Holidays on KBACH

It's the most wonderful time of the year on KBACH! Beginning the evening of December 1, 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. Plus, you'll want to add these festive features to your calendar:

A Month of Magnificat: 31 Days, 31 Settings
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.

Hanukkah Classics 
December 7-15
Listen each evening throughout Hanukkah for a classic or two to mark the Jewish festival.

Holiday Arizona Encore
December 19 (7PM)
Relax at the end of the day with some caroling, courtesy of The Phoenix Chorale from their 2022 holiday concert.

A Phoenix Chorale Christmas
December 21 (7PM) 
Gather the family around your radio or smart speaker and enjoy the premiere broadcast of the Phoenix Chorale's 2023 holiday concert.

Reel Music Holiday Double Header
December 23 (6PM)
Two hours of themes from Christmas movies! First, at 6PM, enjoy "Christmas at the Movies," featuring music from those holiday classics we have to watch every year. Then, stick around at 7PM for "Can't Get Enough of Christmas at the Movies," music from all of those other Christmas movies that we have to watch too because ... well, we can't get enough of Christmas at the movies. More info here.

Sunday Baroque Christmas
December 24 (6AM - 10AM)
Host Suzanne Bona is playing holiday classics from Handel, Bach, and all their buddies from the 17th and early 18th centuries.

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 17. Then, listen as we count 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! We'll air the complete Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah. Relax after the festivities of the day and enjoy one of history's finest seasonal works.

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.

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.

Reel Music: New Beginnings
December 30 (6PM)
As we embark on a new year, we’ll celebrate new beginnings with music for characters who made a fresh start. Hear themes from The Truman ShowMy Fair LadyGroundhog DayUnder the Tuscan Sun, and Fried Green Tomatoes.

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 2024
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.