Holiday Programming 2022

‘Tis the season!
Here is what Radio Catskill has in store for you this holiday season.

Saturday, December 17

Noon – THE BALLAD OF THE BROWN KING & OTHER MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS BY BLACK COMPOSERS – Dr. Louise Toppin presents the world premiere recording of Margaret Bonds’s The Ballad of the Brown King, with a libretto by Langston Hughes. Plus, other musical selections from Dr. Toppin. From WFMT, Chicago.

Sunday, December 18

1p.m. – BORSCHT BEAT CHANUKAH SPECIAL #1 – Host Aaron Bendich prepares an hour of music and more to set the mood on the afternoon of the first night of Chanukah!

8p.m. – COZY CATSKILLS HOLIDAY REVUE ON SUNDAY STAGE – A retro-style variety show for the whole family hosted by Camellia & Odetta Hartman, featuring The Ladybug Land Entertainers, special guests, and tunes from the classic holiday songbook. Airs on Radio Catskill the same weekend that you can See it LIVE in person at the Tusten Theatre in Narrowsburg! Presented in partnership with the DVAA.

Wednesday, December 21

10am – THE CHRISTMAS REVELS: IN CELEBRATION OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE 2022 – A Two-hour musical celebration of the Winter holidays: Christmas, the Solstice, Yule, Chanukah, New Year’s and more. We are airing this broadcast of traditional carols, chants, wassails, and folk dance-tunes takes place on Solstice Day! Celebrate the return of the sun and brighter days ahead with host Catherine Lu, from Houston Public Media.

8p.m. – THE RETRO COCKTAIL HOUR CHRISTMAS SHOW – Two full hours of hip-shaking, tiki-drink-stirring holiday tunes that will look great under your pink-and-white Christmas tree! From Kansas Public Radio, hosted by Darrel Brogdon.

Saturday, December 24

10a.m. – A FESTIVAL of NINE LESSONS & CAROLS – LIVE from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England, this service has been a Christmas Eve tradition for more than a century, and now it’s a Radio Catskill tradition, too. Featuring biblical readings, a cappella and organ-accompanied anthems, hymns, carols, and related seasonal ‘classical’ music. This global broadcast comes to us from American Public Media and is presented by Pipedreams host Michael Barone.

NOON – HANDEL’S MESSIAH: A SOULFUL CELBRATION – Janus Adams presents excerpts from the album Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, which reinterprets the baroque masterpiece through the lens of hundreds of years of Black music history. Includes interviews with Darryl Tookes, one of the performers on the original recording.

1p.m. – SOUNDS JEWISH HANUKKAH SPECIAL – Sounds Jewish host Andy Muchin welcomes Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, with an hour of songs from around the Jewish world. From Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

3p.m. – CHRISTMAS GIFT OF MUSIC – Now & Then with Kathy Geary
Music makes everything special and magic and we’re in really good company! Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Chris Martin and Coldplay. The Beach Boys sing a glorious acapella “Our Prayer” then “God Only Knows”. Bob Dylan croons a happy “Silver Bells”. Sting, the folk rock band Fotheringay and  Jacob Collier celebrate Christmas. James Taylor sings another old carol “In the Bleak MidWinter”. We end our program with the timeless unforgettable music of John Lennon and The Beatles with “Christmas Time is Here Again”.

Sunday, December 25

1p.m. – BORSCHT BEAT CHANUKAH SPECIAL #2 – Host Aaron Bendich spins ANOTHER hour of music to celebrate the Festival of Lights on the next-to-last day of Chanukah!

8 p.m. – LIVE AT KLEZKAMP ON SUNDAY STAGE – For 30 years, KlezKamp was a kind of Yiddish Fantasy Camp in the Catksills that featured the best musicians in the worldwide Yiddish music movement. This Sunday Stage special on the seventh night of Hanukkah features excerpts from KlezKamp’s annual Staff Concerts as well as the 2004 KlezKamp that was broadcast LIVE from Swan Lake on WJFF Radio Catskill.

Saturday, December 31

NOON – A SEASON’S GRIOT 2022 – An hour-long celebration for the sixth day of Kwanzaa, featuring tales and traditions of African American and African peoples. Featuring the show’s poet laureate, Beverly Fields Burnette, host Madafo Lloyd Wilson, and others.  From WHQR, North Carolina.