Judging from a compact disc on the EBS label, German toy symphonies seem to have been the rage for well over a century, at least since Leopold Mozart’s wacky exercise, long attributed to Haydn, which includes plenty of drums, toy trumpets and bird whistles. We’ll hear one of those this afternoon, which may or may not be the escape from Christmas you’re looking for, depending on whether or not you have little ones congregating at your house.
We’ll also have music for St. Stephen’s Day, including some musical commemorations of Good King Wenceslas and acknowledgements of the Irish tradition of “hunting the wren.”
Finally, we’ll get caught up with Hanukkah, as we wind down on the second day of the Festival of Lights and begin the third at sunset.
Christmas proper may be over, but I assure you, things will remain quite festive, this afternoon from 4 to 7 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.
PHOTO: Here come the Wren Boys!
