We are excited to announce this year's Holiday Programming line up! Both HQR News and Classical HQR have some incredible shows coming your way this year.
Monday, December 14th
- 8-10pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Evening Concert Christmas Special Part 1 with WHQR's Pat Marriott.
Pat Marriott's regular Monday evening potpourri features Rheinberger's "Star of Bethlehem," Schütz's "Christmas Story," and Poulenc's "Gloria."
Friday, December 18th
- 2-3pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: A Chanukah Celebration with Chicago A Capella
Join Jonathan Miller, artistic director of Chicago a Cappella and a longtime champion of Jewish choral music, for an inspiring and informative show featuring choral music set to Hanukkah texts. Familiar tunes include "I Have a Little Dreidel" (both in its original Yiddish form and in a neo-funk Hebrew/English setting), a swing version of "S'vivon" by Steve Barnett, and a lively setting of the traditional melody for "Al-Hanissim" ("For the Miracles") by Elliot Levine. Heartfelt original compositions by American and British composers provide added depth of expression to celebrating the holiday. Such works include "Lo Yisa Goy," a plea for peace by Stacy Garrop; Bob Applebaum's stirring new version of "Haneirot Halalu"; and movements from the majestic "Hallel Suite" by London-based Daniel Tunkel. All selections are performed by Chicago a Cappella, the virtuoso vocal ensemble now in its 23rd season. Jonathan Miller provides liturgical and cultural background as part of this unique look inside old and newer choral Hanukkah traditions.
- 7pm on HQR 91.3: The Rhythm Atlas: Hanukkah Music Special
Listen for The Rhythm Atlas Hanukkah Special, celebrating the holiday with music by artists from around the world. You’ll hear traditional klezmer-styled Hanukkah tunes, songs from the Sephardic Jewish culture with roots in Spain, and festive modern takes on the joyous celebration known as the Festival of Lights.
Sunday, December 20th
- 6-8pm on HQR 91.3: Best of WHQR Homemade Holiday Shorts
While we won't be able to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Homemade Holiday Shorts in person, we are excited to broadcast a special Best of Holiday Shorts program. This 2 hour program will compile some of the highlights from our favorite HoHo programs throughout the years. Guests will include Whiskey Creek, Rob Zapple, Big Al Hall, Tony Rivenbark, Aloha U Ukelele Trio, Rhonda Bellamy, Dorothy Rankin, Grenoldo Frasier, Annie Gray Sprunt, Karen Bender, Wiley Cash, Eleanor Stafford, David Vaughn, & Swing Shifters.
Monday, December 21st
- 2-5pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Classical Christmas on The Third Floor
Join host Bill Cromwell for three hours of glorious choral, vocal, and instrumental classical music for the season, including arias and choruses from Messiah, instrumental Christmas favorites, and long segments of sacred choral music from across the centuries from the great choirs of the world.
- 8-10pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Evening Concert Christmas Special Part 2 with WHQR's Pat Marriott.
Pat Marriott's regular Monday evening potpourri features Sowash's "Christmas Rondo" and - as Pat's Christmas tradition - Pablo Casals' joyful Christmas tale of rural Catalonia, "El Pesebre" (The Manger).
Tuesday, December 22nd
- 2-3pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
The choir continues its tradition of great artistry with touching arrangements of familiar carols from around the world, and surprises with lesser-known melodies that are fast becoming the new classics.
Wednesday, December 23rd
- 2-3pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: A Chanticleer Christmas
Steve Staruch hosts this one-hour program of holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by Chanticleer, San Francisco's superb 12-man a capella ensemble known as "an orchestra of voices."
Thursday, December 24th
- 9-10am on 92.7 Classical HQR: Welcome Christmas
"Welcome Christmas" is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world's premier choral ensembles, conducted by Philip Brunelle. Join host John Birge for an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries, including the world premiere of two carols from the annual Christmas Carol Contest.
- 10-12am on 92.7 Classical HQR: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Despite the pandemic changing every one of 2020's holidays, Christmas Eve at King's College, Cambridge, will sound much the same. One boy steps forward, unaccompanied, singing the perennial opening tune, "Once in Royal David's City." For many listeners, this is the moment Christmas begins. And it will all be familiar this year until the third verse, when the congregation usually joins the choir. No congregation this year! This is not the first time precautions are being taken. During World War II, the service was on the radio, but the windows on the chapel were boarded up for safety, and the location was never stated on air. The service itself, dating back to 19th-century England, has been on the radio for many decades. More than 30 million people are expected to tune in.
- 2-3pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Classical Guitar Alive - Christmas Music
This week’s edition of "Classical Guitar Alive" features music for Christmas and interviews with American guitarist-composer Mark Cruz and Canadian guitarist Liona Boyd.
- 7-9pm on HQR 91.3: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
- 8-10pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Pittsburgh Symphony - Messiah
The Christmas portion of Handel's oratorio masterpiece is a perennial holiday favorite.
Friday, December 25th
- 9-10am on 92.7 Classical HQR: All Is Bright: Contemplative Music for Christmas
"All Is Bright," with host Lynne Warfel, offers 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.
- 10-11am on 92.7 Classical HQR: Christmastime in New York: The Cathedral Choir of St. John the Divine
The Choir of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine performs at the Medieval Sculpture Hall at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with a program that spans hundreds of years and describes the story of the nativity.
- 11am-12pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: St Olaf Christmas Festival
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival has become one of the nation's most cherished holiday celebrations. Due to the pandemic, this year's presentation draws from archival performances, featuring more than 500 student musicians, for a special hourlong radio program.
- 2-3pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Sing We Now of Christmas - True Concord 2020
Grammy-nominated True Concord Voices & Orchestra presents their holiday special, “Sing We Now of Christmas.” Independently produced by Classical Arizona PBS, the hour-long program features fresh arrangements of traditional favorites.
- 7-8pm on HQR 91.3: Great American Songbook Holiday Special
- 8-10pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
- 8-10pm on HQR 91.3: Best of WHQR Homemade Holiday Shorts
Saturday, December 26th
- 1pm on HQR 91.3: Best of A Season's Griot
A Season's Griot is public radio's only nationally syndicated Kwanzaa program. Produced at WHQR and hosted for 25 years by acclaimed storyteller Madafo Lloyd Wilson, this annual one-hour special captures the tales and traditions of African American and African peoples. The show’s poet laureate, Beverly Burnette, and other members of the Season’s Griot family return with familiar and favorite elements of Griot.
Monday, December 28th
- 2-5pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Classical Christmas on The Third Floor
Join host Bill Cromwell for three hours of glorious choral, vocal, and instrumental classical music for the season, including arias and choruses from Messiah, instrumental Christmas favorites, and long segments of sacred choral music from across the centuries from the great choirs of the world.
- 8-10pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Evening Concert New Year Special with WHQR's Pat Marriott.
Pat Marriott's regular Monday evening potpourri features the historic, muloti-national Bernstein 1989 Berlin Wall performance of Beethoven's Ninth.
Thursday, December 31st
- 2-3pm on 92.7 Classical HQR: Classical Guitar Alive - Winter Music
This week’s edition of Classical Guitar Alive features music about Winter, and more, including works by Vivaldi, Piazzolla, and the young Polish guitarist-composer Marek Pasieczny’s piece for guitar and clarinet, titled “Winter’s Tale.”
- 7-8pm on HQR 91.3: A Vintage New Year
We're set to ring in 2021 by combining an esoteric mix of New Year's themed songs that celebrate New Year hope and celebration, and right down to the loneliest among us. It's a mind-blowing collection of vintage Rock, Blues, Jazz, Doo-wop and Pop Vocal performances by a diverse assortment of artists, to help usher in the new year! This is how "A Vintage New Year" celebrates the music and emotions of ringing out the old and ringing in the hopefulness that comes each January 1st.
Friday, January 1st
- 12pm on HQR 91.3: Best of A Season's Griot
A Season's Griot is public radio's only nationally syndicated Kwanzaa program. Produced at WHQR and hosted for 25 years by acclaimed storyteller Madafo Lloyd Wilson, this annual one-hour special captures the tales and traditions of African American and African peoples. The show’s poet laureate, Beverly Burnette, and other members of the Season’s Griot family return with familiar and favorite elements of Griot.
