Putting a Cap on 2011

by Ian Stewart
Fri, December 30, 2011
Zee Avi

Yes, it's true--the end of 2011 is here. And, I feel lucky enough to have had the chance to play some great World Music for you, especially in the new time slot of 10pm to Midnite (The World Music Show was on Saturdays at 1pm while the Opera was out of season). So on this week's World Music Show (Saturday at a special time, 8:00 p.m.), I get the opportunity to play of my favorite new songs from the past year.

Masterpiece Sweepstakes Winner Writes About His English Adventures

by WCVE PBS/WHTJ PBS
Fri, December 23, 2011
Greg Sieminski and his wife, Ginny

As the lucky winner of the Masterpiece 40th Anniversary Sweepstakes, Greg Sieminski and his wife, Ginny, visited England in September 2011 for a VIP tour of Highclere Castle—the “real” setting for “Downton Abbey,” the popular Masterpiece miniseries now showing on the Community Idea Stations. The Sieminskis also visited Agatha Christie’s Greenway and Blenheim Palace, site of the “Lost Prince.”

Bells will be Ringing

by Ian Stewart
Fri, December 23, 2011
Pink Martini

Ok, quick quick. Like that magician in the family holiday TV classic "Frosty the Snowman," I'm Busy, Busy, Busy. It's holiday time, and like many of you, there's lots to do. But, I wanted to make sure that those who want to be in the know, knew what to expect from this week's World Music "Holiday" Show (12/24). So, in honor of the Holiday Season, I'll skip the superfluous stuff and get right to it. 

Christmas Blues? Not if We Have Anything to Say About It!

by John Porter
Thu, December 22, 2011
John Porter's Blues Santa

Ho-Ho-Ho! It's a Time for the Blues Christmas Special this week (12/25/11) and for the first time in our show's history, it actually airs on Christmas Day and we couldn't be merrier! Look at me--I'm Santa's Blueswailing helper! (or maybe just a bit more?--H.)

Holiday Specials To Make Your Holidays Special

by Bobbie Barajas
Mon, December 19, 2011
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, King's College, Cambridge

We invite you to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Kwanzaa with WCVE Public Radio.

A Little Respite

by Ian Stewart
Fri, December 16, 2011
Issa Bagayogo

Ah, the weather. It's always a perfect conversation starter, which is why I'm starting this blog with it. Earlier last week, when I pulled CD's for The World Music Show (12/17), the weather was a whole lot cooller. I thought "Finally! Winter is upon us." But today, as I write this, the temps were hovering near 70 degrees. And when the show actually aires, the tempurature will go back down to a more December-like number. It's whacky, this Richmond weather, but that's Richmond for you, right?

"Great Performances: The Little Mermaid from the San Francisco Ballet"

John Neumeier -- director and chief choreographer for Hamburg Ballet -- blends dance, dramatic storytelling and spectacle into a unique interpretation of a classic Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. With choreography, sets, costumes, and lighting, all by Neumeier, this ballet—as much theater as it is dance—takes the dancers into deep emotional terrain. The acclaimed production of The Little Mermaid from San Francisco Ballet airs on GREAT PERFORMANCES.

Chanticleer, Handel’s Messiah and a Festival of 9 Lessons and Carols

by Bobbie Barajas
Fri, December 16, 2011
Handel's handwritten Messiah score

Choral fans, December 23rd and 24th are tailor made for you. On December 23rd...

A Chanticleer Christmas, 2:00 p.m. - A Chanticleer Christmas is a celebration of the season as told through the glorious voices of Chanticleer, the 12-voice San Francisco-based men's choir. The program spans the globe and the centuries, from England in the 1300s to new arrangements of classical and contemporary carols.

“Old Chestnuts and the Goldwax Story, Episode 9”

by Henry Cook
Fri, December 16, 2011
Chestnuts in a Target bag

What says the holidays more than a bunch of chestnuts in a Target bag? Join us on Time for the Blues this week (12/18/11) as we play some of our favorite "old" chestnuts from our early years! And for dessert, another episode of the "The Goldwax Story!"

Picasso and Einstein Make An Interesting Pair

John Porter in Theater Reviews

Two men walk into a bar. Their names are Picasso and Einstein. Theatre critic John Porter listens in next.