KPR's 2019 HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING
The holidays are here! KPR celebrates with a number of specialty programs now through the New Year. See our list of specials and plan your life accordingly.
Thursday, 12/19/2019
CLASSICS LIVE: A CANADIAN BRASS CHRISTMAS – 7-8 p.m.
The Canadian Brass visited Lawrence's Lied Center with their lively holiday program full of carols and stories for brass quintet. Besides their classical tunes for the season, they also share their Canadian Brass versions of Jolly Old St Nicholas, Frosty the Snowman, and even the Old Grinch himself.
Friday, 12/20/2019
HOLIDAY VESPERS – 7-8 p.m.
From the Lied Center, the annual Yuletide celebration at the University of Kansas features the KU symphony and choirs.
Saturday, 12/21/2019
A VERY MERRY KPR PRESENTS – 6-7 a.m.
What's your favorite holiday song? We posed that question to KPR staffers this holiday season. Tune in to KPR Presents to hear our favorites, from traditional to rock and roll, from orchestral to Elvis, plus the stories behind our selections.
CHRISTMAS RIGHT BETWEEN THE EARS – 1-2 p.m. on KPR2
The award-winning comedy show Right Between the Ears is featured in excerpts from past Christmas shows, recorded live at Liberty Hall. (Rebroadcast at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 25, on KPR2)
BIG BAND CHRISTMAS – 9-11 p.m.
An encore broadcast of this year’s Yuletide concert by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.
Saturday & Sunday, 12/21-22/2019
THE RETRO COCKTAIL HOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY – 7-9 p.m.
Hang the mistletoe and spike the egg nog, it’s the Retro Cocktail Hour’s annual Yuletide bash. We’ll hear songs for the season by Frank Sinatra, the Three Suns, Peggy Lee and many more!
Sunday, 12/22/2019
A VERY MERRY KPR PRESENTS – 6-7 p.m.
What's your favorite holiday song? We posed that question to KPR staffers this holiday season. Tune in to KPR Presents to hear our favorites, from traditional to rock and roll, from orchestral to Elvis, plus the stories behind our selections.
Tuesday, 12/24/2019
A FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS – 9-11 a.m.
An annual and beloved Christmas tradition, “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” is an extraordinary and memorable live service of word and music from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England. Audiences will share in a live world-wide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols and related seasonal music (anthems a cappella and with organ accompaniment, and congregational hymns), presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue.
HOLIDAY VESPERS – 11 a.m.-Noon
An encore broadcast of the annual Yuletide concert at the University of Kansas.
A FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS – 7-9 p.m.
An encore broadcast of the annual service from King’s College, Cambridge.
Wednesday, 12/25/2019
HOLIDAY VESPERS – 9-10 a.m.
An encore broadcast of the annual Yuletide concert at the University of Kansas.
ST. OLAF CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL – 10 a.m.-Noon
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. Valerie Kahler shares the sights and sounds of this choral favorite.
WELCOME CHRISTMAS – Noon-1 p.m.
Welcome Christmas! is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world’s premiere choral groups. John Birge hosts an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries, including the world premiere of two carols from the annual Christmas Carol Contest. For 2019, hear the world premiere of Nico Muhly's "The Faire Starre," a nativity cantata that draws on 17th century metaphysical poets and is set in the unique, eclectic style that has earned Nico Muhly raves from the Metropolitan Opera.
A CHANUKAH CELEBRATION WITH CHICAGO A CAPELLA – 1-2 p.m.
Join Jonathan Miller, artistic director of Chicago A Cappella and a longtime champion of Jewish choral music, for an inspiring, informative and entertaining show featuring choral music set to Chanukah texts both familiar and original performed by virtuoso ensemble Chicago A Capella.
HOLLYWOOD HOLIDAY – 2-3 p.m.
Join Lynne Warfel for a festive one-hour musical retrospective of some of Hollywood's most cherished films inspired by Dickens’ classic character, Ebenezer Scrooge.
ST. OLAF CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL – 7-9 p.m.
An encore broadcast of the Yuletide perennial featuring more than 500 student musicians in five choirs, and the St. Olaf Orchestra. Valerie Kahler shares the sights and sounds of this choral favorite.
BIG BAND CHRISTMAS – 9-11 p.m.
An encore broadcast of this year’s Yuletide concert by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.
Thursday, 12/26/2019
CLASSICS LIVE – 7-8 p.m.
Cantus, the internationally-known eight-man a capella vocal ensemble, with Three Tales for Christmas. With warm harmonies they sing carols for the season plus weaving in the touching stories of The Gift of the Magi and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.