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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Herbert Blomstedt, one of the masters of conducting for over seven decades, leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in symphonies by Schubert and Brahms.
WCRB IN CONCERT
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On WCRB In Concert with the Handel and Haydn Society, Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen leads the H+H Orchestra, Chorus, and a slate of spectacular soloists in a centuries-old Boston tradition.
THE BACH HOUR
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On the Bach Hour, angels bring shepherds through the night to a scene of peaceful warmth in the second of Bach's six-part narrative for the season, in a concert performance led by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. -
On The Bach Hour, the first of the composer's six-part narrative for the season expresses joy, doubt, and wonder in a concert performance led by Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
BLOG
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Retiring after nearly 30 years at Classical Radio Boston and GBH Music, Alan McLellan shares what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what he’s learned over his wide-ranging career. -
This month, we're sliding into the holiday season with love, longing, and no longer feeling alone. -
Ahead of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's performances of de Hartmann's Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell, Brian McCreath explores what makes this concerto so special on GBH News's Morning Edition.
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