2007 Holiday Programs

Producer Tom Collins and performer Rick Ludwin review the original script of the 1967 WMUB student production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, rebroadcast on December 25th.

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WMUB has a bumper crop of specials for your enjoyment this holiday season, headlined by a re-broadcast of a classic Miami student production from the 1960's. Here they are:

Monday, December 17

Christmas with Morehouse & Spellman, 11 pm
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 year's program 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.

Tuesday, December 18

Jazz Piano Christmas XVII, 11 pm
This encore offering of a concert from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts features performances from New Orleans keyboard legend Allen Toussaint, Cedar Walton, Eric Reed, Jovino Santos Neto, Nancy King, and 2006 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition award winner Tigran Hamasyan. Felix Contreas hosts.

Wednesday, December 19

Jazz Piano Christmas XVIII, 11 pm
NPR is onstage again at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for another LIVE incarnation of one of our most popular programs, mixing established jazz stars with promising newcomers to offer original and unique jazz interpretations of holiday favorites. Felix Contreas hosts.

Thursday, December 20

Joy to the World, 11 pm
An hour of joliday jazz performed and recorded live at the Cultural Center in Charleston, W.Va.

Friday, December 21

Jazz at Lincoln Center Red Hot Holiday Stomp, 11 pm
It's a Crescent City Christmas when Wynton Marsalis joins with father Ellis Marsalis and friends Roberta Gumbel, Herlin Riley, Wycliffe Gordon, Don Vappie and more at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall.

Sunday, December 23

Blind Boys of Alabama Xmas Show, 7 am
Clarence Fountain and his legendary gospel group have won four Grammy Awards in the last four years. In this encore presentation from the "Discoveries at Disney Hall" series of specials, we join them on stage as they present their own take on the Christmas classics "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World," along with some gospel favorites including "I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord." Hosted by Renée Montagne.

Putumayo's New Orleans Christmas, 3 pm
We bring you a Holiday Special set in a city that embraces Christmas with food, family, lights, and of course music: New Orleans. The people of New Orleans go all out for Christmas. It's been a very religious city since it was founded by the French in the 1600's. But it's also a city that really likes to have a good time! Every year the streets are decorated with millions of festive lights, and restaurants serve elaborate holiday meals. Join us for Christmas New Orleans-style, with Louis Armstrong, Topsy Chapman, Charmaine Neville, and many more of the crescent City's finest.

Christmas at the Vinyl Café, 6 pm
Join host Stuart McLean for the Vinyl Christmas Special from Convocation Hall in Toronto. Stuart is joined by special musical guests Owen Pallett, Harmony Trowbrige, Jimmy Bowskill and the Vinyl Cafe Orchestra.

Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites, 7 pm
This year a new radio tradition -- stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk -- these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

Carols for Dancing, 8 pm
Host Ellen Kushner presents an exploration of the intimate connection between familiar holiday music and Renaissance and Medieval dance.

Monday, December 24

Christmas Right Between the Ears, 9 am and 7 pm
The award-winning sketch comedy show Right Between the Ears serves up the annual Yuletide special! Performed live for a studio audience, it's an hour of topical take-offs and satirical songs with a Yuletide flavor.

Tuesday, December 25

A Christmas Carol - 40th anniversary re-broadcast, 9 am and 7 pm
Re-broadcast of a WMUB student production of the Dickens holiday classic from December 8, 1967. Cast members include: John Chapman, Ray Smith, Barb Francis, Rick Ludwin, Ted Patterson, Ira Rubens, Elaine Petkosek and Jan Golon and Lee Shubert. Produced and Directed by Tom Collins.

Wednesday, December 26

A Season's Griot, 9 am and 7 pm
Kwanzaa celebration in story and song, this year honoring the National Association of Black Storytellers' 25th anniversary. Hosted by Madafo Lloyd Wilson.

Thursday, December 27

Watch Night, 9 am and 7 pm
Celebration of the story of Watch Night, a year's end vigil that gained deep meaning in African American experience through its association with the Emancipation Proclamation

Friday, December 28

WMUB Forum: Year in Review, 9 am and 7 pm
A review of issues and stories from our area during the past year. Hosted by WMUB News Director Gary Scott.

Sunday, December 30

A Paul Winter Solstice Concert, 6 pm and 7 pm
From the cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, Paul Winter, one of the original world musicians, is back again with a unique exploration of the solstice tradition in cultures near and far. Hosted by John Schaefer.

The Christmas Revels, 8 pm
A musical celebration of the winter holidays — Christmas, the Solstice, New Year's and Twelfth Night — featuring traditional carols, songs, and folk dance tunes from live Christmas Revels performances around the country. Hosted by Elaine Kennedy of Houston Public Radio.

Monday, December 31

The Pleasures of Winter, 9 am and 7 pm
A live performance music special hosted by folk duo Jay Ungar & Molly Mason and recorded in Albany, NY. Features music ranging from lively, seasonal offerings to deeply moving pieces that reflect the more thoughtful and reflective side of winter and the holiday season. Interpersed among this unique selection of music are short seasonal readings, some humorous some thought provoking.

Toast of the Nation, 8 pm
For more than 25 years, NPR listeners have counted down, sung along, and danced the night away to these jazzy parties with live music from coast to coast. New Year's Eve '08 promises more and better! Starting in Boston, the special moves west with four celebrations of midnight from time zone to time zone.

Tuesday, January 1

Capitol Steps New Year, 9 am and 7 pm
From the group that puts the "MOCK" in Democracy, it's the Capitol Steps with a unique look at the year 2007! Bring in the New Year with this blend of music and political satire.