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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In an encore broadcast, Andris Nelsons leads the Boston Symphony in the Air from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, the Adagio from Mahler’s Symphony No. 10, and two iconic works by Felix Mendelssohn. Soloist María Dueñas features in the Violin Concerto, and the concert concludes with Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.
WCRB IN CONCERT
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On WCRB In Concert with Rockport Music, Earl Lee leads the Rockport Chamber Festival Orchestra and the GRAMMY Award-winning Parker Quartet in Copland's Appalachian Spring, last performed on the Shalin Liu stage on the performance center's opening night in 2010.
THE BACH HOUR
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On The Bach Hour, Masaaki Suzuki conducts a joyfully expressive cantata written for the dedication of a pipe organ in a small German village, and William Porter performs on that very instrument. -
On The Bach Hour, the solidity and expression of one hymn tune is the foundation of works for solo violin and pipe organ, as well as the Cantata No. 172, performed by Amsterdam Baroque and director Ton Koopman.
BLOG
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An earworm, some hype, a buttery-smooth cover, and more, in April's Instant Replay. -
In its 2026-2027 concert season, the newly rebranded Vivo Performing Arts offers Massachusetts audiences over 80 classical music, jazz, and dance performances, while also presenting innovative and genre-defying acts and introducing new local initiatives in Roxbury and beyond.
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