It's the most wonderful time of the year on KBACH! November 29, Black Friday, enjoy our annual Yuletide Teaser, 24 hours of holiday music to get you in the Christmas spirit. Then back to our usual December mix: You'll gradually notice more and more seasonal music as we move through the month, until it's all Christmas, all day, December 23 - 25.
And be sure to add these festive features to your calendar ...
A Month of Magnificat: 31 Days, 31 Settings
December 1 - 31 (3AM and 3PM hours)
The Magnifcat, or Song of Mary, is one of the most frequently set Bible passages in classical music: “My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-55). There are hundreds of settings, spanning every era of classical music. Tune in each day in December during the 3AM and 3PM hours for a different composer’s approach to the song.
Handel's Messiah with the Phoenix Symphony
December 9 (7PM)
The Phoenix Symphony and Chorus present Handel's complete choral classic.
Reel Music: Christmas at the Movies
December 21 (6PM)
The holidays wouldn’t be the same without those cherished Christmas classics—A Christmas Carol (1951), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas … Pour a mug of egg nog and enjoy Christmas at the movies.
Sunday Baroque Christmas
December 22 (6AM - 10AM)
Host Suzanne Bona is playing holiday classics from Handel, Bach, and all their buddies from the 17th and early 18th centuries.
A Phoenix Chorale Christmas
December 24 (7PM)
Gather the family around your radio or smart speaker and enjoy the premiere broadcast of the Phoenix Chorale's 2024 holiday concert.
KBACH's Most Wanted Holiday Songs
December 24 (12PM)
What’s your favorite holiday song, and why? Click here to let us know! Voting closes December 15. Then, listen as Linda Cassidy counts down the top 20, December 24 at noon. We might play your favorite and share your story!
Handel's Messiah Part I
December 25 (3AM and 7PM)
It's a KBACH tradition! Relax after the festivities of the day and enjoy one of history's finest seasonal works, the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah.
Hanukkah Classics
December 25 - January 2
Listen each evening throughout Hanukkah for a classic or two to mark the Jewish festival.
A Wintry Mix
December 26 - 31
Gone will be the carols, but you'll still hear a dusting of seasonally appropriate pieces throughout the day, such as Emile Waldteufel's Skaters Waltz, Randall Thompson's Frostiana, and Josef Strauss' Winterlust Polka.
Kwanzaa Classics
December 26 - January 1 (2PM hour)
KBACH will mark the seven days of Kwanzaa with a classical work for each day's theme. Tune in during the 2PM hour to hear pieces by Valerie Coleman, Florence Price, R. Nathaniel Dett, William Grant Still, and Lettie B. Alston.
Reel Music: New Beginnings
December 28 (6PM)
As you prepare your resolutions, celebrate new beginnings with music for characters who made a fresh start. Hear themes from The Truman Show, My Fair Lady, Groundhog Day, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Fried Green Tomatoes.
Auld Lang Syne
December 31
Throughout the last day of the year, we'll toss in various arrangements of that familiar New Year's song. The Royal Philharmonic and Chorus, Haydn Trio Eisenstadt with tenor Jamie MacDougall, and Yo-Yo Ma with Chris Botti--just some of the artists and ensembles you'll hear.
KBACH's New Year's Eve Toast
December 31 (10PM - Midnight)
Ring in the New Year with a selection of waltzes, polkas, and other celebratory music, the perfect playlist for your festivities.
New Year's Day from Vienna 2025
January 1 (12PM)
It's the most listened to concert of the year, heard by classical music lovers in more than 90 countries. The Vienna Philharmonic plays a mix of waltzes and polkas by the Strauss family, as well as compositions from their contemporaries, for a festive start to the New Year.
