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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Hilary Hahn and cellist Seth Parker Woods are the soloists in BSO Composer Chair Carlos Simon’s Double Concerto Suite, part of a program that includes selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” and “The Nutcracker.”
WCRB IN CONCERT
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On WCRB In Concert with Vivo Performing Arts, Egyptian Australian musicians Joseph and James Tawadros join the ACO for an exhilarating reimagining of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons."
THE BACH HOUR
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On The Bach Hour, Kristian Bezuidenhout is the harpsichordist in one of the masterpieces of the instrument, recorded in concert at the Boston Early Music Festival. -
The British pianist infuses Bach's Partita No. 4 with rhythmic verve and nuance, and Ton Koopman conducts the Cantata No. 96, on The Bach Hour.
BLOG
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A fall potpourri of rediscovered favorites, new releases, and futures unknown in September's Instant Replay. -
Before fighting for her people as the last sovereign of Hawaii, Queen Lili'uokalani was a musician and a composer. -
The fourth stop on a tour of America's natural wonders, through the music of composer Ferde Grofé.
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