Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Yule

Welcome Yule Celebrate the Winter Solstice

On this shortest day, as the warg Sköll, descendent of unruly Fenrir, chases down the sun, let us boldly feast, game, share stories, and quaff mead.

Most of all, let there be bonfires – lots of bonfires.

Cut the mistletoe! Deck the halls! Fill the air with festive and reflective music for the solstice!

However it is you choose to express the primordial desire to welcome light back into the world, I raise my cup to you. Embrace life, family, and community. Embrace love. Look to the New Year with courage, optimism, and appreciation. And drive the cold winter away!

Welcome, Yule!

Still one of my favorites, and the very thing for the Winter Solstice. To enjoy the complete album, click “play all” once you follow the link.

December 21, 2021
Yule Solstice Music Bonfires on WPRB

On this shortest day, as the warg Sköll, descendent of unruly Fenrir, chases down the sun, we’ll boldly feast, game, share stories, and quaff mead. Most of all, there will bonfires – lots of bonfires. This Thursday morning on WPRB, we’ll anticipate the arrival of winter (at 11:28 EST) by cutting mistletoe, decking the halls, and filling the air waves with festive and reflective music for the solstice.

Heathen impulses will be tempered by a couple of large-scale, more-or-less Christian choral works. In the 7:00 hour, we’ll hear “The Star of Bethlehem,” by everyone’s favorite composer from Lichtenstein, Josef Rheinberger, in a performance featuring Rita Streich and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Then at 9:00, we’ll enjoy “Bethlehem,” by English composer Rutland Boughton, a work inspired by the 14th century Coventry Mystery Play. How else to incorporate Merlin into the Christmas story?

There will also be plenty of Swedish folk high jinks, a shape-shifting, vampiric reindeer from Lapland, a serenade or two to the Boar’s Head from Great Britain, and abundant selections from “The Christmas Revels.”

Get ready to sacrifice five hours to the Yule gods, even as we celebrate the arrival of the Baby Jesus, this Thursday morning from 6 to 11 EST, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. I think Yule love it, on Classic Ross Amico.

December 21, 2017
Welcome Yule Celebrate the Winter Solstice on WPRB

Welcome Yule!

No matter what your personal creed, the real reason for the season is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day, which is why this time of year so many of the world’s cultures pull out all the stops with music, drink, evergreen, gifts, and bizarre localized customs like the Yule Goat (see my post of Dec. 9). It all goes back to man’s primordial desire to restore the sun and drive the cold winter away.

This Thursday morning on WPRB, we’ll mark the year’s shortest day – and the longest night – with abundant reflection and revelry, all distilled into a cheering playlist of music for midwinter.

Of course, the morning will be heavily slanted toward the reigning midwinter festival of Christmas. There will be at least two large-scale Christmas works for chorus and orchestra – Josef Rheinberger’s “The Star of Bethlehem” and Rutland Boughton’s “Bethlehem” – to anchor all the pagan tomfoolery.

I hope you’ll join me in piling the wood high, in anticipation of a midwinter bonfire, this Thursday morning from 6 to 11 EST, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. If all goes as planned, it should go something like this, on Classic Ross Amico:

December 21, 2017
Yule Revelry on WWFM Celebrate Winter Solstice

Welcome, Yule!

It’s December 21. Skate on over to WWFM this afternoon, as I mark the year’s shortest day and longest night with abundant revelry, courtesy of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s “Victoria and Merrie England” and John Langstaff’s “The Christmas Revels.” We’ll also make festive with Christopher Rouse’s makeshift midwinter celebration, “Karolju.” Of course, we’ll have music inspired by wintry sights, sounds, and activities. And we’ll follow Arthur Honegger on his musical journey from dark-to-light, “Une cantate de Noël,” or “A Christmas Cantata.”

Join me, as we drive the cold winter away, this afternoon from 4 to 7:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

December 21, 2016
Winter Solstice & Holiday Hope

ADVENT CALENDAR – DAY 22

No matter what your personal creed, the real reason for the season is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day, which is why this time of year so many of the world’s cultures pull out all the stops with music, drink, evergreen, gifts and bizarre localized customs like the Yule goat (see my post of Dec. 3). It all goes back to man’s primordial desire to restore the sun and drive the cold winter away.

So whether you set up a crèche, light candles or get liquored up and leap over bonfires, embrace life, family and community and look to the New Year with courage, optimism and appreciation. Christmas is about nothing if not hope. And love, I suppose. Remember that the next few days when you’re tempted to exchange scowls with the person who cuts you off on the way to Christmas shopping. We’re all only human. But sometimes that can be enough.

Welcome Yule!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions:

One of my favorite Christmas albums (click “play all,” though you may have to be on guard to skip the occasional disruptive ad):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAA2q_i2tCon6CepTgeL0n1UDUim8aueq

This year, the original Revels runs through December 28. Search under “Revels Nationwide” at the top of the page (via the link below) to find the Revels nearest you.

Home

Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Revels, which used to be held in Bryn Mawr, appears to have gone belly-up. Back in the day, back in the day…

http://articles.philly.com/1989-12-15/entertainment/26159564_1_holiday-tradition-dances-christmas

It’s refreshing to see a Twelfth Night celebration scheduled for Boston. Contrary to what many believe (especially radio stations), Christmas does not end on December 25.

December 21, 2014

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