Poster A scene from the 2017 St. Olaf Christmas Festival.
A scene from the 2017 St. Olaf Christmas Festival.
St. Olaf College
Performance Today®

Together in song

America sings during the winter holiday season more than any other time of year. On today's show, enjoy highlights from the legendary St. Olaf Christmas Festival in Minnesota, and from concert halls and churches across the country. Feel free to sing along!

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

David Bruce: Gumboots Part II, Dances 3 and 5
Carducci Quartet; Julian Bliss, clarinet
David Bruce - Gumboots, Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Quintet
Signum 448

Christopher Dedrick: The Angel Choir and the Trumpeter
Canadian Brass
Christmas Time Is Here
Steinway & Sons 30027

John Rutter: Angels' Carol
Judy Mason, piano; Spivey Hall Children's Choir; Martha Shaw, conductor
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

Felix Mendelssohn (arr. The Kingdom Choir): Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
The Kingdom Choir; Karen Gibson, conductor
Stand By Me
Sony NA

Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 1
Julian Bliss, clarinet; Bradley Moore, piano
Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, Clemson, SC

Traditional (arr. Dan Forrest): See Amid the Winters Snow
BYU Combined Choirs and Philharmonic; Andrew Crane, conductor
Brigham Young University, De Jong Concert Hall, Provo, UT

Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride
Guy Campion & Mario Vachon, pianos
Noel Pianissimo
Analektra 9818

John Marks: The Most Wonderful Day Of The Year
Guy Campion & Mario Vachon, pianos
Noel Pianissimo
Analektra 9818

Hour 2

Charles Gounod (arr. Damien Sneed): Ave Maria (Arr. for Violin and Piano)
Randall Goosby, violin; Damien Sneed, piano
The Three Sides of Damien Sneed: Classical, Jazz and Sanctified Soul
LeChateau Earl Records NA

Johann Sebastian Bach: from Christmas Oratorio
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

Traditional: O Come All Ye Faithful
BYU Combined Audition Choirs and BYU Philharmonic; Ronald Staheli, conductor
De Jong Concert Hall, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

Traditional (arr. Ludwig Bohme): A Nai Naoimh
Calmus Vocal Ensemble
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

Richard Strauss: Violin Sonata in E-flat, op 18
Randall Goosby, violin; Zhu Wang, piano
Honest Brook Music Festival, Honest Brook Farm, Delhi, NY

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About Performance Today®

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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.

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. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

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