Good morning!
This weekend, I was on a video call with my family, who asked, "What time does the sun set today?"
"Probably 4:30," I said, and then checked my weather app, only to discover that the sun would actually set at 4:12pm. This is the part of winter I like the least — each day a little darker than the one that came before. It's no wonder, then, that so many of our winter holidays are celebrations of light. It's even less of a wonder that those celebrations, lit by flickering candles or brightly-colored bulbs, are also times of gathering and community, and most importantly for this newsletter, of song.
So many of my glowing holiday memories center around music: caroling parties, with friends and family crowded around a piano; outings to the Holiday Pops, or to A Christmas Celtic Sojourn; evenings curled up at home with a good book and a mug of something warm, a Nat King Cole CD playing in the other room. In these dark and cold midwinter days, music keeps us warm — or, at risk of sounding corny as all get-out, at least it warms our hearts.
With that in mind, it's high time to turn on some holiday tunes! You can find all of our holiday music programming here, including our three 24/7 holiday music streams: Heavenly Holiday Classics, Perfect Holiday Party Soundtrack, and Ultimate Holiday Classical Mix. A neat trick: you can play the holiday streams on your smart speaker, too! Here's how.
What else is happening at CRB? Read on!
EVENTS
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
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Enjoy a medley of performances from the first half of the 2025 Tanglewood Music Center season, including a breathtaking performance by star pianist Yuja Wang.
WCRB IN CONCERT
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On WCRB In Concert with Rockport Music, the "Terras" share stories of love and passion through lush chamber music by Strauss, Webern, Mendelssohn, and Zemlinsky.
THE BACH HOUR
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On The Bach Hour, a masterpiece, ignored when it was new, reveals a revolutionary spirit in a vivid performance by harpsichordist John Butt and the Dunedin Consort in Scotland. -
On The Bach Hour, the renowned harpsichordist and conductor draws on decades of interpretive experience to conduct Bach's Partita No. 5, re-imagined for chamber orchestra.
BLOG
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Just like summer roller coasters, we've got music to take you from your feel-good morning groove to wild abandon, and everything in between. -
The former Boston Symphony violist and current Director of the TMC describes the growing strengths of the legendary summer academy in the Berkshires and its most significant challenges and opportunities. -
Mickey and pals bring music to Mother Nature, and spark an animation revolution.
ONE LAST THING
The Note is always free, but this week, it's even freer — we're sharing it online so you can share it with your friends! If you've read this far, first of all, thank you; second of all, share this link on social media so your friends know they can subscribe here.
Have a great week! I'll talk to you soon.
Kendall Todd