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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Saturday, March 29th, 2025 at 8:00pm, the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs Mozart’s stunning final work with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and a collection of sensational soloists.
WCRB IN CONCERT
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On WCRB In Concert with the Handel and Haydn Society, mystically beautiful works by Hildegard von Bingen and Raffaela Aleotti are framed by Haydn's Symphony No. 49 and Mozart's "Coronation" Mass.
THE BACH HOUR
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On The Bach Hour, Eric Milnes leads Montreal Baroque in music that looks to the future with hope, and Klaus and Rainer Feldmann bring Bach's keyboard music into the realm of guitar duo. -
The mandolin virtuoso talks with host Brian McCreath about the rich musical environment of his childhood, what led him to the mandolin, and the role Bach's music plays in his artistic life.
BLOG
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Figure skating is a sport with deep ties to classical music. Here's what you'll hear at this year's ISU World Figure Skating Championships, taking place in Boston, MA. -
Spring has sprung, and with it comes a riot of fiddle, a lo-fi re-imagining, and at least two GRAMMY Awards in the Instant Replay. -
If you've never made the trek to Symphony Hall, you're not alone. Join WCRB host Phil Jones on his first ever visit to hear the BSO, and get ready to make YOUR Symphony Hall debut!
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