Wyoming Public Media 2023 Holiday Specials
(all programs subject to change)
Thursday, Dec. 7, 8 pm – Candles Burning Brightly - A delightful hour for everyone to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights! Lots of music from Jewish communities around the world, plus a hilarious lesson on how to prepare a classic Chanukah dish and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home.
Monday, Dec. 11, 8 pm - Itzhak Perlman: Chanukah Radio Party - Join the superstar violinist as he tells the story of the Jewish festival of lights and shares his favorite recordings for the holiday – some serious, some silly. The master storyteller also regales you with jokes and memories, plus tales of three classic Chanukah symbols: the menorah, the latke, and, of course, the dreidel.
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 8 pm - Carols as Home with the Imani Winds - features a modern take on classic Christmas carols, hosted by Imani Winds founding oboist, Toyin Spellman-Diaz. Toyin coaxes intimate stories of Christmas memories from the members of the ensemble, and why these classic carols are still essential today.
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 8 pm - Anticipation and Celebration: Advent with the Montserrat Boy Choir Perched atop the mountains near Barcelona, the choir of the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat is one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious boy choirs. For the first time in their 800-year history, the choir made its Midwest premiere. Bringing with them a message of peace, the choristers will use music to transcend borders and speak directly to your heart.
Thursday, Dec. 21, 8 pm - Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra - Holiday Magic featuring Guest Conductor, Scott O’Neil. Highlights include local tenor soloist, Joshua Cooper, making his debut with the CSO for two-holiday classics with the Cheyenne Chamber Singers; plus, he’ll join the CSO for a rendition of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The All-City Children’s Chorus will take to the stage with some beautiful Christmas and Hanukah selections.
10 pm – In Winters Glow - A winter solstice program, with modern classical sounds for the longest night of the year, chosen especially to compliment the chilly, starry nights of the season.
Friday, Dec 22, 3 pm – Open Spaces- Stories of winter and holiday traditions in Wyoming.
3 pm 7 pm - A Chanticleer Christmas - This program of holiday favorites, new and old, will be presented live in concert by Chanticleer, the superb 12-man ensemble known as "an orchestra of voices." Chanticleer is one of the premiere vocal ensembles in the nation. The ensemble has won two Grammys and is a member of the American Classical Music Hall of Fame. 8 pm Your Classical Christmas Favorites - Join us this holiday season as we count down the top Christmas songs as voted by you in a two-hour special.
Saturday, Dec 23rd
11 am – Buffalo Grass Christmas Show - Join Kelli Trujillo for the best in bluegrass and folk music for the holidays.
6 pm - Retro Cocktail Hour Christmas Show - Two hours of finger-snapping, hip-shaking sounds for the holidays. Hang the mistletoe and spike the egg nog - you're in Yulesville, baby!
8 pm – 12 am Holiday Jazz selections from Jazz Wyoming.
Sunday, December 24
12 pm (Noon) Open Spaces- Stories of winter and holiday traditions in Wyoming.
6 pm Santa’s Greatest Hits-Steve Jencks hosts this trip down Memory Lane featuring Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, Eartha Kitt, Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Stan Kenton, Peggy Lee, Jo Stafford, Bob Dylan, Dinah Washington, Louis Prima, Mel Torme, Mitch Miller, Tex Beneke, June Christy, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Included is a brief history of Santa Claus.
7 pm All is Bright- Host Lynne Warfel offers an hour of gorgeous, contemplative choral music that tells the traditional Christmas story with songs about angels, the star, and the manger scene.
8 pm Thistle & Shamrock Presents A Celtic Holiday Tradition-Festive songs, Christmas carols, and wintertime verses conjure the magical spirit of the season. As communities come together to mark the midwinter festivals, Fiona Ritchie debuts a community reading of her new poem: the Old Oak Tree.
9 pm – 12 am Holiday Jazz selections from Jazz Wyoming.
Monday, Dec 25th
9 am- Welcome Christmas is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world’s premiere choral groups, conducted by Philip Brunelle. This program presents an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries, including the world premiere of two carols from the annual Christmas Carol Contest.
6 am All Is Bright Host Lynne Warfel offers an hour of gorgeous, contemplative choral music that tells the traditional Christmas story with songs about angels, the star, and the manger scene.
10 am – 12 pm Holiday Harmony & Rhythm - Americana and tinsel tunes for a way cool yule with Wyoming Sounds host Grady Kirkpatrick
Classical Wyoming
December 23 – December 25 - Classical 24 Holiday Music
December 24, 8 am-10 am A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - It’s the annual worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols, and related seasonal Classical music. This special will be presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the 500-year-old Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England.
December 25, 9 am-11 am - St. Olaf Christmas Festival - The program includes sacred choral and instrumental music from many traditions: beloved hymns, classical masterworks, folk songs from around the world, and African-American spirituals. 11 am-1 pm Your Classical Christmas Favorites - Join us this holiday season as we count down the top Christmas songs as voted by listeners in a two-hour special.
Tuesday, Dec 26, 10 am – 12 pm 2023 Remembered from the Current honoring the life, music, and legacy of artists we lost this year. This two-hour musical tribute is a celebration of all sounds - from indie to influential - and the perfect way for music lovers to unite in paying homage to the artists who have shaped music history.
Friday, Dec 29, 3 pm/Sunday, Dec 31, 12 pm - Get Your Money Life in Order From Marketplace, listen as host Reema Khrais helps listeners get their financial life together in time for the new year. She’ll unpack some practical tips, share a personal money story that is sure to captivate and interview a financial therapist to get some useful tips for understanding our relationships with money. This hour will make listeners laugh, gasp, and think about money in a whole new way.
Classical Wyoming
Jan 1- 10 am -12 pm The Minnesota Orchestra New Year’s Celebration The program opens with Bernstein’s animated Overture to Candide. Awadagin Pratt performs the Minnesota premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Rounds for Piano and Orchestra, a work written for him. A New Year’s celebration wouldn’t be complete without adventure and passion, and the Orchestra brings that in multitudes in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s beloved Scheherazade.
