Whether you are on the road this evening or plan to host an intimate gathering at home, if you’re looking for uplifting musical accompaniment to underscore your New Year’s Eve festivities, look no further than The Classical Network. WWFM hosts will prime you for a happy passage into 2018 with a lighthearted playlist engineered to put a smile on your face and a boost to your spirits.

The fun will commence at 8 p.m. with Carl Hemmingsen, who will get things underway with a sparkling overture by Gioachino Rossini. David Osenberg will follow at 9 with assorted dances and festive favorites, including the drinking song from “La traviata.”

My moment to shine will come at 10:00, the usual time slot for “The Lost Chord.” While not officially part of that series, unofficially I will be serving up some unusual musical hors d’oeuvres, with uproarious selections from the Hoffnung Music Festival concerts, some delectable duets from English operetta that I imagine survives only on the periphery of those with very long memories, and a dizzyingly inventive fantasia on “Auld Lang Syne” by British Light Music master Ernest Tomlinson. It is Tomlinson’s tongue-in-cheek assertion that “Auld Lang Syne” is at the root of most of the world’s enduring masterpieces – and he goes on to support his thesis with no less than 152 examples, in just under 20 minutes!

Alice Weiss will cap the evening, starting at 11, with a beloved American rhapsody, a selection of waltzes and marches, some fireworks music, and even a sip of champagne. Then I know you’ll want to stick around for the WWFM midnight countdown.

Raise a glass with The Classical Network. Thanks to all of you who have supported us for our 35th year! If you haven’t yet had a chance to make your gift, consider a year-end contribution in honor of the music that has so enhanced the quality of your life all throughout 2017. If you HAVE supported us, we will still gratefully accept any additional, end-of-the-year, tax-deductible contributions. Either way, do it soon, because at midnight 2017 will turn into a pumpkin! Visit wwfm.org and click on “Donate.”

Again, thank you for being there for WWFM – The Classical Network. We extend all best wishes for a happy and fruitful 2018!