Merry Christmas

Like a box of fine chocolates, today's show features a rich assortment of the sweet and the tart, the smooth and the chewy. Sink your teeth into today's show, and you'll hear holiday music from all over the world. We'll feature music from different cultures - some serious, some fun, all delightful. Merry Christmas from all of us at Performance Today!

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Hector Berlioz: "The Shepherd's Chorus" from "The Birth of Christ"
The Boston Pops Orchestra and Tanglewood Festival Chorus with conductor Keith Lockhart

Johann Sebastian Bach: "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," BWV 191
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and La Chapelle de Quebec with conductor Bernard Labadie, soprano Mary Wilson and tenor James Taylor
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles

Vince Guaraldi: "Christmas Time is Here"
Chanticleer
Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford, California

Traditional (Arranged by Percy Grainger): "The Sussex Mummer's Carol"
The Dallas Wind Symphony with conductor Jerry Junkin
Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas

Dan Forrest: "Carol of Joy"
The Brigham Young University Choirs and Orchestra with conductor Ronald Staheli
Harris Fine Arts Center, Provo, Utah

Traditional (Arranged by David Greenberg): "Christmas in Cape Breton"
The Seattle Baroque Orchestra with conductor David Greenberg
Benaroya Hall, Seattle

J. Rosamond Johnson: "Lift Every Voice"
The Glee Clubs of Spellman and Morehouse Colleges with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and conductor Chelsea Tipton
Morehouse College, Atlanta

Gian Carlo Menotti: Selections from "Amahl and the Night Visitors"
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor JoAnn Falletta
Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, New York

F. Melius Christiansen: "O Day Full of Grace"
The St. Olaf College Choirs with conductor Anton Armstrong
Skoglund Auditorium, Northfield, Minnesota

Hour 2

Traditional: "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending"
The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, with conductor Richard Marlow

George Frideric Handel: "Joy to the World"
The Swedish Wind Ensemble with conductor Bengt Ollen
St.Clare's Church, Stockholm, Sweden

Anthony Holborne: "Heigh Ho Holiday"
Capriccio Stravagante with conductor Skip Sempe
St James's Church, Bruges, Belgium

Leos Janacek: "Graduale"
The Helsinki Chamber Chorus with conductor Nils Schweckendiek
Kallio Church, Helsinki, Finland

Jean Sibelius: "Now, Beside the Manger of the Little One"
The Helsinki Chamber Chorus with conductor Nils Schweckendiek
Kallio Church, Helsinki, Finland

Francis Poulenc: "Hodie Christus Natus Est"
The Helsinki Chamber Chorus with conductor Nils Schweckendiek
Kallio Church, Helsinki, Finland

Orlande de Lassus: "Hodie Apparuit"
In Mulieribus with conductor Anna Song
St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, Portland, Oregon

Traditional (Arranged by Nigel E. Jones): "Suo-Gan"
The Northland Youth Choir with conductor Melissa Downes
Davis Concert Hall, Fairbanks, Alaska

Traditional (Arranged by Robert DeCormier): "The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy"
Counterpoint with conductor Robert DeCormier
Vermont Public Radio, Burlington, Vermont

Traditional: "As Joseph was a-Walking"
Cantus
Washington Pavilion of Arts and Sciences, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Traditional (Arranged by Kenneth Jennings): "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
The Concordia College Choir with conductor Rene Clausen
Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis

Giovanni Gabrieli: "Canzona Duodecimi Toni"
The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra with conductor Tomasz Golka
First United Methodist Church, Lubbock, Texas

Traditional: "Patapan"
The Spivey Hall Children's Choir with conductor Martha Shaw and pianist Judy Mason
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia

Traditional: "Deck the Halls"
The King's Singers
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia

Claude Debussy: "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum" and "Serenade for the Doll"
Pianist Nelson Freire
Newmark Theatre, Portland, Oregon

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia and "Ruler of Heaven" from "Christmas Oratorio"
The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Swedish Radio Chorus with conductor Peter Dijkstra
Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Sweden