It! - A 20th Century English Christmas (Hosted by Kimberlea Daggy)

English choirs know how to do Christmas.  From the world-renowned Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, to the smallest church choir, there’s nothing like the sound of soaring Christmas carols in reverberant spaces.  This program explores some of the more recent additions to the Christmas carol pantheon, many of which have become as standard as We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 19 (7pm), Tuesday, Dec. 21 (7pm), Thursday, Dec. 28 (1pm)

Airplay: Local Holiday Favorites (Hosted by WEMC's Kimberlea Daggy)

Join WEMC’s Kimberlea Daggy for a program of holiday favorites performed by local classical music ensembles.

Sunday, December 19 (8am), Wednesday December 22 (8pm)

Sing It! – The Christmas Story through Carols Old & New (Hosted by Kimberlea Daggy)

This choral music show tells the Christmas story through a variety of carols.  They range from medieval music to carols written in the last few decades.  Each set focuses on a different part of the story, from the angels to Mary and the baby Jesus to the shepherds and how they spread their joyous message.

Monday, Dec. 20

7pm   Bob’s Record Shelf - The Christmas Program

Join WEMC’s Bob Satterwhite for 3 hours of Classical Christmas favorites.

Friday, Dec 24

9am  Welcome Christmas

The perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world’s premiere choral groups. An hour of traditional carols and new discoveries. 

10am  All Is Bright: Contemplative Music for Christmas

One hour of gorgeous, contemplative music related to the Christmas season and its symbolism. Hosted by Lynne Warfel.

11am A Chanticleer Christmas

This program of holiday music is presented live in concert by Chanticleer. Hear why this superb 12-man ensemble is known as "an orchestra of voices," as they perform holiday classics and new favorites, with choral commentary by host Brian Newhouse.

12pm Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir

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.

1pm St. Olaf Christmas Festival

A service in song and word that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations. The festival includes hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity and featuring more than 500 student musicians who are members of five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra.

3pm    Christmas with Madrigalia 2021

Christmas with Madrigalia celebrates the excitement and joy of the holiday season with traditional carols and anthems from the Medieval era through the 21st century.

4pm  Messiah 1742

A guided tour of how Handel's oratorio Messiah would have sounded at its 1742 premiere in Dublin

5pm  A Choral Christmas with Stile Antico

Celebrate Christmas with the sound of soaring voices. Stile Antico, the award-winning choir from London, pays a visit to St. Paul's Church on Harvard Square for a concert of radiant sacred music for the Christmas season by the most acclaimed composers of the renaissance. Hear the group's luminous blend of voices sing the intricately woven music of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. Hosted by Cathy Fuller of WGBH.

6pm  A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Hosted by Michael Barone, the 30-voice King's College Choir performs the legendary Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service of Biblical readings and music.

Saturday, Dec 25

Holiday favorites all day from Classical 24

Chris Boros is WMRA’s Program Director and local host from 10am-4pm Monday-Friday.
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