Poster Holiday wreath
Holiday wreath
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Performance Today®

The night before...

Performance Today - December 24, 2024

On today's show, we celebrate the joys and blessings of the holiday season with music for a cozy Christmas Eve.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Ben Rowarth: There is no rose
ORA Singers | Suzi Digby, conductor
Album: The Mystery of Christmas
Harmonia Mundi 905305

Jessica French: Earth Strike Up Your Music
St. Olaf Orchestra | St. Olaf Massed Choir | James E. Bobb, conductor
St. Olaf Christmas Festival, Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN

Traditional, arr. Catherine McMichael: A Renaissance Noel (selections)
The National Flute Choir | Amy Rice Blumenthal, conductor
Album: Here We Come a'FLUTING
ALRY 27

Armas Maasalo, arr. Antoine Bareil: Joulun Kellot (The Bells of Christmas)
La Pieta | Angele Dubeau, conductor
Album: Noel
Analekta 8730

Ledward Kaapana: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
Ledward Kaapana, guitar
Album: Ki ho'alu Christmas: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar
Dancing Cat 08022

Traditional French: Angels from the Realms of Glory
Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra | Craig Jessop, conductor
Album: Rejoice and Be Merry!
Mormon Tabernacle 5007325

Traditional German: Leise rieselt der Schnee
Calmus Ensemble Leipzig
Album: White Christmas
Carus 83511

Franz Schubert: Mille Cherubini In Coro
Johann Strauss Orchestra | Andre Rieu, conductor
Album: Silver Bells
Universal Music GmbH

Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller: Let There Be Peace On Earth
The Boys Choir of Harlem
Album: We Shall Overcome
The Boys Choir of Harlem 822139000221

Hugh Martin, arr. Harriet Adie: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4 Girls 4 Harps
Album: 4 Girls 4 Harps At Christmas
Discovery 107

Hour 2

Traditional Polish, arr: Hania Rani & Dobrawa Czocher: Jezus Malusienki
Hania Rani, piano | Dobrawa Czocher, cello
Album: Winter Tales
DG 28948615049

George Chadwick: Noel, from Symphonic Sketches
St. Olaf Orchestra | Chung Park, conductor
St. Olaf Christmas Festival, Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN

Susan Brumfield: See Amid the Winter's Snow
Spivey Hall Children's Choir | Martha Shaw, conductor
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

Michael Delalande: Simphonies des noels/Christmas Symphony
The King's Violins | Bernard Labadie, conductor
Album: Simphonies des Noels: A Treasury of Baroque Christmas Concerti
Dorian 90180

Traditional Venezuelan, arr. Michael Culloton: Nino Lindo
Choral Arts Ensemble | Michael Culloton, conductor
Album: Joy to the World
Rochester 102009

Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, & Harry Simeone, arr. George Andrews: The Little Drummer Boy
The Hampton String Quartet
Album: What if Mozart Wrote Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
RCA 5625

Franz Gruber: Silent Night
Lahti Symphony Orchestra | Osmo Vanska, conductor
Album: Christmas Wonderland
Bis 947

Traditional: Away in a Manger / Friendly Beasts
Adagio Trio
Album: Winter Gift
Adagio Trio 2

Timothy Stephens, arr. Desmond Earley: The Adoration of the Magi
Katherine Hunka, violin | Tristan Russcher, piano | The Choral Scholars of University College Dublin | Irish Chamber Orchestra | Desmond Earley, conductor
Album: Be All Merry
Signum 643

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

The night before...

The night before...

On today's show, we celebrate the joys and blessings of the holiday season with music for a cozy Christmas Eve.

1:59:00
A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

In "A Christmas Carol," Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas and generosity itself... at least until three uninvited house guests demonstrate what greed might cost him. Join us today for a musical retelling of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Ellington's take on The Nutcracker

PT Weekend: Ellington's take on The Nutcracker

On today's show, we'll hear some highlights from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker... but in a version that was put together in 1959 by Duke Ellington. Conductor Andrew Grams says the stylistic difference is especially apparent in the section Tchaikovsky called Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Duke Ellington called his version the Sugar Rum Cherry. Tune in today to hear Ellington’s take on the Nutcracker.

1:59:00
Celebrating the Solstice

Celebrating the Solstice

It's the Winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, with the shortest daylight hours and the longest of nights. It feels like a good moment for a quiet break. We invite you to pause, reflect, and join us for some musical contemplation.

1:59:00
Where Carlos Simon finds inspiration

Where Carlos Simon finds inspiration

Carlos Simon is a contemporary American composer known for blending classical music with influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism. We’ll hear some of Simon’s music on today's show, including his arrangement of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.

1:59:00
The Dance of the Sugar Rum Cherry

The Dance of the Sugar Rum Cherry

On today's show, we'll hear some highlights from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker... but in a version that was put together in 1959 by Duke Ellington. Conductor Andrew Grams says the stylistic difference is especially apparent in the section Tchaikovsky called Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Duke Ellington called his version the Sugar Rum Cherry. Tune in today to hear Ellington’s take on the Nutcracker.

1:59:00
Tan Dun

Tan Dun

Composer Tan Dun grew up in the province of Hunan, China. His community practiced a ritual called “ghost opera,” a way of communicating with spirits of the past, future, and nature. On today’s show, we’ll hear a concerto by Tan Dun, inspired by the Chinese ‘ghost opera’ ritual.

1:59:00
Kathryn Stott and Yo-Yo Ma: Merci

Kathryn Stott and Yo-Yo Ma: Merci

Pianist Kathryn Stott and cellist Yo-Yo Ma have a new album, Merci, which will also be their last album together. Kathryn Stott is stepping away from performing to focus on teaching and spending time with her family. Stott and Ma recently spoke with Fred Child about how the two forged a partnership that has lasted more than 40 years. Today, we'll hear their conversation and sample a couple of tracks from their new and final album. 

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Deborah Borda

PT Weekend: Deborah Borda

Deborah Borda has helped orchestras and the classical ecosphere grow into the 21st century. She has served as the CEO of the New York Philharmonic, the LA Philharmonic, and several other orchestras. Borda approaches her work with an unwavering love of music, clear vision, and determination. On today’s show, our 2024 Classical Woman of the Year, Deborah Borda, joins Fred Child as co-host for a special hour.

1:59:00
Mel Bonis: Soir-Matin

Mel Bonis: Soir-Matin

Melanie Bonis composed captivating music in early 1900s Paris, even surprising her contemporaries. Upon hearing her work, Camille Saint-Saëns exclaimed, "I never imagined a woman could write such music!" Thankfully, this attitude toward female composers is changing, allowing the music to speak for itself. On today’s show, we’ll hear a piano trio by Mel Bonis from a concert presented by the Manhattan School of Music.

1:59:00
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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

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