Welcome to WFDD's Triad Holiday Celebration. I'm David Ford, host of Triad Arts Up Close.

You know, each year around this time we're up against the same old conundrum. We want to reconnect with our age old holiday traditions but at the same time, we're hungry for... something a little different. For me, those conflicting feelings include the music I listen to during the holidays. For years I used to think that Christmas just wasn't Christmas without at least a token playing of the Barbara Streisand Christmas Album. But since moving here to the Piedmont Triad back in 2002, I've discovered many other holiday music traditions from the original jazz nativity “Manger Faces” held each year at Green Street United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, to the excellent vocal performances of Greensboro's Bel Canto Company, and the poetry of Joe Mills. So, today we get the best of both worlds big time--the perfect blending of the familiar and the new.

For the next two hours everything you'll hear tonight--except for the Barbara Streisand of course-- will be performed by musicians, poets and writers living right here in the Triad.

Triad Holiday Celebration 2011 is next....

Carolina Brass, Good King Wenceslas

Karon Click, I Wonder As I Wander

Triad Pride Men's Chorus, Deck the Halls

You're listening to Triad Holiday Celebration on 88.5 WFDD. I'm David Ford your host, and I'll be along with you for the next two hours as we survey the fertile music and spoken word offerings by Triad-area artists. We kicked things off this evening with the Carolina Brass performing Good King Wenceslas from their CD Carolina Brass Christmas. That was followed by Karon Click's stirring a cappella version of I Wonder As I Wander, and we just Decked the Halls in 7/8 time with the Triad Pride Men's Chorus led by Woody Faulkner.

And now for something else a little different, this is a selection from “Manger Faces” performed by members of the Green Street United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem.

Green Street United Methodist Church, “Manger Faces” (Go Tell It on the Mountain)

Pamela Howland, Fum, Fum, Fum/Pat a Pan

Immigrant's Daughter, Christ Child Lullaby

Immigrant's Daughter performed Christ Child Lullaby from their CD The Winter Moon. Prior to that we heard pianist Pamela Howland and her original rendition of Fum, Fum, Fum/Pat a Pan. Pamela is just wrapping up her short film documentary tribute to Frederick Chopin titled Remembering Frederick. And we began that last segment of our program with Green Street United Methodist Church Rev. Kelly Carpenter's stirring, jazzy little introduction to Go Tell It On the Mountain. It was performed by members of the church during last year's original jazz nativity production “Manger Faces.” Manger Faces 2011 is just finishing up even as I speak, but we're not finished here. Not by a long shot.

Salem College Chorale, Little Drummer Boy

Julie Hammarback, What Child Is This

Martha Bassett, Magnificat (original)

Miss Martha Bassett from her new CD Magnificat. We heard the title track. Martha and her band will be performing at Davis Chapel at Baptist Hospital on Christmas Eve beginning at 8:00 for a lessons and carols service. Just before Martha we heard from harpist Julie Hammarback and her beautiful arrangement of What Child Is This. And we began that set with Salem College Chorale and Little Drummer Boy. This is Triad Holiday Celebration 2011 on 88.5 WFDD. I'm David Ford. Glad to be celebrating along with you tonight.

Lee Terry & the Near Strangers, Let it be Christmas

Joe Mills, A Winter Conversation (poem)

Laurelyn Dossett, String of Pearls

Singer/songwriter and one half of PoleCat Creek Ms. Laurelyn Dossett and her original tune String of Pearls. That comes from her recent song cycle commission from the NC Symphony titled the Gathering. Laurelyn and her band had a gig just last night at the Winery in New York City.  Poet and Susan Burress Wall Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at the University of NC School of the Arts Joe Mills shared his poem A Winter Conversation with us. He wrote that touching little poem just for this show. You heard it here first on Triad Holiday Celebration, and we thank Joe very much for his artistry. His latest collection of poems out on Press 53 is “Of Love and Other Collusions”. On January 12, he'll be part of the Kenan Institute's Breathe Presentation with film scholar and author Dale Pollock.  And Lee Terry & the Near Strangers got us rolling with Let it Be Christmas. They'll be rockin and rolling at the Garage on December 23 with the Blue Gospel Avengers and Tyler Nail.

Winston-Salem Youth Chorus, This Little Babe

Robin Voiers, reading from A Christmas Memory

Frank Voltz, Good Christmas Men, Rejoice

Lisa Dames, Dear Mr. Jesus

You're listening to Triad Holiday Celebration on 88.5 WFDD. All of the music and spoken word you'll hear for the next hour or so is by Triad artists. Dear Mr. Jesus was an original from singer/songwriter Lisa Dames. Harpist Frank Voltz played Good Christian Men, Rejoice for us from his CD Noel Nouveau, and we heard Robin Voiers reading A Christmas Memory. Earlier this month Reynolda House celebrated its 25th anniversary performance of the play A Christmas Memory. They recorded Robin's performance and we thank them for sharing. And the Winston-Salem Youth Chorus treated us to a performance of This Little Babe from their CD Hear the Angels Sing.

Sheila M. Whitley, The Old Woodsen Sled's Rescue

Mark Rallings & Dave Nealon, Manger Scene (original)

Winston-Salem Symphony, The Adoration of the Magi by Otttorino Respighi

That was the Winston-Salem Symphony under the baton of maestro Robert Moody in a live recording performance of Ottorino Respighi's  The Adoration of the Magi. Mark Rallings and Dave Nealon shared their original holiday tune Manger Scene from a recording they made a few years ago. And North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications Sheila M. Whitley read her short story The Old Woodsen Sled's Rescue. Sheila's a native of High Point, and we thank her for sharing that holiday tale with us.

It's a Triad Holiday Celebration. Aren't we lucky to live where we do, especially this time of year?

Carolina Brass, O Come Emmanuel

Sean Mettler, Christmas in Dixie

Bel Canto, Infant Holy

The Carolina Brass kicked off that mini set with O Come Emmanuel and that comes from their new CD. It's called Joy of the Season on the Summit label. Next up it was country singer/songwriter, the talented Mr. Sean Mettler and a stirring in-studio recording here at WFDD of Christmas in Dixie. Sean'll be performing in King on December 22 at Our Place Too. The following evening he'll be at Old Staley's Grill and Ale in Winston-Salem, and on December 31 it's the Bucked Up Super Station in Kernersville. Bel Canto gave us a stirring rendition of Infant Holy with Music Director Welborne Young conducting. This is Triad Holiday Celebration on 88.5 WFDD, your NPR news and Triad Arts station from WFU. I'm David Ford.

Piedmont Chamber Singers, 12 Days of Christmas

Terri Kirby Erickson, A Christmas Wish

Greensboro Symphony Youth Orch, Coffee (Arabian Dance), Tea (Chinese Dance) from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker

The Arabian and Chinese dances from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. That was the Greensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra conducted by Music Director Nathaniel Beversluis. Award-winning poet Terri Kirby Erickson read her poem “A Christmas Wish”. Terri's latest collection of poetry is In the Palms of Angels, published by Press 53. And William Osborne started things off that set with the Piedmont Chamber Singers from a  2005 recording of 12 Days of Christmas.

Fire Pink Trio, Brahms Second Song Op. 91 Spiritual Lullaby

That was Fire Pink Trio: flutist Debra Reuter Pivetta, violist Sheila Browne and harpist Jacqui Bartlett performing their arrangement of the second song Op. 91 by Johannes Brahms “Spiritual Lullaby” (based on an old Christmas Carol). Their upcoming Music at Watson performance happens on Tuesday night, January 31 at 7:30 with guests violinist Joe Genualdi, and cellist Evan Richey.

Greensboro Oratorio Singers, Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah

Hallelujah indeed. We heard the Greensboro Oratorio Singers in that performance of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah. Dr. Jay O. Lambeth conducts the volunteer organization which has performed here in the Triad since 1951.

Pamela Howland Auld Lange Syne