This is a textbook example of grasping for low-hanging fruit – or perhaps radiant leaves would be more appropriate. Be that as it may, who doesn’t love autumn? The combination of crisp, Jack Frost exhilaration and pie-induced coziness is hard to beat.
I hope you’ll join me this Thursday morning on WPRB as we celebrate the glorious season of autumn. I know, we’re already a month into it, but autumn doesn’t become truly autumn until October is ripe on the vine.
We’ll enjoy seasonal works by Cécile Chaminade, Vernon Duke, Gerald Finzi, Billy Mayerl, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Ottorino Respighi, Tomáš Svoboda, Virgil Thomson, Peter Warlock, and many, many others, as well as non-seasonal works that for some reason hold for me seasonal associations. Also, I would be remiss not to toss in a piece or two by Franz Liszt, one of the great musical minds of the 19th century – and a great person to boot – on the occasion of his 204th birthday anniversary.
I had an eager listener phone in on September 23, the Autumnal Equinox, to request music to celebrate the season. I was sorry to have to say, “Too soon!” Now that the pledge drive is over, we can all drink deep, like Dionysus at Keats’ “cyder press.” Let the rustic dances begin!
Sincere thanks to all of you who did your part last week to support independent radio. (Kenneth Hutchins, you are now the Patron Saint of Classic Ross Amico.) For those of you who weren’t listening or were unable to pledge, remember, you may do so at any time, at wprb.com. You’ll be doing me a personal kindness if you send along a line or two to let them know how much you enjoy the show.
We’ll be offering up a tray full of apples and Spiced Wafers tomorrow morning, from 6 to 11 ET, at WPRB 103.3 FM, or online at wprb.com. It will be more fun than a five-hour leaf fight on Classic Ross Amico.
