THURSDAY DECEMBER 22, 2022
Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party (8:00PM)
Itzhak Perlman invites you to his Chanukah Radio Party. Join the superstar violinist as he tells the story of the Jewish festival of lights, and shares his favorite recordings for the holiday – some serious, some silly. The master storyteller also regales you with jokes and memories, plus tales of three classic Chanukah symbols: the menorah, the latke, and, of course, the dreidel. A good time for the whole family, at Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party!
Chanukkah In Story & Song (9:00 PM)
Chanukkah In Story and Song Sung by the The Western Wind Narrated by Leonard Nimoy The acclaimed vocal sextet and the renowned actor present 25 eclectic selections, from the Ladino songs of the Spanish Jews and Yiddish melodies of Eastern Europe to modern Israeli tunes and their original version of “I Have a Little Dreydle.” The singers sing a cappella and are also joined by instruments including violin, accordion, bass and guitar. The narration written by Rabbi Gerald Skolnik sheds light on the holiday customs and rituals.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 23, 2022
Estranged: A Special from Embodied (6:00 PM)
What is the holiday season like when you're disconnected from your nuclear family? Embodied presents "Estranged," an hour-long special about finding belonging when your family bonds are broken. Host Anita Rao meets two women who — by choice or circumstance — became estranged from their parents. Writer Raksha Vasudevan shares how being an immigrant shapes how she thinks about creating distance from her family, and Tiffany Scott talks about what it was like to be ghosted by her dad. The two reflect on finding belonging elsewhere and seeking support from non-traditional sources. Anita also learns from two siblings who were estranged for more than 40 years that while reconciliation is possible, it's not for everyone.
The Christmas Revels: In Celebration Of The Winter Solstice 2022 (8:00 PM)
CHRISTMAS REVELS performances have been described as entertaining collections of country, ritual and courtly dances, wassails, carols, songs and ballads, hymns and anthems, story-telling, poetry and drama. They are made up of sacred and secular folk materials, plus some composed popular and “art” music, from traditional European. Middle Eastern and American celebrations of Christmas, The Feast Days of Saints Nicholas, Lucia, Basil and Stephen, Chanukah, the Feast of Fools, Jonkonnu, New Year's, Twelfth Night/Epiphany, and other end-of-the-year festivals, along with various cultures' hereditary observances of the Winter Solstice, some elements of which date back to pre-Christian times.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 24, 2022
NPR Tinsel Tales (10:00 AM)
Hosted by Lynn Neary we offer these special Christmas stories to KTEP listeners in hopes that it will become a holiday tradition. This year a radio tradition continues - 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. Lynn Neary is an NPR arts correspondent covering books and publishing.
The Film Score: Music for the Winter Holidays (11:00 AM)
Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips returns with The Film Score: Music for the Winter Holidays, an hour-long special devoted to holiday and wintertime movie music. In addition to beloved standards (“White Christmas” from “Holiday Inn” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from “Meet Me in St. Louis”), Michael shares an eclectic mix of wintry film scores, ranging from “It Happened in Sun Valley” (from “Sun Valley Serenade”) to Alexandre Desplat’s folk-inspired score for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” to Bernard Herrmann’s bracing sleigh ride accompaniment composed for the Orson Welles drama “The Magnificent Ambersons.” Bundle up and enjoy The Film Score: Music for the Winter Holidays!
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols ( 12:00 Noon)
Pipedreams host Michael Barone presents this live service of spoken-word and music (choral and organ) broadcast from the chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England. The 30-voice King's College Choir performs the legendary Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service of Biblical readings and music. The 2022 edition of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is scheduled to be live and in-person.
Folk Fury Christmas Eve Special (6:00 PM)
Dan Alloway presents a holiday special with music for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice and Boxing Day too. Tune in to this special Folk Fury episode with music from Parry Lamont, Terry Clarke, Kelly Hunt, Austin Jimmy Murphy and many others. From bluegrass to blues and folk to americana, you won’t want to miss this broadcast.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 25, 2022
A Mexican Baroque Christmas with the Rose Ensemble ( 11:00 AM)
A Mexican Baroque Christmas with the Rose Ensemble is a vibrant retelling of the Christmas story with some ancient music that sounds fresh and new today. Mexico in the 17th century was a time of great cultural and musical diversity. The program features over two centuries of festive Christmas dances and songs from the great cathedrals of Puebla and Mexico City. With rich instrumental and percussive accompaniment, solos and choruses burst forth in this program that's a far cry from the same old Christmas show. Plus a couple of surprises for the season in this one hour production. The music is all rhythmic and tuneful and totally appealing.
A Christmas Jazz Mix with KTEP’s Dee W. (7:30 PM)
A mix of music leading into some national syndicated jazz parties and holliday ambient music. Some music to get your Christmas evening started with KTEP's Music Director.
A Swinging Holiday Jazz Party with Wynton Marsalis ( 8:00 PM)
Wynton Marsalis hosts an hour of holiday jazz favorites by Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Gregory Porter, René Marie, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Jazz Piano Christmas 2022 ( 9:00 PM)
Check out your favorite holiday classics as you’ve never heard them! This year, our annual sell-out event spotlights ferociously talented Japanese musical phenom Hiromi, Mountain Stage’s Bob Thompson, and Bolivian prodigy José André Montaño, chosen as one of the Kennedy Center’s “Next 50” leaders. The program is hosted by NPR’s Felix Contreras.
MONDAY DECEMBER 26, 2022
The Sounds of Kwanzaa (6:00 PM)
During the aftermath of the Watts Uprisings in the 1960s, Dr. Maulana Karenga decided to create a special December holiday designed for Black people to celebrate themselves, their culture, and their future liberation. Today, Kwanzaa is still celebrated by not only Afro-Americans, but Black people around the globe! Garrett McQueen offers a background on the history of Kwanzaa and its guiding principles, alongside musical selections that highlight the spirit of the celebration. The show features the compositions of Florence Price, Duke Ellington, Sean O’Loughlin, and special performances by Imani Winds.
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