This week, prepare to celebrate the Glorious Fourth with inspiring musical programs that explore America's history, spirit, and musical legacy. From Revolutionary-era music and the words of the Founding Fathers, to European and African influences on American classical music and timeless patriotic songs, WHRO-FM offers a memorable musical tribute to the nation's founding.
First, tune in Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. for “A
Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection.” Raymond Jones invites you to enjoy a memorable musical prelude to Independence Day. We begin the evening by hopping over the Potomac to hear the National Men’s Chorus and Washington Symphonic Brass perform a big medley of patriotic tunes, including “The Liberty Song;” “Chester;” “Columbia the Gem of the Ocean” and the “Ode to the Fourth of July.” Next comes “Life and Liberty,” a cantata by Thomas Beveridge based on the writings of George Mason, and “Ode of our Fathers,” to conclude this medley with a special focus on founding ideals and freedom. From there, we travel to the Yorktown Battlefield, where the Fifes and Drums of Colonial Williamsburg recreate the sounds of the Revolutionary War with British and American tunes, including "The World Turned Upside Down." Back in Northern Virginia, the West Potomac High School Singers of Alexandria present a generous selection of patriotic songs drawn from America's rich choral and ceremonial tradition. To conclude this iconic program, we hear Randall Thompson's "Testament of Freedom." Commissioned by the University of Virginia in 1943 to commemorate the bicentennial of Thomas Jefferson's birth, the work sets Jefferson's own words to music, celebrating the enduring principles of liberty, democracy, and hope that continue to define the nation.
Then, on Friday the 3rd at 6 pm, tune in for a special one-hour program celebrating early American classical music, “Vienna in the Wilderness: The Moravian Sound.” This is a must-hear for anyone who wants to unravel the origins of our classical music. The Moravians, early Protestants who settled in North Carolina and Pennsylvania in the 18th century, were composers, instrument makers, and musicians and thought music was essential to life. Therefore, they brought classical music in the European tradition to America and transformed it. The program features works by the first American-born composer of chamber music, John Antes, as well as selections from the “Psalm of Joy” by Johann Friedrich Peter, which was performed during the first musical celebration of American Independence held in Salem, North Carolina on July 4, 1783.
Finally, we reach the Fourth with “This Just In” on Saturday at 8:00 pm. Your host Raymond Jones presents three hours dedicated to the newest classical releases, with a distinctly American flavor this week. The evening opens with George Walker's Sinfonia No. 5, "Visions," a deeply moving work that brings a powerful meditation on resilience and remembrance. From there, we hear America through the eyes of Czech composer Antonín Dvořák, whose beloved Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," is performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The program continues with Carlos Simon's “Four Black American Dances”, a vibrant celebration of African American musical traditions, blending classical orchestration with the energy of social and sacred dance. Next comes Igor Stravinsky's “Pulcinella Suite” in a spirited performance by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Also featured is a new release from conductor Eric Jacobsen and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, joined by legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis, showcasing an exciting artistic partnership. Adding a touch of Americana, pianist Lara Downes performs an evocative arrangement of Woody Guthrie's enduring folk anthem "This Land Is Your Land," a song that continues to speak to the nation's ideals of unity and belonging. The program concludes with music by an iconic American composer: Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.
This Week on WHRO-FM
- Wednesday at 9:00 pm - “A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection”
- Friday at 6:00 pm - “Vienna in the Wilderness: The Moravian Sound”
- Saturday at 8:00 pm - “This Just In"
Tune in on WHRO-FM 90.3 for these unique star-spangled programs, or listen online through our Media Player or your preferred device.
