The holiday season takes center stage this Saturday evening at 8:00 on WHRO-FM, as “This Just In” offers a program steeped in Bach and Christmas music, all drawn from recent and noteworthy recordings. Host Raymond Jones brings together new releases that blend reflection, celebration, and a generous dose of seasonal warmth.
At the heart of the program is Bach’s Cello Suite No. 4, performed by cellist Inbal Megiddo as part of her ongoing traversal of the six suites. Released earlier this fall on the Atoll label, Megiddo’s complete cycle has been praised for its narrative vision that associates this Suite with the vital stage of maturity and confidence.
Choral color arrives with Alex Rowley’s “Christmas Suite,” performed by the London Choral Sinfonia. This album has just been released on Orchid Classics and marks the ensemble’s 10th anniversary.
Storytelling takes a prominent role in Benedict Sheehan’s setting of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” This modern retelling blends narration and choral writing, with Sarah Walker as narrator alongside the Skylark Ensemble.
We also hear the Christmas Choral Symphony by Dr. Robert Burns Arnot, a contemporary work that brings symphonic scale to the Christmas story. And rounding out the program is Benjamin Britten’s beloved “A Ceremony of Carols,” performed by Ensemble Altera in a recent release.
Settle in and get into the spirit this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, and online, with Raymond Jones and “This Just In.”
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