Holiday

How much do you know about Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, beyond its signature melodies? Let’s crack it open for Christmas!

For a 7-year-old kid growing up on a farm in Nebraska in the 1960s, the best Christmas gift came from Goodyear’s annual ‘Great Songs of Christmas’ albums, especially the 1965 and ‘66 volumes. YourClassical host Ward Jacobson remembers.

You ranked your favorite holiday tunes. Now, we’ve tallied the results to create ‘YourClassical Christmas Favorites,’ a two-hour holiday special highlighting the top carols based on your votes. Listen now, with hosts Tom Crann and Valerie Kahler.

In this season of holiday traditions, few are as magnificent and memorable as Handel's ‘Messiah.’ British conductor Christopher Warren-Green returns to lead the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Chorale and soloists in this glorious work. Listen live at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, on YourClassical MPR.

Hosted by Mindy Ratner, ‘Candles Burning Brightly’ is a delightful hour for everyone to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights! There is lots of music from Jewish communities worldwide, a hilarious lesson on preparing a classic Hanukkah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home.

Each December, the Center for Faith and Life at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, rings out with the sacred and the exuberant: the sounds of the Christmas season. Enjoy the 2022 program, ‘The Gifts They Gave Emmanuel.’

‘Welcome Christmas’ is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world's premier choral ensembles, conducted by Philip Brunelle and G. Phillip Shoultz. Join host John Birge for an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries, including compositions and arrangements by Mack Wilberg, Glenn Rudolph and John Rutter.

Celebrate the season with song! Melissa Ousley hosts this one-hour program of holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by Chanticleer, the two-time Grammy-winning 12-man ensemble known as ‘an orchestra of voices.’

The silver menorah has been in Reb Noson's family for 400 years, and it’s probably even older than that. But this Hanukkah, it’s gone missing! Find out what happens next in ‘The Lost Menorah,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring a story by Howard Schwartz, narration by Theodore Bikel and music by the Eaken Piano Trio.

The lilting music of the waltz has long been associated with ringing in the new year — and not just in classical music. Here’s why — along with a playlist for your New Year’s Eve party, including plenty of tunes by ‘Waltz King’ Johann Strauss Jr.