¡Buenos dias, amigos! I hope you’re enjoying the Mexican music this morning, as we celebrate Cinco de Mayo. There’s certainly plenty more to come.

We can also expect visits from two special guests:

Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider will drop by in the 9:00 hour to talk a little but about her new work, “Hiraeth,” which will be heard on a concert of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra at Richardson Auditorium on May 15 at 4 p.m. In addition, the PSO will host a performance of Snider’s song cycle, “Penelope,” at Princeton High School Performing Arts Center on May 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Then around 10:00., Lyn Ransom, artistic director of VOICES Chorale, will join us to talk about the choir’s season finale, which will include a performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem. Dr. Ransom is an advocate of performing the work in the French style. We’ll find out exactly what that means during the course of our conversation. The performance will take place at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Princeton on Friday at 8 p.m.

Otherwise, we’re south of the border, with music by Mexican composers and composers of the United States influenced by Mexico, including José Pablo Moncayo, Mario Lavista, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Conlon Nancarrow and Silvestre Revueltas, among others.

The Mexican army defeated the French forces at the Battle of Puebla against overwhelming odds on this date in 1862. Celebrate with us until 11 EDT on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com

More about the origins of the holiday here:

http://www.banderasnews.com/1405/nr-why-mexico-celebrates-cinco-de-mayo.htm

#CincoDeMayo