Christmas Eve of 1914 wasn't supposed to be a silent night. World War I was going on, and men were supposed to be killing one another. But, just for that night, both sides gave up fighting and made peace. Join us today as the men of Cantus tell the story of that night, in word and song.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Traditional: "He Whom the Shepherds Praised"
The Taverner Consort with conductor Andrew Parrott
Traditional: "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly"
The London Brass
Traditional: "Veni, Veni Emmanuel,""Corde Natus ex Parentis," and "Adeste Fideles"
Chanticleer
Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford, California
Carl Davidoff: "Hymn"
The Cellissimo Quartet and friends with conductor Christian Mandeal
Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest, Romania
Traditional (Arranged by Samuel Adler): "Spin, Dreidel, Spin"
The Spivey Hall Children's Choir with conductor Martha Shaw and pianist Judy Mason
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia
"The Piano Puzzler": This week's contestant is Dan Duke from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Igor Stravinsky: "Ave Maria"
The Gabrieli Consort with conductor Paul McCreesh
St. Elizabeth's Basilica, Wroclaw, Poland
Sigvaldi Kaldalons: "Ave Maria"
Pianist Vikingur Heidar Olafsson
University Cinema, Reykjavik, Iceland
Erick Lichte and Timothy Takach: Excerpts from "All is Calm"
Cantus
Edward Elgar: "The Song of the Night," Op. 15, No. 1
The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra with conductor Scott Yoo
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Houston
Gustav Nordqvist: "Christmas, Christmas, Radiant Christmas"
The Swedish Radio Symphony Chorus with conductor Mats Rondin
Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Sweden
Hour 2
Benjamin Britten: Selections from "A Ceremony of Carols"
The American Boychoir with conductor Vincent Metallo
Ignacy Jan Paderewski: "Nocturne"
Pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi
Portland International Piano Festival, Portland, Oregon
Scott Ethier: "A Mother's Carol"
VocalEssence with conductor Philip Brunelle and Charles Hodgson, French horn
Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Cristobal de Morales: "O Magnum Mysterium"
Piffaro
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
Traditional (Arranged by Anders Ohrwall): "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and "Come to the Manger"
The University of California at Santa Barbara Chamber Choir with conductor Michael Marc Gervais
St. Anthony's Seminary Chapel, Santa Barbara, California
Anthony Holborne: "As it Fell on a Holie Eve"
Lutenist Paul O'Dette
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul, Minnesota
John Frederick Coots: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
The Tokyo FM Boys' Choir with conductor and pianist Megumi Yorita
Tokyo FM Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Anthony Holborne: "The Night Watch"
Julien Martin, recorder, with Capriccio Stravagante and conductor Skip Sempe
St James's Church, Bruges, Belgium
Anonymous: "Alma Redemptoris Mater"
Chanticleer
Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford, California
Andre Jolivet: "Pastorales de Noel"
Members of the Chicago Chamber Musicians
Anne and Howard Gottlieb Hall, Chicago
Traditional (Arranged by Mads Tolling): "Beautiful Savior"
Violist Mads Tolling
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul, Minnesota
Joseph Gregorio: "Dona Nobis Pacem"
The St. Olaf College Choirs with conductor Christopher Aspaas
Skoglund Auditorium, Northfield, Minnesota
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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.
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