The holidays are upon us. As you make your way to office parties, family gatherings and other associated year-end merriments, know that KBIA has planned a series of holiday specials for every faith persuasion (including 'None of the above'.)
As in year's past, we'll serve up the always-popular vocal celebration that is A Festival of Lessons and Carols on Christmas eve morning from Kings College in Cambridge. Also on tap are holiday specials for jazz fans, Baroque revelers and solstice celebrants.
The full schedule of KBIA's 2014 holiday programming is below unwrapped and ready to pass smoothly through security.
Weds., December 17
9:00 to 10:00 p.m: Advent Voices with Lynne Warfel. Advent is a time of quiet contemplation and waiting. It's waiting for darkness to become light and for hopes to be realized, and throughout the centuries it has been observed musically in sacred and secular ways. Advent Voices presents an hour of the most beautiful vocal music inspired by and written for Advent.
10:00 to 11:00p.m: A Baroque Christmas in the New World. In celebration of the holiday season, A Baroque Christmas in the New World brings music from 17th- and 18th-century Mexico, Peru and Bolivia, including a cantata and three free-standing works by Sumaya — most of which comes from the only surviving manuscript in full-score in Sumaya's own hand.
Thurs., December 18
9:00 to 10:00 p.m: Chanukah in Story and Song. A celebration by The Western Wind performing Ladino songs of Spanish Jews, Yiddish melodies of Eastern Europe and modern Israeli tunes. Leonard Nimoy hosts.
10:00 to 11:00p.m: Candle Burning Brightly. Join hosts Mindy Ratner and Bill Morelock for a one-hour celebration of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. There's plenty of music from Jewish communities around the world, plus an exploration of holiday traditions, and a special story reading by the incomparable Theodore Bikel.
Fri., December 19
9:00 to 10:00 p.m: Christmas with the Moorhouseand Spellman Glee Clubs. Choirs from two of the most prestigious historically black institutions in the nation - Morehouse and Spelman Colleges - get together to present a spine-tingling concert program. This encore presentation features the best works of the last several years. It's a joyous celebration of the schools' tradition of singing excellence, with their trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts.
10:00 to 11:00p.m: An AfroBlue Christmas. Join us for a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue, and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut. The acappela 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... music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. Hosted by NPR's Michele Norris.
Sat., December 20
10:00 to 11:00p.m: Jazz Piano Christmas XXX. Pianists Cyrus Chestnut, Kris Davis, Lynne Arriale and Harold Mabern take the stage to perform their favorite holiday songs. Hosted by Felix Contreras.
11:00p.m. to 3:00a.m: Christmas on Jazz After Hours. Jazz musicians have always had holiday fun re-interpeting classic Christmas songs and giving them a jazzy twist. This year, Jazz After Hours has pulled out the dusty box of Christmas jazz from among the ornaments and other decorations, and is planning a brand new 4 hour Christmas special.
Sun., December 21
7:00 to 8:00p.m: Celtic Connections holiday program features Christmas and seasonal music from the British and Irish Isles, Scandinavia, North America, and other traditions.
8:00 to 10:00p.m: Paul Winter Solstice Concert. Celebrate the return of the sun and the warming of the heart with Paul Winter's All New 34th Winter Solstice Celebration. On the darkest night of the year, we head back to New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine to hear The Paul Winter Consort and the glorious Cathedral Pipe Organ. The performance brings traditional holiday favorites and new sounds from around the world with special guests Ivan Lins and Renato Braz. Hosted by John Schaefer.
Mon., December 22
9:00 to 11:00 p.m: Concierto Christmas Special. Frank Dominguez hosts a special holiday edition of the national bi-lingual program that features music by Spanish and Latin American composers and performers presented in English and in Spanish. This edition features traditional Spanish language villancicos from 18th century Cuba, 19th century Uruguay, and 17th century Ecuador.
Tues., December 23
9:00 to 10:00p.m: Welcome Christmas. It's an hour of joyful holiday music featuring the Minneapolis-based chorus, VocalEssence, led by Philip Brunelle. This year's concert features a tribute to the late Dave Brubeck with his classical Christmas cantata La Fiesta de la Posada. Plus this year's winners of the annual carol contest with the American Composers Forum. Hosted by John Birge.
10:00 to 11:00p.m: Hanukah Lights. A perennial NPR favorite with brand new Hanukkah stories written by acclaimed authors Debra Ginsberg, Anne Burt, Simone Zelitch, Andrew Borowitz, and Theodore Bikel. Hear a wide variety of stories perfect for the holiday, inlcuding one that ends with the best last line for any Hanukkah show, "Love is the only miracle." Hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.
Weds., December 24
9:00a.m. to 11:00 a.m: A Festival of Nine Lessons andCarols. A live music and spoken-word broadcast from the chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England. The 30-voice King's College Choir performs the legendary Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service of Biblical readings and music. Hosted by Michael Barone.
9:00 to 11:00p.m: St. Olaf Christmas Festival. One of the nation's most cherished holiday celebrations originates at St. Olaf College in the tiny town of Northfield, Minnesota. More than 500 talented students perform hymns, carols, choral works and orchestral selections to celebrate the Nativity. Hosted by Alison Young.
Thurs., December 25
9:00 to 11:00p.m: The Messiah from the New York Philharmonic
Fri., December 26
9:00 to 10:00p.m: A Season's Griot. Hosted for nearly 20 years by acclaimed storyteller Madafo Lloyd Wilson, this annual special captures the tales and traditions of African American and African peoples. This year's program will celebrate Peace with special guests Pamela Reid, Joyce Grear and the show's poet laureate, Beverly Burnette.
10:00 to 11:00p.m: Jazz Piano Christmas XXX (rebroadcast).
Tues., December 31
11:00p.m. to 4:00a.m: Toast of the Nation from NPR. The New Year's tradition continues with jazz you can party to all night long. Toast of the Nation 2014/2015 travels to the Newport Jazz Festival, Winter Jazzfest, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. There are no live segments this year, but you'll still enjoy festive jazz sets with countdowns in three time zones. It's a nonstop celebration of musical fireworks that will keep you dancing and swinging all night long. Hosted by WBGO's Rhonda Hamilton.
Weds., January 1
10:00a.m. to noon: New Years Day from Vienna 2015. The Philharmonic presents its annual New Year's Day concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. Hear favorite waltzes, polkas and more. It's a festive way to start off the New Year.
Thurs., January 2
9:00 to 11:00p.m: New York Philharmonic winter holiday program features Mozart's Sleigh Ride, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1 (Winter Dreams), Serge Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 and more.
Happy holidays from all of us here at KBIA!
