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KCBX Holiday Programming Schedule 2017

Photo by Zadl Diaz
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Flickr

KCBX offers up a stocking full of special programs to accompany your holiday activities. Many of our regular show hosts will feature holiday music and talk, and we'll also offer the following specials.

Wednesday, December 13, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Candles Burning Brightly

Mindy Ratner hosts a new edition of this holiday favorite, in celebration of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. "Candles Burning Brightly" explores Chanukah foods and traditional activities - and plenty of music.

Sunday, December 17, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Hanukkah Lights

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, the lighting of the menorah and the spiritual strength of the Jewish people. It's a time to celebrate family, tradition, miracles and mitzvahs. For the 27th year in a row, NPR celebrates the Festival of Lights with stories of the season. Join Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz as they read tales by Andrea Kamens, Debra Darvick, Elizabeth Graver, Grace Paley and Evan Guilford-Blake.

Wednesday, December 20, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Marketplace Tech: The Holidays of the Future

Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood explores the future of holiday purchases and celebrations. How will the holiday experience change in the next decade? How will we buy things? What machines and bots will join us around the dinner table? What companies will be household names? How will people with less money be utilizing technology? It's an entertaining examination of current tech trends and predictions on tech's lasting effects on our most special occasions.

Winter Solstice, Thursday, December 21

6:30-8:30 p.m. Paul Winter's Annual Winter Solstice Celebration

Celebrate the Return of the Sun -- and the Warming of the heart with Paul Winter's Annual Winter Solstice Celebration. On the darkest night of the year, we head back to New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine to hear The Paul Winter Consort and the glorious Cathedral Pipe Organ. The performance brings traditional holiday favorites and new sounds from around the world with special guests Fabiana Cozza of Brazil, Procol Harum's Gary Booker, gospel singer Theresa Thomason, Paul McCandless, Eugene Freisen, and the percussion troupe Forces of Nature.

Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24

10:00-11:00 a.m. Tinsel Tales 4

For many of us, Christmas is about family and traditions. For others it's a stressful or even a sad time. No matter how good or bad your holiday is, it’s quite likely to include music. This year, Tinsel Tales includes stories of the season told thru music with interviews from the NPR Archives. Kenny Rogers, Katie Melua, Sting, Amy Grant and Jon Batiste talk about the power of music at Christmas. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

2:00-4:00 p.m. St. Olaf Christmas Festival

This service in song and word has become one of the nation's most cherished holiday celebrations. The festival includes hymns, carols, choral works, as well as orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity and featuring more than 500 student musicians in five choirs, and the St. Olaf Orchestra.

4:00-5:00 p.m. Tinsel Tales 3

Audie Cornish, Ken Harbaugh, Nina Totenberg and other voices from NPR's past and present tell stories of the season in this hour-long special. Some tales are funny; some are touching; some are insightful or irreverent or nostalgic or surprising. You might recognize them from our broadcast archives — or you might fall in love with them for the first time. Hosted by Lynn Neary

6:00-7:00 p.m. The Moth Holiday Special

In this special holiday hour, stories about celebration, differing traditions, and family. A mother and son do their best to keep the gifting spirit alive, a daughter tries to fulfill her mother’s wish for a Trinidadian feast, and a man waits and waits for the perfect moment to kiss a date. Those and more stories in this episode. Hosted by The Moth's Executive Producer, Sarah Austin Jenness.

Christmas Day, Monday, December 25

9:00-10:00 a.m. The Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special

Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.

10:00-11:00 a.m. Jazz Piano Christmas

Join the Kennedy Center and NPR Music for a special Mardi Gras themed holiday concert hosted by Felix Contreras, highlighting the favorite seasonal music of four acclaimed performers. Winner of the Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition Helen Sung and 2018 NEA Jazz Master Joanne Brackeen return to the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, along with Brazilian virtuoso Abelita Mateus and Cajun blues master Marcia Ball.

11:00 a.m.-noon Afro Blue Christmas

Join us for a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut. Hear the a cappella group perform a variety of holiday songs including African-American spirituals, jazz and pop tunes, and classical repertoire. The joyous celebration includes one of a kind arrangements on traditional holiday songs plus new compositions…music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. Hosted by Michele Norris.

6:30-7:30 p.m. Song Travels Home for the Holidays

Join Michael Feinstein for an hour of yuletide cheer and music. This edition of Song Travels journeys from Hollywood's vintage silver screen to New York City's iconic Birdland club. The Michael Feinstein Big Band performs selections from the classic movie White Christmas, and Feinstein shares rare recordings from some of his favorite performers.

7:30-8:30 p.m. Welcome Christmas!

Welcome Christmas! is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world's premier choral ensembles. Join host John Birge for an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries, including the world premiere of two carols from the annual Christmas Carol Contest.

8:30-9:30 p.m. A Chanticleer Christmas

This unique, one-hour program of holiday music is presented live in concert by Chanticleer. Hear why this superb 12-man ensemble is known as "an orchestra of voices," as they perform holiday classics and new favorites.

10:00-11:00 p.m. Festivo Alt Latino

NPR Music's Alt Latino presents a 2015 encore featuring songwriter/performer Gaby Moreno and her band performing tracks from her popular holiday album Posada - recorded live at the KUT studios in Austin, Texas. She was joined by special guests Gina Chavez and Chicano Zen bandleader and record producer Michael Ramos.

11:00 p.m.-midnight Holiday in Pink

The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra" Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. From timeless classics to rarely heard gems, hear a multi-denominational, multi-cultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro.

Midnight-1:00 a.m. Jazz Piano Christmas

Join the Kennedy Center and NPR Music for a special Mardi Gras themed holiday concert hosted by Felix Contreras, highlighting the favorite seasonal music of four acclaimed performers. Winner of the Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition Helen Sung and 2018 NEA Jazz Master Joanne Brackeen return to the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, along with Brazilian virtuoso Abelita Mateus and Cajun blues master Marcia Ball.

New Year's Eve, Sunday, December 31

10:00-11:00 a.m. Capitol Steps: Politics Takes a Holiday

Put down those indictments, Robert Mueller – if you’re hoping Paul Manafort will sing like a canary, all you have to do is tune in to the Capitol Steps year-end edition of “Politics Takes a Holiday.” You might even pick up some classified secrets as he joins the Donald to sing “I’m So Indicted.” Also featured in the Capitol Steps’ show will be the year’s biggest stars – Mike Pence, Rex Tillerson, Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Bernie Sanders, and those who were gone too soon – Sean Spicer, Tom Price, and, of course, the Mooch. Now is your chance to finally enjoy the headlines you were too scared to read. After all, the Capitol Steps won’t tell you what to think, but they will tell you what rhymes with Papadopoulos.

7:00 p.m-1:00 a.m. Toast of the Nation

An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It's festive jazz you can party to. Spirited, improvised, and swinging, each hour is hosted by Christian McBride. We’ll hear the Best Of -- Jazz Tiny Desk Concerts; John Scofield’s Uber Jam Band At Berklee, 2012; Dayme Arocena At The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2017; Terence Blanchard At The 2017 Tri City Jazz Festival in Cleveland; The Herlin Riley Quintet From Jazz At Lincoln Center, 2017 and Blue Note Toast of the Nation Encores.