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Music

Two hour special broadcast: Christmas Stocking with Glenn Mitchell

A special holiday broadcast of Christmas Stocking with Glenn Mitchell. Mitchell has spent the past 30 years collecting interviews with musicologists, historians, writers, astronomers and theologians, as well as audio clippings covering the oddities of Christmas and musical selections from the sublime to the ridiculous - from Handel's Messiah to I Want a Goat for Christmas.

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McLaughlin's music career at a crossroads

Veteran Twin Cities acoustic guitarist Billy McLaughlin has reached a turning point in his career. Health problems are forcing him to, for the most part, lay down his instrument. The five-time Minnesota Music Award winner has been diagnosed with focal dystonia, a neurological movement disorder.

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Welcome Christmas! 2003: VocalEssence winter concert

Every Christmas season, VocalEssence and The American Composers Forum sponsor a competition for composers to write new carols. The winning entries are premiered in the annual Welcome Christmas! concert. Listen to the entire concert with host John Birge.

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Papa John Kolstad plays again

A Minneapolis musician is releasing his first recording in 25 years. Papa John Kolstad's roots go back to the beginning of the Minneapolis folk scene. Now at 61, he returns with a CD of up-tempo blues and swing songs and a renewed vigor for making music.

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Folk Underground: Happy little pop songs about going to hell

For the most part, folk music is happy, wholesome stuff. But there is a dark edge to some of it, and that's where a new local band, Folk Underground, comes in. The trio just release its first album, Buried Things. It features a mixture of traditional music and the band's own material, which members describe as "happily morbid."

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Berlioz 200th birthday celebration

Hector Berlioz was one of the most extraordinary composers of the 19th century. He lived during a time when German composers dominated the music world, and when France was less interested in music than literary works. So, it was not until the 20th century that his sheer brilliance and initiative was fully recognized. Join host Michael Barone for this special four-hour program dedicated to the works and life of Berlioz.

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Dale Warland Singers present "Echoes of Christmas 2003"

This final Echoes of Christmas concert features three world premieres, all of which have been written by talented composers from within the Dale Warland Singers organization.

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Former Minnesota Public Radio music host Mark Sheldon loses battle with cancer

Mark Sheldon—singer, choral conductor and nationally recognized radio announcer and producer—died on Tuesday, December 9 at his home in Denver after a long and heroic battle with cancer. He was 43 years old.

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Holiday Music Recordings

Where do you go for memorable recordings of holiday music? Philadelphia, for starters. That's one place that turned up when we polled Minnesota Public Radio's Music staff for their recommendations on holiday discs. In fairness—though there are a couple of classic discs that hail from Philly—we also received suggestions that range from Baroque to brand-new, and from pop to opera.

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Halloween Alaska draws on big names to celebrate.... the 80's?

Members of three prominent Twin Cities musical groups, Happy Apple, 12 Rods, and Love Cars are taking a break from their noisier roles as rock and jazz musicians. They've formed a new band called Halloween, Alaska. The group describes its songs as quiet, mood pop, with a heavy nod to one of its favorite musical eras, the 1980s.
by Chris Roberts

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