Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

Music

Twelve months of music

Midmorning showcases the year in music and highlights the good, the bad and the just plain weird. Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Christmas carols are a family tradition

If you've been shopping this holiday season, chances are you've heard a carol by Alfred Burt playing on the speaker overhead. Songs like "Caroling, Caroling" and "Some Children See Him" have become standards. His grand-niece Abbie Burt Betinis is upholding that tradition. The Minneapolis-based composer has written her fourth annual Christmas carol for the year 2004. Like two generations before her, Betinis will be sending her carol out as her holiday greeting card this year.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Silent Night a part of Willmar man's family tree

Silent Night is one of the most popular Christmas carols ever written. It has special meaning for a Willmar man, who played the song for years before he discovered his family's connection to its music.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

A cure for the common carol

If you set foot in any store this week chances are you heard some Christmas music. Some of it's good, some of it's bad--and some of it is just plain ugly. Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham spoke to classical music host Bob Christiansen to get some meaningful music picks.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Christmas hymn born out of anquish

A Christmas hymn created by a Minnesota composer years ago grew out of the life and death struggle of his three-year-old son. The good news is the child survived, and the hymn went on to become a big favorite. Earlier this month, 50 years after writing the hymn, composer Paul Manz was listening to a live radio broadcast and got an early Christmas present. He heard a world famous choral group sing the tune.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

King's College Choir reverberates throughout the Cathedral of St. Paul

The internationally renowned Choir of King's College, Cambridge, performed its first-ever Christmas concert in Minnesota Dec. 13, 2004, at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Their performance is captured in song, and in photos.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

A musical holiday wishlist

Santa is not the only one with his list checked twice. Classical host Julie Amacher shares holiday picks that might help you deck the halls.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Musicians group fights racial stereotypes

Music primarily created by African-Americans -- jazz, blues, hip hop and rock and roll -- is enjoyed by many white Americans. But, generally, the door doesn't seem to swing the other way when it comes to forms of music dominated by white artists. But that trend is slowly changing.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Hip-hop from the north woods

The guys in Crew Jones are rappers, and they rap about the usual stuff -- going swimming, getting caught in a snowstorm, watching ships on Lake Superior. They're north woods rappers from Duluth. But this is no novelty act. These guys mean business.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

The band life

Indie rock clubs in the Twin Cities are often populated with 20-something men and women who are musicians in bands. It's a lifestyle that revolves around the bar scene. St. Paul singer songwriter Martin Devaney is currently living "the band life," and the bar is the setting for many of the songs on his new CD, "La Mancha."

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.