Thursday,
November 24
Thanksgiving
Day
9
a.m. – 10 a.m.:
OVER
THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS 2005 WITH GARRISON KEILLOR
A
one-hour Thanksgiving special of music and spoken-word featuring Garrison
Keillor, the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, and the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers
recorded live in concert at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, November 2004.
10
a.m. – 12 noon:
A
FEAST FOR THE EARS 2005
A
Feast for the Ears 2005 is a thoughtful mix of orchestral, chamber, and vocal
music. While a variety of melodies from
America
and
Europe
are brought to the table, host Mark Perzel presents tuneful works from a number
of notable Americans. Although music is the focus of this two-hour special, the
host weaves the selections together with non-intrusive historical tidbits about
the national holiday and other seasonal tales. The program includes excerpts
from a popular interview with Aaron Copland and presents composer Rick Sowash
reading passages from the works of Willa Cather and sharing his thoughts about
the Thanksgiving holiday.
Monday,
December 12
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
CHRISTMAS
WITH MOREHOUSE AND SPELMAN GLEE CLUBS
One
of the great holiday traditions in America, the choirs of Morehouse and Spelman
Colleges -- two of the most prestigious historically black institutions in the
nation -- get together to present a spine-tingling concert program. It's a
joyous celebration of the schools' tradition of singing excellence, with their
trademark mixture of spirituals, carols, and sacred texts. Korva Coleman hosts.
9
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
THE
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Jim
Cunningham hosts this program that showcases the acclaimed Pittsburgh Symphony
Brass. The Spirit of Christmas features newly recorded selections by and
interviews with the members of Pittsburgh Symphony Brass. They share their
favorite holiday memories and candidly discuss their goal of matching the
glorious sound of the
Columbia
recordings made throughout the 1960s by the brass sections of the
Chicago,
New York, and
Cleveland
orchestras.
Tuesday,
December 13
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
CHRISTMAS
WITH DALE WARLAND 2005
Dale
Warland, the famed music director of one of the world's great choirs, the Dale
Warland Singers, hosts a one-hour celebration of Christmas choral music new and
old. Drawing from his own deep library of choral recordings as well as that of
American Public Media, Dale focuses on familiar and treasured pieces but also
on attractive and accessible surprises—perfect for Christmas listening.
9
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
CAROLS
FOR DANCING
People
today usually think of carols as songs performed by choirs or celebrity
vocalists during the Christmas season. But originally, carols sprang up as
festive dance songs for a variety of holidays and seasons. Lauda, villancicos,
noels, and carols, all medieval dance song forms, became linked with innovative
celebrations of Christmas and then flowered during the Renaissance. Carols for
Dancing explores the intimate connection between song and dance in this rich
heritage of holiday music.
Wednesday,
December 14
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY, SPIKE JONES
Not
strictly a holiday special, but why not celebrate? Spike Jones was born on
December 14, 1911. He rocketed to worldwide fame in the 1940's with his
highly-polished parodies that used the best musicians, along with car horns,
razzers, cowbells, sirens, guns and more. Happy Birthday Spike Jones celebrates
his birthday with his music, along with interviews with Spike Jones, Junior,
Dr. Demento, Jordan Young, and James Cassidy (the Music Director of the
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, also featured).
It's suitable for long-time fans, as well as people who have never heard of the
man who influenced such notables as Weird Al Yankovic and Dr. Demento.
9
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
BACH'S
CHRISTMAS ORATORIO FROM DEUTSCHE WELLE
Bach's
Christmas Oratorio presents one of his most beloved works performed by the
famed Windsbacher Boy Choir under the direction of Karl-Friedrich Beringer.
This oratorio was first heard in its entirety at
Leipzig's
St. Thomas
Church
in 1734. The narrative opens with the Nativity as told in the book
of Matthew. Bach artfully shaped the biblical text, selecting the passages in
such a way that the age-old story unfolds linearly and logically, which allows
the drama to build to its hopeful and comforting end.
Thursday,
December 15
8
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
ST.
OLAF
COLLEGE
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL 2005
One
of the nation's most cherished holiday celebrations, the St. Olaf Christmas
Festival is a service in song and word featuring more than 500 student
musicians. Hosted by Brian Newhouse, the broadcast includes hymns, carols,
choral works and orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity.
Friday,
December 16
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
JAZZ
PIANO CHRISTMAS 16 - IN CONCERT AT THE
KENNEDY
CENTER
NPR
is back onstage at the
John
F.
Kennedy
Center
for the Performing Arts for another LIVE incarnation of one of our most popular
programs -- established keyboard veterans mixing with promising newcomers to
offer original and unique jazz interpretations of holiday favorites. And
there's always a surprise or two along the way! Veteran jazz writer and
producer A.B. Spellman hosts the 2006 edition, which features
New Orleans
jazz legend Allen Toussaint, "Long Tall" Marcia Ball, Hilton Ruiz, and many
more.
9
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
WYNTON
MARSALIS AND FRIENDS’ RED HOT
HOLIDAY
STOMP
Jazz
at Lincoln Center Radio with Ed Bradley presents - A New Orleans style holiday
bash with Wynton Marsalis and friends with Spanish tinged marches, blues and
ragtime to spice up the holiday tradition. Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio,
artistic director Wynton Marsalis and host Ed Bradley are ready to celebrate
the holidays with this very special concert! Please join us!
Saturday,
December 17
4
p.m. – 5 p.m.
THE
12 DISCS OF CHRISTMAS 2005
From
box sets to big name artists, the holidays are always filled with new music.
This one-hour special spotlights rock, hip-hop and roots music picks from some
of the nation's top critics.
Monday,
December 19
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
VALPARAISO
UNIVERSITY
CHRISTMAS
CONCERT
The
Valparaiso University Chorale, Chamber Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra, as
individual ensembles and combined, invite you to their annual Christmas
Concert. The concert include works by some of the world’s greatest
composers, including Vivaldi’s Gloria and selections from Tchaikovsky’s
Nutcracker Suite, as well as more recent works, such as Arvo Part’s Magnificat,
Celebrations by Zdechlik and Hodie by Ralph Vaughn Williams.
9
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
CHRISTMAS
WITH THE
PHILADELPHIA
SINGERS 2005
This
year, the famed ensemble celebrates Christmas on
Logan Square
with a program of 20th-century music. Host Ed Cunningham shares
seasonal sounds from contemporary composers, including William Bolcom and
Jennifer Higdon, along with carols from the first half of the century by
Charles Ives and others. The hour-long concert is made complete by the choir's
delightful arrangements of traditional hymns and carols.
Tuesday,
December 20
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
CAROLS
FOR CHRISTMAS 2005
Bill
McGlaughlin brings one of
Boston
's most loved Christmas celebrations to the entire nation in Carols
for Christmas 2005 with the Handel and Haydn Society. This year, there's even
more to delight listeners. The Handel and Haydn Society's music director is
Welsh conductor Grant Llewelyn. He expands his role for this year's program by
reading portions of Dylan Thomas' "Child's Christmas in
Wales
." Llewelyn's lilting southern Welsh accent enlivens
Thomas' delightful poetry.
9
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
WELCOME
CHRISTMAS! 2005
A
perennial broadcast favorite, Welcome Christmas! features the Minneapolis-based
ensemble, VocalEssence, one of
America
's premier choral arts organizations. This year's holiday
offering is an all-American program that includes works by Undine Smith Moore,
R. Nathaniel Dett, Morton Lauridsen and Stephen Paulus.
Wednesday,
December 21
First
Day of Winter
8
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
CHRISTMAS
FROM
WASHINGTON
with THE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY
We
invite you to celebrate this holiday season as The Choral Arts Society of
Washington, D.C. present Christmas From Washington, a delightful two-hour
program mix of familiar carols and arrangements from around the world, also
featuring a special presentation of Navidad Nuestra by Ariel Ramirez. Recorded
live at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosted by Martin
Goldsmith, Program Director.
Thursday,
December 22
8
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
THE
CHRISTMAS REVELS:
A
CELEBRATION OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE 2005
Hosted
by Elaine Kennedy, The Christmas Revels: A Celebration of the Winter Solstice
2005 is an all-new compilation of wonderfully diverse music: carols, rounds,
hymns, pub songs, music-hall numbers, madrigals and motets, children's singing
games, wassails and folk, social and ritual dance tunes. All were selected from
eight of the live 2004 Christmas Revels performances that took place around the
country.
Friday,
December 23
8
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
PAUL
WINTER'S SILVER SOLSTICE CONCERT
From
the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in
New York City
, the 25th-anniversary broadcast of a public radio tradition: Paul
Winter's unique exploration of the solstice tradition in cultures near and far.
The Paul Winter Consort is joined by musicians from
Russia,
Ireland, and
Zimbabwe
, including special guests The Dmitri Pokfrovsky Ensemble,
piper Davey Spillane, gospel singer Teresa Thomason, and mbira wizard Chris
Berry. Our host is John Schaefer.
Saturday,
December 24
Christmas
Eve
8:30
a.m. – 10:00 a.m.:
A
FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS 2005
The
sound of one, pure, solitary child’s voice rings out each Christmas Eve at the
Chapel of King’s College in
Cambridge
. It heralds the beginning and the continuation of over 95 years of
heartfelt tradition known as The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Northwest
Public Radio is pleased to continue to offer this tradition.
The
service begins as it has since 1918, with a boy soprano singing the opening
line to “Once in Royal David’s City.” It has grown into a symbol that signals
it’s time, after all of the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holiday, to
settle down to the true meaning of Christmas and to focus on family traditions.
10:00
a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
SOLSTICE
DREAMS: ENSEMBLE GALILEI AND NEAL CONAN
Evocative
music of the season, performed by public radio favorites Ensemble Galilei,
interspersed with poignant poems of the season read by NPR's Neal Conan,
"....music that speaks to the heart in ways that transcend mere language." The
celtic/early music crossover ensemble (and favorites of public radio audiences)
blends their music with texts from Ogden Nash, Li Young Lee, Mary Oliver and
Jim Harrison. Ensemble Galilei performs Irish, Scottish, Early and Original
music on a variety of ancient and modern instruments, including the Celtic
harp, Scottish small pipes, gamba, fiddle, recorders, whistles and percussion.
11
a.m. – 2 p.m.:
THE
INLAND FOLK CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WITH DAN MAHER
Once
again
Dan Maher
brings you the best in holiday folk music from his library. He brings out old
favorites and new surprises this year to add to a Northwest Public Radio
Christmas tradition.
4
p.m. – 5 p.m.:
A
SOGGY BOTTOM CHRISTMAS - LIVE AT THE WORLD CAFE
Taking
off on the Coen Brothers' mythical trio The Soggy Bottom Boys in O Brother Art
Thou, NPR and WXPN team up for a very special "roots Christmas" stage show of
new takes on holiday classics, as well as new contributions to the holiday
tradition. David Dye hosts this one-hour program of roots, blues,
Americana, and other contemporary music artists
providing some old-fashioned Christmas cheer -- recorded onstage at the World
Cafe Live in
Philadelphia
. Guest artists include, Raul Midon, Jonatha Brooke, and the Old
Crow Medicine Show.
Sunday,
December 25
Christmas
Day
10
a.m. – 11 a.m.:
A
CHANTICLEER CHRISTMAS
From
the acoustic excellence of St. Vincent's Church in
Petaluma,
California, inspiring sounds of the season from one of the world's finest choral
ensembles... the twelve men of Chanticleer, led by Joseph Jennings. Its an hour
of music from the renaissance to spirituals, all performed with impeccable
taste and captivating style. One of NPR's most popular holiday specials. Hosted
by Fred Child.
11
.a.m. – Noon:
GLORIA!
Until
recently, few understood that Vivaldi’s Gloria! was not composed for mixed
choir, but for women's voices and orchestra alone. Vivaldi worked at a
cloistered convent in
Venice
that was also an orphanage, one that excelled in music. Gloria is
one of the works he composed for the beautiful voices and instrumental talents
that the orphanage harbored. The Girls' Choir of Trondheim Cathedral performs
with the Norwegian Baroque Orchestra and a world-class line up of soloists and
baroque instrumentalists. Gloria! also features a spectacular concerto for
trumpet and oboe.
Monday,
December 26
First
Day of Kwanzaa
Hanukkah
Begins at Sundown
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
A
GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED THERE
A
conversation between Rabbi Ismar Schorsch and Larry Josephson about how
Hanukkah became “the Jewish Christmas”. They discuss the story of a civil war
between secular Jews, who identified with their Greek rulers and a group of
zealots, the Maccabees. The “miracle of the oil” occurs at the end of the
story. It is not the main story. Few secular Jews are aware of that. This
program is mixed with beautiful music of the holiday, chosen by Cantor Marcia
Tilchin.
9
p.m. – 10 p.m.:
A
SEASON'S GRIOT 2005:
There
are few things more satisfying than a good story, and Madafo Lloyd Wilson has
great stories to share. The charismatic host returns with A Season's Griot
2005, an annual program of African and African American folklore and song. This
year's special guest is Charlotte Blake Alston, internationally renowned
storyteller. Together, they weave tales of adventure, laughter, love, heroism,
and more. Each story is rooted in the lands of
West Africa, surviving because they were
shared and treasured by slave and statesman, young and old, poor and
prosperous.
Tuesday,
December 27
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.
CHANUKAH
FROM ONE PEOPLE, MANY STORIES
Hosted
by Jerry Stiller, "Chanukah" offers a wonderful array of Chanukah stories from
around the globe. Actor Bill Pullman reads "The Christmas Menorahs," a story
based on an incident that occurred in
Billings
. Doris Roberts (from Everybody Loves Raymond) reads a heartwarming
story from Egypt about a poor but brave mother whose kindness to a stranger
brings happiness, hope, and joy to her children on Chanukah. Comedian Elayne
Boosler reads the charming classic tale, "Hershel and the Hannukah Goblins."
When goblins threaten the lighting of the Chanukah menorah, the bumbling
Hershel outwits them and brings light to the fearful town.
Wednesday,
December 28
8
p.m. – 9 p.m.:
CHANUKAH
LIGHTS 2005
This
is a perennial NPR favorite, now in its second decade. Four authors explore
Hanukkah traditions in original stories. Chanukah Lights is hosted by Murray
Horwitz and Susan Stamberg.
Saturday,
December 31
New
Year’s Eve
9
a.m. – 10 a.m.:
THE
CAPITOL STEPS NEW YEAR: POLITICS
TAKES A
HOLIDAY!
From
the ridiculous to the even more ridiculous, all the events of 2005 are covered
in one fell swoop. Expect general
ridiculousness.
7
p.m. – 8 p.m.:
WYNTON
MARSALIS AND FRIENDS’ RED HOT
HOLIDAY
STOMP
Jazz
at Lincoln Center Radio with Ed Bradley presents - A New Orleans style holiday
bash with Wynton Marsalis and friends with Spanish tinged marches, blues and
ragtime to spice up the holiday tradition. Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio,
artistic director Wynton Marsalis and host Ed Bradley are ready to celebrate
the holidays with this very special concert! Please join us!
8
p.m. – 11 p.m.:
JAZZ
WITH TONY MOWOD
Tonight
Tony will serenade you as you celebrate. Tony's ongoing love affair with jazz
music is rekindled on this night as he reminds listeners to "...keep a bit of
love in your heart, and a taste of jazz in your soul." Not a bad New Year’s
resolution.
11
p.m. – 2 a.m.:
NEW
YEAR'S EVE LIVE FROM THE FITZGERALD THEATER WITH GARRISON KEILLOR
Ring
in the New Year with Garrison Keillor and favorites from A Prairie Home
Companion. This three hour live broadcast includes musical guests The Guy's All
Star Shoe Band, along with Andy Stein, Jearlyn Steele, Duke Heitger, Howard
Levy, Butch Thompson, Prudence Johnson, and poet Billy Collins.
Sunday,
January 1, 2006
10
a.m. – Noon:
NEW
YEAR'S DAY FROM VIENNA 2006
Northwest
Public Radio visits the legendary music capital of
Vienna
for its annual New Year's Day celebration with the renowned Vienna
Philharmonic. Each year the celebratory concert, dominated by the works of
Johann Strauss Jr., is held on January 1, but the concert that is credited with
initiating this annual tradition was actually held on December 31, 1939 with
Clemens Krauss as conductor, while
Austria
was under German occupation. Nineteen forty-one marked the first year that the
concert was performed on New Year's Day, and it came to be identified as the
"New Year's Concert" in 1946. Television viewers in the
United
States
have been able to enjoy the Viennese festivities since 1985, when they were
first broadcast on PBS. Korva Coleman hosts this program.