WPSU-FM has plenty of holiday specials in store for you for Hanukkah, Chrsitmas & New Year's Eve. Here's a complete list. Happy Holidays!
Itzhak Perlman’s Hanukkah Radio Party - Thursday, December 19, 8:00 p.m.
Join the superstar violinist as he tells the story of the Jewish festival of lights, and shares his favorite recordings for the holiday. You’ll hear classical music and folk songs in Yiddish, Ladino and English -- some serious, some silly. And the master storyteller will bring you tales of three classic Hanukkah symbols: the menorah, the latke, and, of course, the dreidel.
Holiday Music from WPSU - Tuesday,December 24, 9:00 a.m.
An hour of eclectic holiday music: classical, folk, jazz and pop, from the WPSU music library.
A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols - Tuesday, December 24, 10:00 a.m. & 10:00 p.m.
An annual and beloved Christmas tradition, “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” is an extraordinary and memorable live service of word and music from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England. Join us on WPSU-FM to share in in a live, world-wide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols, and related seasonal music presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue.
Holiday Music from WPSU - Tuesday, December 24, 12:00 p.m.
An hour of eclectic holiday music: classical, folk, jazz and pop, from the WPSU music library.
Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square - Tuesday, December 24, 1:00 p.m.
The world-renowned Tabernacle Choir continues its tradition of great artistry this holiday season. Enjoy a warm, nostalgic holiday celebration featuring a choir of 360 voices, a 150-piece orchestra at Temple Square, the 32-member Bells on Temple Square, along with other artists and special guests.
Christmas with Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs - Tuesday, December 24, 2:00 p.m.
One of the great holiday traditions in America, the choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges -- two of the most prestigious historically black institutions in the nation -- get together to present a spine-tingling concert program. This encore presentation features the best works of the last several years. It's a joyous celebration of the schools' tradition of singing excellence, with their trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts.
Holiday Music from WPSU - Tuesday, December 24, 3:00 p.m.
An hour of eclectic holiday music: classical, folk, jazz and pop, from the WPSU music library.
Joy to the World: a Holiday in Pink - Tuesday, December 24, 6:00 p.m.
The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra" Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. From timeless classics to rarely heard gems, hear a multi-denominational, multi-cultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro.
The Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special - Tuesday, December 24, 7:00 p.m.
Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series from NPR Music, including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.
Holiday Music from WPSU - Tuesday, December 24, 8:00 p.m.
An hour of eclectic holiday music: classical, folk, jazz and pop, from the WPSU music library.
A Chanticleer Christmas - Tuesday, December 24, 9:00 p.m. & Wednesday, December 25, 10:00 a.m.
Celebrate the season with song! Brian Newhouse hosts this one-hour program of a cappella holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by Chanticleer, the superb 12-man choral ensemble known as "an orchestra of voices."
A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols - Tuesday, December 24, 10:00 p.m.
(A rebroadcast of this morning’s live program.) An annual and beloved Christmas tradition, “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” is an extraordinary and memorable live service of word and music from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England. Join us on WPSU-FM to share in in a live, world-wide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols, and related seasonal music presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue.
Holiday Music from WPSU - Tuesday, December 25, 9:00 a.m.
Enjoy an hour of eclectic holiday music: classical, folk, jazz and pop, from the WPSU music library.
A Chanticleer Christmas - Wednesday, December 25, 10:00 a.m.
Celebrate the season with song! Brian Newhouse hosts this one-hour program of a cappella holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by Chanticleer, the superb 12-man choral ensemble known as "an orchestra of voices."
A Central Pennsylvania Christmas - Wednesday December 25, 11:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Carols for the season, performed by artists from central Pennsylvania. You’ll hear traditional carols and new compositions; classical music, gospel, and folk. The performers include Penn State’s Essence of Joy; the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra (now known as the “Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra”); harpist Anne Sullivan, the Penn State Clarinet Choir and the State High Chamber Singers.
A Choral Christmas with Stile Antico - Wednesday, December 25, 12:00 p.m.
Celebrate Christmas with the sound of soaring voices. Stile Antico, the award-winning choir from London, pays a visit to St. Paul’s church on Harvard Square for a concert of radiant sacred music for the Christmas season by the most acclaimed composers of the renaissance. Hear the group’s luminous blend of voices sing the intricately woven music of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. Presented by NPR Music.
Holiday Music from WPSU - Tuesday, December 25, 1:00 p.m.
Enjoy an hour of eclectic holiday music: classical, folk, jazz and pop, from the WPSU music library.
All is Bright: Contemplative Music for Christmas - Wednesday, December 25, 2:00 p.m.
An hour of gorgeous, contemplative choral music that tells the traditional Christmas story with songs about angels, the star and the manger scene. Featured artists include Cantus, Chanticleer, Cambridge Singers, Bryn Terfel, Emma Kirkby, Jessye Norman, and a variety of choirs.
An Afro Blue Christmas NPR - Tuesday, December 24, 3:00 p.m.
Join us for a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut. Hear the a-cappela group perform a variety of holiday songs including African-American spirituals, jazz and pop tunes, and classical repertoire. The joyous celebration includes one-of-a-kind arrangements on traditional holiday songs plus new compositions…music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. Hosted by Michele Norris.
All Songs Considered for the Holidays: Bob And Robin's Holiday Cruise to Bermuda - Wednesday December 25, 6:00 p.m.
This year, NPR Music hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton decide to get away from it all with a holiday cruise to Bermuda. Along the way they meet a few special guests aboard the ship, including John Legend, Aloe Blacc, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, William Shatner, Lucius, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees and Rodney Crowell, who all try to share their own good cheer for the holidays. But nature inevitably runs its course and the gang finds itself stuck in the swirling vortex of the mystical Bermuda Triangle, desperate for some sort of passage back home. It all unfolds like a bad high school play in this regular, seasonal spoof from NPR Music.
A Central Pennsylvania Christmas - Wednesday December 25, 7:00 p.m.
Carols for the season, performed by artists from central Pennsylvania. You’ll hear traditional carols and new compositions; classical music, gospel, and folk. The performers include Penn State’s Essence of Joy; the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra (now known as the “Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra”); harpist Anne Sullivan, the Penn State Clarinet Choir and the State High Chamber Singers.
IndyBaroque: Handel’s Messiah - Wednesday December 25, 8:00 p.m.
The complete oratorio, “Messiah,” by George Friederich Handel is performed by the soloists, chorus and orchestra of IndyBaroque.
An Elizabethan Christmas with the Rose Ensemble - Wednesday, December 25, 11:00 p.m.
Grand candlelit halls, lavish feasts, and stately dances. Escape to the regal elegance of the Elizabethan era. Hear medieval carols, and motets and anthems for Christmas by the beloved English Renaissance composers, Robert Parsons, William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons, accompanied by lute and viola da gamba. In a couple of pieces, The Rose Ensemble is joined by special guests Voces8, the vibrant young a capella group from London, for a glorious soaring sound.
Hanukkah Lights 2019 - Thursday, December 26, 8:00 p.m.
The NPR holiday favorite returns with all new Hanukkah stories. Hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz
Capitol Steps New Year’s Eve Special - Tuesday, December 31, 7:00 p.m.
The legendary musical political satire troupe puts the “mock” in “Democracy” once again, in their annual New Year’s Eve special.
NPR’s Toast of the Nation - Tuesday, December 31, 8:00 p.m.
An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It's festive jazz you can party to, all night long. This year we are featuring some of the best jazz collectives playing today. We'll hear the Baltimore Collective recorded live at The Keystone Korner, The Michael Leonhart Orchestra at The Jazz Standard, The SFJAZZ Collective in San Francisco and The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra in New York City
