Winter Solstice, Winter Solace

We are on the cusp of winter on Now Is the Time, Saturday, December 21st at 9 pm—our new time, every Saturday night at 9 on WRTI-HD2 and the all-classical stream at wrti.org. From the Philadelphia new-music choir The Crossing we hear Benjamin C. S. Boyle’s Three Carols for Wintertide, holding up for our consideration a rose, holly and ivy, and rosemary.

For Nothing is Fred Frith’s music considering the Buddha nature; it’s for contralto with the unusual string quartet of two violins, cello, and viola da gamba. Katherine Hoover paints the image of a Native American flutist in Winter Spirits, and Adrienne Albert offers the soft Winter Solace for saxophone and piano.

The start of a solstice reminds us of beginnings of all kinds, and the Symphony No. 1 of Steven R. Gerber makes a powerful statement with warmth and lyricism.

If you’re new to Now Is the Time, just click on the Listen: Classical button at the top of the page. Day or night, that brings you the all-classical stream, and at 9 pm every Saturday, you’ll hear Now Is the Time. In the Philadelphia area with an HD radio? Dial us up at 90.1 FM, HD2, or find all the frequencies here, depending on where you are, from the Shore to the Poconos to Harrisburg to Dover. Thanks for supporting American contemporary music on WRTI!

PROGRAM:
Benjamin C. S. Boyle: Three Carols for Wintertide
Fred Frith: For Nothing
Katherine Hoover: Winter Spirits
Steven R. Gerber: Symphony No. 1
Adrienne Albert: Winter Solace
 

Every Saturday night at 9, Kile Smith brings you Now Is the Time, all styles of contemporary concert music by living American composers on WRTI-HD2 and the all-classical stream at wrti.org. Here are the recording details and complete schedule.