PRE's holiday programming will air on PRE Classical at 90.3 Kinston-Goldsboro, 91.5 Atlantic Beach-Beaufort, 88.5 New Bern, and on 89.3 HD2 across Eastern North Carolina. You can also listen to the PRE Classical livestream at publicradioeast.org.
Welcome Christmas
Airs Thursday, December 11 at 7 p.m.
“Welcome Christmas” is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world's premier choral ensembles, conducted by Philip Brunelle and G. Phillip Shoultz. Join host Bonnie North for an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries.
Carols, Customs and Candlelight: A Celtic Christmas Celebration
Airs Friday, December 12th at 7 p.m.
The Celtic lands of Northwestern Europe have an especially rich musical heritage, and many Christmas songs and carols come from places like Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and other Celtic nations. Listen as host Andrea Blain explores music and customs that have roots in ancient winter celebrations and traditional Christmas festivals. The music features classical ensembles and soloists like Apollo’s Fire and Bryn Terfel, as well as traditional instruments like harp, fiddle and mandolin. Lots of well-known Christmas music comes from the Celtic tradition, and some very beautiful but lesser-known festive music.
Hanukkah Lights 2025
Airs Sunday, December 14th at 6 p.m.
This NPR favorite returns with new stories plus gems from the archive. Hosted by Murray Horwitz with Susan Stamberg.
Candles Burning Brightly
Airs Monday, December 15th at 7 p.m.
A delightful hour for everyone to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights! Lots of music from Jewish communities around the world, plus a hilarious lesson on how to prepare a classic Chanukah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home. 2024 encore.
St. Olaf Christmas Festival (2 hour program)
Airs Thursday, December 18th at 7 p.m.
A service in song and word that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations. The festival includes hymns, carols, choral works, as well as orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity and featuring more than 500 student musicians in five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra.
A Chanticleer Christmas
Airs Friday, December 19th at 12 p.m.
Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer is known as the “orchestra of voices” for its unparalleled range and abilities. This holiday season, the group brings its brand-new Christmas program that includes original arrangements of well-known tunes drawn from Classical, Jazz, and Popular traditions. They fluently weave between diverse musical styles to create an evening of wonder and joy.
Joy To The World – A Holiday in Pink
Airs Friday, December 19th at 7 p.m.
The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra" Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. From timeless classics to rarely heard gems, hear a multi-denominational, multi-cultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by Ari Shapiro.
Canadian Brass Christmas
Airs Saturday, December 20th at 8 p.m.
It is a holiday tradition that you won’t want to miss… Coming to you this holiday season, it’s a Canadian Brass Christmas, featuring seasonal favorites like White Christmas and The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, as well as music spanning from Johann Sebastian Bach to Glenn Miller.
The Sound of Cinnamon
Airs Sunday, December 21st at 5 p.m.
What does hygge mean to you? Maybe it means friendship, laughter, or more concrete things like warmth, light, seasonal food and drink. It might make you think of sitting by the fire on a cold winter night, wearing your favorite oversized sweater, reading a book, and sipping cinnamon tea. Jake Armerding invites you to experience coziness and contentment with a hygge soundtrack perfect for finding your favorite pair of slippers and putting your feet up.
In Winter’s Glow
Airs Sunday, December 21st at 6 p.m.
A winter solstice program, with modern classical sounds for the longest night of the year, chosen especially to complement the chilly, starry nights of the season.
A Paul Winter Solstice
Airs Sunday, December 21st at 7 p.m.
This year, Solstice Live! warms up the longest night of the year with a taste of the tropics. This one-hour Winter Solstice special brings a starry array of Brazilian guests, including Ivan Lins, Renato Braz, and Luciana Souza, with the Paul Winter Consort at the annual solstice concerts in New York’s Cathedral of St John the Divine. John Schaefer hosts.
Christmas with Madrigalia 2025
Airs Tuesday, December 3rd at 10 a.m.
Rochester, NY chamber choir Madrigalia and Artistic Director Cary Ratcliff present a concert of traditional carols, anthems and new arrangements to celebrate the winter solstice, Chanukah and Christmas around the world.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Airs Wednesday, December 24th at 10:30 a.m.
Since 1918, “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” has offered listeners an opportunity to share in a live, worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of biblical readings, carols and related seasonal classical music. This special, two-hour event is presented by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys, and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the college’s 500-year-old chapel.
A Choral Christmas with Stile Antico
Airs Friday, December 26th at 7 p.m.
Celebrate Christmas with the sound of soaring voices. Stile Antico, the award-winning choir from London, pays a visit to St. Paul's Church on Harvard Square for a concert of radiant sacred music for the Christmas season by the most acclaimed composers of the renaissance. Hear the group's luminous blend of voices sing the intricately woven music of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. Hosted by Cathy Fuller of WGBH.
2025 Remembered (2 hour program)
Airs Monday, December 29th at 7 p.m.
Join The Current in honoring the life, music, and legacy of artists we lost this year with 2025 Remembered from The Current. This two-hour musical tribute is a celebration of all sounds - from indie to influential - and the perfect way for music lovers to unite in paying homage to the artists who have shaped music history.