Today, the women's vocal quartet Anonymous 4 joins host Fred Child for music and conversation. They'll sing an assortment of early English and American carols, including "The Cherry Tree." That tune tells the story of a little bit of marital strife between Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem, and how Joseph received his comeuppance through the miracle of the cherry tree.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Noels Pour les Instruments (Carols for Instruments), H. 534
Les Violons du Roy, Bernard Labadie, conductor
Francis Poulenc: Hodie Christus Natus est (Christ is Born Today), from Four Motets for the Christmas Season, Op. 152
Chicago a cappella
Wentz Concert Hall, Naperville, Illinois
Hector Berlioz: The Flight into Egypt, from the Infancy of Christ, Op. 25
The Baltimore Choral Arts Orchestra, Tom Hall, conductor
Baltimore Basilica, Baltimore
Robert Schumann: Widmung (Dedication)
Daniil Trifonov, piano
Salle Pleyel, Paris, France
Franz Schubert: Ave Maria
Eva Beneke, guitar, Lars Hoefs, cello, Phil Popham, oboe
Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8 (Christmas Concerto)
The New Century Chamber Orchestra, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin and leader
Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
Frank Ticheli: There Will Be Rest
Seraphic Fire, Patrick Dupre Quigley, director
Stephen Paulus: Eternal Flame
Seraphic Fire, Patrick Dupre Quigley, director
Hour 2
Cecil Sharp: The Holly and the Ivy
The Imani Winds
Tomaso Albinoni: Oboe Concerto in F, Op. 9, No. 3
Alfredo Bernardini and Paolo Grazzi, oboes, Ensemble Zefiro, Alfredo Bernardini, director
Broadcasting Hall, Bremen, Germany
Perfchat with Anonymous 4: Perfchat
Traditional: English and American Carols
Anonymous 4
Church of Saint Bernard, St. Paul
Leos Janacek: Third movement from Pohadka (Fairy-tale), JW VII/5
Matt Haimovitz, cello, Christopher O'Riley, piano
Redpath Hall, Montreal, Quebec
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