The first conductor who saw Sergei Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil thought it was too difficult. Singers who can actually sing it, he said, are "as rare as asparagus at Christmas." On Thursday's Performance Today, we have a delicacy for Christmas Eve; the Kansas City and Phoenix Chorales performing highlights from the All-Night Vigil.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Kenneth Jennings: Noel: Christmas Eve
St. Olaf Choir
My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord
St. Olaf 2396
Traditional Indian (arr. Yolanda Kondonassis): Huron Indian Carol
Yolanda Kondonassis, harp; Jurij Konje, percussion
Dream Season
Telarc 80446
Traditional English (arr. Yolanda Kondonassis): Masters In This Hall
Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
Dream Season
Telarc 80446
Eric Whitacre: little tree
Elora Festival Singers; Noel Edison, conductor
Eric Whitacre Choral Music
Naxos 559677
Niels Gade: Christmas Eve Suite
Orchestra of the Mill; Andrew Penny, conductor
Scandinavian String Music
Lydian 18132
Samuel Barber: Christmas Eve: A Trio with Solos
Charlotte McKechnie, soprano; Emma Dowd, alto; Christian Lane, organ; Choral Fellows of the Harvard University Choir; Edward Jones, music director, conductor
Memorial Church, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Jan Jirasek: At Midnight on Christmas Eve
Jitro Children's Chorus; Jiri Skopal, conductor
Jirasek: Czech and Moravian Christmas Carols
Navona 6010
Danny Elfman: Making Christmas
Vitamin String Quartet
Vitamin String Quartet Performs The Nightmare Before Christmas
Vitamin Records 1104
Sergei Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil: 1. Come, Let Us Worship; 5. Lord, Now Lettest Thou; 6. Rejoice, O Virgin
Kansas City Chorale and Phoenix Chorale; Charles Bruffy, music director
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
Chandos 5148
Hour 2
Henri Pensis: Fantasy on Two Christmas Carols
Miramar Sinfonietta; Henri Pensis, conductor
Twentieth Century "Contrasts"
Albany 509
Elizabeth Poston: Jesus Christ The Apple Tree
Owen Lewis, boy soprano; St. Paul's Choir School; John Robinson, conductor
Cathedral Church of St. Paul's, Boston, MA
Christmas in Harvard Square
London/Decca 20969
Aaron Jay Kernis: Musica Celestis
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; Matthew Halls, conductor
Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Traditional (arr. Christopher Dobrian and Pepe Romero): El Noi De La Mare
Pepe, Celin, Lito, Celino and Angel Romero, guitars
Christmas with Los Romeros
DG 17474
Paul and Ruth Manz: E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come
Cantus
That Eternal Day
Cantus 1210
Traditional (arr. Catherine McMichael): A Lyric Noel: II. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
The National Flute Choir; Amy Rice Blumenthal, conductor
Here We Come a'FLUTING
ALRY 27
Traditional: O Come, O Come Emmanuel/ What Child Is This/ The Boar's Head Carol/ Good King Wenceslas/ God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen/ Now the Holly Bears a Berry
Kirkmount: Alex Bigney, harp and bones; Samuel Bigney, fiddle; Simeon Bigney, cello and bodhran
Mittens for Christmas
Dorian 93236
Victor Herbert: March of the Toys
New York Pops; Skitch Henderson, music director
Christmas In The Country
Angel/EMI 54891
Max Reger: Maria Weingenlied (Mary's Lullaby), Op. 76, No 52 and Weihnnachtstraum (Silent Night), Op. 17
Gregory Brown, piano
University of Georgia, Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, GA
Adolphe Adam (arr. Mack Wilberg): O Holy Night
Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra; Mack Wilberg, conductor
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Mormon Tabernacle Choir 1020
Love the music?
Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.
Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.
YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.
Your Donation
About Performance Today®
To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.
American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.
Hosted by Valerie Kahler, Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country.
How do I leave a comment?
Send us a comment here.