It's the most wonderful time of the year on KBACH! November 28, Black Friday, enjoy our annual Yuletide Teaser, 24 hours of holiday music to get you in the Christmas spirit. Then, it's back to our usual mix, with just a carol or two here and there to start. You'll gradually notice more and more seasonal music as we move through December, 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.
The Phoenix Symphony: Handel's Messiah
December 10 (7PM)
The valley's own, Phoenix Symphony and Chorus perform Handel's masterpiece.
Reel Music: Christmas at the Movies
December 13 (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.
Hanukkah Classics
December 14 - 22
Listen each evening throughout Hanukkah for a classic or two to mark the Jewish festival.
Reel Music: Can't Get Enough of Christmas at the Movies
December 20 (6PM)
If every Christmas you have to watch 10 versions of Scrooge or the entire Tim Allen Santa Clause franchise, this episode of Reel Music is for you. Enjoy themes from Spirited, Krampus, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Santa Claus: The Movie, and more. It’s themes for those of us who can’t get enough of Christmas at the movies.
A Chorale Christmas
December 23 (7PM)
Guest conductor Edith Copley leads Phoenix Chorale in this year's holiday concert that includes cherished Christmas favorites and some new seasonal works.
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.
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.
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 2026
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.
