Saturday, December 12
Song Travels: Home for the Holidays (NPR) Join Michael Feinstein for an hour of yuletide cheer and music. This edition of Song Travels journeys from Hollywood’s vintage silver screen to New York City’s iconic Birdland club. (no news comp/Dec 1) 59:00. Part of KSKA Night Music. 8:00 p.m.
Monday, December 14
Candles Burning Brightly Encore 2014 (APM) An encore presentation of our 2014 program. 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. 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, December 15
Reveal – December episode. 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 20
The Christmas Revels: In Celebration of the Winter Solstice 2015 (PRI) A two-hour musical celebration of the winter holidays – Christmas, the Solstice, New Year’s, and Twelfth Night – featuring traditional carols, anthems, hymns, motets, wassails, spirituals, children’s game-songs, and folk dance tunes excerpted from live Christmas Revels productions presented around the country. 2:00 p.m.
Festivo Alt.Latino With Gaby Moreno & Friends (NPR) Alt.Latino continues its homegrown tradition of celebrating the holidays in song with a special show featuring songwriter/performer Gaby Moreno and her band performing tracks from her popular 2014 album Posada. 7:00 p.m.
Monday, December 21 – Winter solstice
New! Paul Winter’s 35th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration (NPR) Celebrate the Return of the Sun – and the Warming of the Earth with an exuberant Feast of Sound captured live in the majestic Cathedral of St. John the Divine. 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, December 22
Talk of Alaska (APRN) a two-hour holiday favorite with greetings from across the state. Hosted by Steve Heimel . 10:00 a.m. Repeating at 8:00 p.m.
Arctic Entries – Going Home: Stories of Traditions, Reunions, and Rivalries 2:00 p.m.
Tinsel Tales 3 (NPR) In keeping with a well-loved NPR holiday tradition, hear the third collection of extraordinary Christmas stories that will transport you to unexpected places. 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 23
A Christmas Celtic Sojourn 2015 (PRI) Direct from the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, a Celtic celebration of the season, with top-flight traditional singers and instrumentalists, and a story or two from host Brian O’Donovan. 2:00 p.m.
Morehouse/Spelman (NPR) 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. 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. 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 24
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (APM) Hosted by Michael Barone, this is a live service of spoken-word and music (choral and organ) 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.) 9:00 a.m.
A Chanticleer Christmas (APM) A one-hour program of holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by the superb 12-man ensemble known as “an orchestra of voices.” 11:00 a.m.
Christmas Music and Memories (PRX) Whether it’s a traditional hymn or a holiday song from our childhood, many people say Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the music that marks this season. The sense of joy, comfort, or spiritual uplift comes in all kinds of music at this time of year. From a Charlie Brown Christmas to Donny Hathaway and carols from the 15th century, author Inman Majors, musician Hermine Pinson, and Rob Vaughn share their favorite holiday music and memories. 1:30 p.m.
Welcome Christmas (APM) The perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world’s premiere choral groups, led by Philip Brunelle. Join host John Birge for an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries.
Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs (NPR) 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. This encore presentation features the best works of the last several years. It’s a joyous celebration of the school’s tradition of singing excellence, with their trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts. 3:00 p.m.
Joy To The World – A Holiday in Pink (NPR) – The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra” Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. 7:00 p.m.
A Christmas Carol Jonathan Winters’ A Christmas Carol (NPR)- An updated version of a public radio tradition hosted by NPR’s Susan Stamberg. Master comedian Jonathan Winters presents a distinctive reading of Dickens’ holiday classic, with a special performing edition prepared by Dickens for his own presentations. 8:00 p.m.
Tinsel Tales 3: (NPR) In keeping with a well-loved NPR holiday tradition, hear the third collection of extraordinary Christmas stories that will transport you to unexpected places. 9:00 p.m.
A Christmas Celtic Sojourn 2015 (PRI) Direct from the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, a Celtic celebration of the season, with top-flight traditional singers and instrumentalists, and a story or two from host Brian O’Donovan. 10:00 p.m.
Friday, December 25
St. Olaf’s Christmas (APM) A service in song and word that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations. Tickets to the event – which takes place at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN – are always gone months in advance. The festival includes hymns, carols, choral works, as well as orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity and featuring more than 500 student musicians in five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra. 8:00 a.m.
Messiah with the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra 2015 (PRI) Handel’s much adored oratorio, Messiah, returns to Heinz Hall! Led by Music Director Manfred Honeck and featuring a cast of guest vocalists and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, this work is a religious story of hope, inspiration and timeless expression. 10:00 a.m.
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (APM) Hosted by Michael Barone, this is a live service of spoken-word and music (choral and organ) 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. 1:00 p.m.
A Chanticleer Christmas (APM) A one-hour program of holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by the superb 12-man ensemble known as “an orchestra of voices.” 3:00 p.m.
Concierto Christmas Special (PRI) 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. 6:00 p.m.
Caroling with the Singers (APM) invites you to a Christmas Carol sing-along! The Minneapolis-based ensemble The Singers – Minnesota Choral Artists present a program of Christmas favorites. Your listeners can sing-along wherever they may be – at home, at work (if they can get away with it), in their cars; or, at a Christmas Caroling party. 8:00 p.m.
Joy To The World – A Holiday in Pink (NPR) The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra” Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. 9:00 p.m.
Song Travels – Home for the Holidays (NPR) Join Michael Feinstein for an hour of yuletide cheer and music. This edition ofSong Travels journeys from Hollywood’s vintage silver screen to New York City’s iconic Birdland club. The Michael Feinstein Big Band performs selections from the classic movie White Christmas, and Feinstein shares rare recordings from some of his favorite performers. 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 31
A Season’s Griot 2015 (PRI) This one-hour celebration in story and song is public radio’s only nationally syndicated Kwanzaa program. 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. 2:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
New! Toast of the Nation 2015/2016 UPDATED! An NPR tradition every New Year’s Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It’s jazz that you can party to, all night long with countdowns to midnight in all four continental time zones. Spirited, improvised, grooving and swinging, each segment is a stop in a sequence of celebrations, contributing something new to the musical feast. 9:00 p.m.
