It's time for another great season of holiday listening on WKMS. Our "Holidays Sound Good" schedule is full of your traditional favorites and a few new programs. Thanks for listening and be sure to tell us what you think about these special programs.
Wednesday, November 27
11am – 1pm Giving Thanks: A Celebration of Fall, Food, & Gratitude
Host John Birge presents a contemporary celebration of gratitude. Great American writers will be center stage- including poet Mary Oliver and Walt Whitman (celebrating his 200th birthday!).
Thursday, November 28 Thanksgiving Day
11am – 1pm The Splendid Table's Turkey Confidential
It’s time for the annual LIVE Thanksgiving call-in show. Tune in on Thanksgiving morning for all things turkey with host Francis Lam.
Friday, November 29
11am – Noon Science and Thanksgiving
This program explores the traditions and rituals of Thanksgiving through a scientific lens, with stories about the neuroscience of gratitude and the environmental impact of our holiday feasts.
Noon – 1pm The Great Listen from StoryCorps
Hosted by NPR's Audie Cornish, this special highlights the importance of documenting family history, and gives instructions on how you can record conversations during the holidays and preserve them for generations to come. Also interviews with Storycorps founder Dave Isay, and host Audie Cornish gets interviewed by her nephew, Julian Tarpey.
Thursday, December 12
WKMS On-Air Fundraiser
Thank you for being “the public” in public radio! Now is the time to celebrate the news you heard on WKMS this year. Call 1-800-599-4737 to make your special year-end gift.
Sunday, December 15
10am-Noon Paducah Symphony Orchestra: A Christmas Celebration
Join the Paducah Symphony Orchestra featuring the PSO adult, youth and children's choruses, as well as local talent Emily Yocum Black, soprano. Recorded December 7, 2019.
Monday, December 16
11am -Noon Jazz Piano Christmas 35
Join friends at the Kennedy Center for this annual holiday tradition highlighting jazz pianists, hosted by Felix Contreras.
Noon-1pm Jazz Night In America: A Holiday Celebration
Jazz Night in America brings you a compilation of holiday classics – featuring fresh arrangements and entertaining storytelling.
Tuesday, December 17
11am -Noon Hollywood Holiday
It’s a one-hour musical retrospective featuring some of Hollywood's most cherished films inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic character, Ebenezer Scrooge.
Noon-1pm The Film Score: Music for the Winter Holidays
This special is devoted to holiday and wintertime movie music. You’ll hear beloved standards like “White Christmas” and an eclectic mix of wintry film scores including the sleigh ride accompaniment in the Orson Welles drama The Magnificent Ambersons.
Wednesday, December 18
11am -Noon Welcome Christmas!
New for 2019, enjoy this Christmas favorite from choral ensemble VocalEssence, with the world premiere of Nico Muhly's "The Faire Starre," a nativity cantata that draws on 17th century metaphysical poets.
Noon-1pm A Chanticleer Christmas
The popular 12-man ensemble known as “an orchestra of voices” performs holiday classics and new favorites, with choral commentary by host Brian Newhouse.
Thursday, December 19
11am-Noon All Songs Considered for the Holidays: Bob and Robin's Holiday Cruise to Bermuda
Bob and Robin decide to get away from it all with a holiday cruise to Bermuda. Along the way they meet a few special guests aboard the ship including John Legend, Aloe Blacc, Steve Martin, William Shatner, and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees.
Noon-1pm Squirrel Nut Zippers Christmas Caravan
The Squirrel Nut Zippers, featuring frontman Jimbo Mathus, help get us in the holiday spirit as they perform their 1998 album, Christmas Caravan, from start to finish.
9pm -10pm The Jive House Funky Christmas
The guys from The Jive House bring you a little something different tonight with tunes to get you in a funky holiday mood.
11pm -1 am The Retro Cocktail Hour Holiday Special
Host Darrell Brogdon serves up Yuletide-flavored tunes for his two-hour holiday special.
Friday, December 20
11am-Noon With Good Reason: Holiday Favorites and Memories
Christmas music this time of year often evokes memories of the past. Whether it’s Judy Garland’s poignant rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, or John Lennon’s timeless “Happy Xmas War is Over,” you’ll hear these classics and the memories they recall.
Noon-1pm - Re:sound - The Twisted Xmas Show
This special is a gathering of audio “ornaments” about the holidays, including edgy stories about Christmastime (including the mystery and magic Santa). This episode is not suitable for young children.
7pm-9pm Paul Winter's 38th 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, head back to New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine to hear an encore performance of The Paul Winter Consort and the glorious Cathedral Pipe Organ.
9pm-11pm Left of the Dial Christmas
Tune in to Left of the Dial’s annual Black Christmas special with seasonally appropriate tracks.
11pm- 1 am Alien Lanes Christmas
Hear a reflection of the season featuring artists like Joni Mitchell, Sufjan Stevens, Nick Drake and more.
Saturday, December 21
10am-1pm Front Porch Christmas
Tune in for a healthy spoonful of holiday tunes and tried-and-true bluegrass favorites.
9pm-11pm Beyond The Edge Christmas
Host Tracy Ross brings you great holiday tunes from the Ramones, Darlene Love, Tom Waits, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and others favorites for the season.
Sunday, December 22
5am-7am Classical Encore Christmas
Hear classical music favorites on Classical Encore with Dr. John Dressler.
2pm-4pm Kitchen Sink Christmas
Host Rick Nance brings goodwill and great tunes to your ears with an excellent and eclectic playlist.
Monday, December 23
11am-Noon Candles Burning Brightly
Mindy Ratner hosts this encore celebration of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. This program explores the meaning and traditions of Chanukah, including holiday foods and Sephardic and Ashkenazi music.
Noon-1pm Hanukkah Lights 2019
Hear all new Hanukkah stories in this NPR special, hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.
9pm-11pm Café Jazz Christmas with George Eldred
Santa George pulls out all the stops to play you the best jazz tunes of the holiday season.
Tuesday, December 24 Christmas Eve
9am-11am A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
The 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.
11am-Noon Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square
The world-renowned Tabernacle Choir brings touching arrangements of familiar carols, and lesser-known melodies that are fast becoming the new classics. Julie Amacher hosts this annual favorite.
Noon-1pm Holidays from Murray State University 2019
The Murray State University Music Department celebrates the season with ensembles performing holiday favorites including the Jazz Band, Brass Choir, Concert Choir, EQ Blue, Women’s Chorus, and faculty soloist Dr. Tana Field.
9pm-11pm Café Jazz Christmas with Todd Hill
Join Dr. Todd Hill for a swingin’ Christmas featuring the Murray State Jazz Orchestra playing fun Christmas tunes.
Wednesday, December 25 Christmas Day
11am-1pm St. Olaf Christmas Festival
This service in song and word has become one of the nation's most cherished holiday celebrations including hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity and featuring more than 500 student musicians in five choirs, and the St. Olaf Orchestra.
9pm-11pm Café Jazz Christmas with Brian Clardy
Hear a fantastic new interview with a jazz personality, as well as thoughtful jazz selections for the season.
Thursday, December 26
11am-1pm White Lies Ep. 1 & 2
White Lies is a special seven-part radio series telling the story of one of the most significant unsolved murders of the Civil Rights era. In 1965, Rev. James Reeb was murdered in Selma, Alabama. Three men were tried and acquitted, but no one was ever held to account. Fifty years later, two journalists from Alabama return to the city where the murder took place, expose the lies that kept it from being solved, and uncover a story about guilt and memory that says as much about America today as it does about the past.
Friday, December 27
11am-1pm White Lies Ep. 3 & 4
Monday, December 30
11am-Noon White Lies Ep. 5
Noon-12:30pm The Big Read: Fahrenheit 451
In this half-hour special we'll explore author Ray Bradbury's terrifying vision of a future without books and his groundbreaking 1953 novel, Fahrenheit 451.
12:30pm-1pm - Bad Math: the Risks of Artificial Intelligence
Here we take a close look into Artificial Intelligence, how it influences everyday life, also why it's had such an impact on the poor and people of color.
Tuesday, December 31 New Year’s Eve
11am -1pm – White Lies Ep. 6 & 7
Wednesday, January 1, 2020 New Year’s Day
10am -Noon New Year's Day From Vienna 2020
The Vienna Philharmonic presents the popular New Year's Day concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. You'll hear your favorite waltzes, polkas and more. Happy New Year!
Noon-1pm Ken Burns Country Music Radio Special
For 8 years a group of filmmakers and historians aimed their focus on country music. After gathering 101 interviews and thousands of pictures, they put together the PBS documentary "Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns." In this special hosted by Jessie Scott, we'll hear a lot of the songs and talk with writer and producer Dayton Duncan, producer Julie Dunfey and director Ken Burns.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON ALL CLASSICAL HD-2 CHANNEL
December 15
11-1 - PSO: A Christmas Celebration
December 16
7-9 a.m. - PSO: A Christmas Celebration
December 19
4-6 - PSO: A Christmas Celebration
December 24
1-3 St. Olaf Christmas festival
3-4 - Played in Oregon: NY Polyphony
December 25
1-2 - Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
2-3 - Holidays from Murray State University 2019
3-4 - Spanish Songs for Christmas
