At 8pm, Cheryl Willoughby’s "Northern Lights" is a celebration of the winter solstice featuring dance music spanning many centuries and cultural traditions. At 9pm Joe Goetz’s "Christmas
Classics" visits the Scandinavian countries for a quiet,
snow-covered hour of choral music from the Northern lands.
Visit the VPR Holiday Page for the full schedule of holiday programming
"Northern Lights" A Solstice Celebration with Cheryl Willoughby: 2009 Music Playlist (8-9pm)
Juan Ponce: Torre de la Niña – La Rondinella (“Sephardic Journey: Spain and the Spanish Jews” – Dorian 93171 – 1:43)
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Traditional (13thc.): English Dance – Pavlo Beznosiuk & Mark Levy, fiddles (“Delectatio Angeli” – Hyperion 67549 – 1:55)
Susan Cooper, poet: The Shortest Day – Christmas Revels featuring narrator Robert J. Lurtsema (“In Celebration of the Winter Solstice” – Revels 1078 – 1:30)
Traditional (Québecois, arr. by Lisa Ornstein): Les Haubans (The Stays) – La Nef featuring André Marchand & Les Charbonniers de L’Enfer (“La Traverse Miraculeuse” – ATMA 2588 – 4:34)
Anonymous (Italian, late 13th-14thc.): Saltarello – New York’s Ensemble for Early Music (“A Medieval Christmas” – Ex Cathedra 29001 – 2:07)
Anonymous (Spanish, 15thc.): Dindirindin – Hespèrion XX/Jordi Savall (“Music for the Spanish Kings” – Virgin 61875 – 1:33)
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Anonymous (14thc. Catalonian, from the Libre Vermell de Montserrat): Stella Splendens In Monte (Star Shining On The Mountain) – Oni Wytars Ensemble (“From Byzantium to Andalusia” – Naxos 8.557637 – 8:02)
Juan de Aruajo: ¡A, del Cielo! (O, denizens of Heaven!) – Ex Cathedra/Jeffrey Skidmore (“Fire Burning in Snow” – Hyperion 67600 – 4:08)
Traditional: Noël Nouvelet – Masques (“Noël Baroque” – Analekta 9908 – 3:45)
Traditional (Algerian, from the Nuba Ram al Maya): Mosaddar “Jismi Fani” – Calamus (“The Splendor of Al-Andalus” – M.A. Recordings 026A – 4:04)
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Joan Ambrosio Dalza: Saltarello – Rolf Lislevand & Friends (“Diminutio” – ECM 2088 – 2:35)
Anonymous: Bache, bene venies – Oni Wytars Ensemble (“Anonymous” – Naxos 8.578044 – 5:58)
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John Playford: Drive the Cold Winter Away – Early Music New York/Frederick Renz (“A Colonial Christmas” – ExCathedra 29006 – 1:58)
Traditional Swedish: Domaredansen (Now Falls The Snow)
Traditional Russian: Ho, ho, ho, Goat!
Traditional Finnish: Kukku
Traditional Swedish: Julafton (the “goodbye” waltz) – Revels Houston Chorus & Brass Ensemble; The Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble; The Karelian Folk Ensemble (“To Drive the Dark Away” – Revels 1098 – 4:56)
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Claudio Monteverdi: Zefiro torna (Zephyr returns) – L’Arpeggiata/Christina Pluhar (“Teatro d’Amore” – Virgin 614024 – 7:01)
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Anonymous (German): Ronde IV – I – VI –- Convivium Musicum Gothenburgense ("Anonymous" – Naxos 8.578044 – 2:13)
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"Christmas Classics" – A Scandinavian Christmas with Joe Goetz, 2009 Music Playlist (9-10pm)
9:00 – Trad. Norwegian: Her
kommer Jesus dine sma; Synve Lundgre, soprano; Wolfgang Kogert, organ; Phoenix
155 – "Scandinavian Christmas"
9: 03 – Trad. Norwegian: Pa
laven sitter nisse; Synve Lundgre, soprano; Markus Vorzellner, piano; Phoenix
155 – "Scandinavian Christmas"
9:05 – Trad. Swedish: Tomtanus
julnatt; Synve Lundgre, soprano; Johanna Fernholm, alto; Markus Vorzellner,
piano; Phoenix 155 – "Scandinavian
Christmas"
9:09: Grieg: Ave, Maris Stella;
Norwegian Soloists Chamber Choir/Grete Pedersen; Bis 1661 – "Grieg: Choral
Music"
9:14 – Grieg: Four Psalms: In
Heaven Above, God’s Son Hath Set Me Free; Norwegian Soloists Chamber Choir/Grete
Pedersen; Bis 1661 – "Grieg: Choral Music"
9:28 – Rachmaninoff: All-Night
Vigil: Blessed is the Man, O Gentle Light, Rejoice, O Virgin; Estonian
Philharmonic Chamber Choir/Paul Hillier; Harmonia Mundi 907384 – "Rachmaninoff:
All-Night Vigil"
9:38 – Rautavaara: All-Night
Vigil: selections; Finnish Radio Chamber Choir/ Timo Nuoranne; Ondine
910 – "Rautavaara: Vigilia"
9:57 – Anonymous (Finnish): Puer
natus in Bethlehem;
Finnish Radio Chamber Choir/ Timo Nuoranne; Ondine 918 – “Piae Cantiones –
Early Finnish Vocal Music”