Join GDPR for our annual yuletide celebration: 24 Hours of Christmas — multigenre holiday sounds, comedy, classic old-time radio including Christmas staples It’s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and Miracle on 34th Street (featuring the original movie casts!), and more! Starting midnight Central Time, make us your holiday’s soundtrack.
Here’s the schedule (all times Central; please adjust accordingly):
12 am Appetizer Radio’s Christmas Out of the Box – a melange of unexpected indie holiday tunes from host and chef D Grant Smith
2 am From 1945: The Messiah: A Christmas story about the life of the composer George Frederick Handel, and how he came to write “The Messiah.” Edward Arnold stars as narrator and as Handel in this Theater of Romance special first broadcast on the first peacetime Christmas following many years of war.
2:30 am From 1944: A Stable in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: A most unusual Christmas play, written by Charles Tazewell and starring Victor Jory, that offers special meaning for all of us.
3 am From 1947: Abbott and Costello Christmas Show: Celebrate the holiday with the hilarious legendary comedy duo.
3:30 am From 1944: Kraft Music Hall’s Holiday Inn Christmas Program with Bing Crosby: A little music, a little comedy, a great show!
4 am Appetizer Radio’s Christmas Faves Special: You know ’em, you love ’em — it’s just not Christmas without these songs, presented by D Grant Smith.
5 am Appetizer Radio’s Christmas Originals Special: Modern holiday songs that give new meaning to Christmas, presented by
D Grant Smith.
6 am La Nochebuena Christmas with the Rose Ensemble: The acclaimed Twin Cities’ Rose Ensemble presents a program, both rhythmic and regal, that explores the great variety of early music that filled the royal court of Ferdinand and Isabella and flooded the chapels and streets of Renaissance Spain at Christmastime. The program is hosted and produced by public radio veteran Tom Crann and the Rose Ensemble’s founder & artistic director Jordan Sramek.
7 am Edge of Americana Holiday Show: Hosts Josh Bearman and djottojd of Richmond Independent Radio bring you holiday sounds from the traditional genres of old-time, bluegrass, blues, jug band, ragtime, early jazz, novelty songs, and classic country.
8 am The Vinyl Cafe Holiday Special: This memorable hour features the last Vinyl Cafe show; it’s hosted by CBC radio legend Stuart McLean, who sadly passed away this year, and features wondrous acoustic and folk sounds of the season. The recording was a happy accident and it’s a gift for all who hear it.
9 am It’s A Wonderful Life: The Lux Radio Theater‘s radio drama version of the now-revered 1946 film is a marvel. It stars James Stewart, Donna Reed, and the rest of the original cast. Did you hear a bell ring? Atta boy, Clarence.
10 am Miracle on 34th Street: The Lux Radio Theater’s radio drama version of the 1947 film favorite headed by Maureen O’Hara and John Payne, and with Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle, the true Santa.
11 am A Christmas Carol: Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater present Lionel Barrymore in his iconic role as Ebenezer Scrooge in this 1939 adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic.
12 pm Reggaetime Christmas: GDPR’s Natalie Davis brings you roots and conscious reggae sounds on the holiday tip.
1 pm Peace on Earth: A Holiday Folk Tour: Folk-singing legend Judy Collins hosts an hour-long program that features musical takes on the holiday season from folk artists from across the country. The music includes many new originals — some thoughtful, some whimsical – along with a few holiday favorites. Along the way, many of the artists reflect on the holidays and tell the stories behind their songs.
2 pm Appetizer Radio’s Holiday and Christmas Special – two hours of great indie holiday sounds served up by your host and chef D Grant Smith
4 pm The Stuph File Program presents the Meshach and Malik Christmas Special, hosted by the nephews of Canadian radio legend and author Peter Anthony Holder. It’s an hour of funny holiday sounds and the charm of two delightfully smart and sweet youngsters (who are now grownups – waaaah!).
5 pm Christmas Crazies: Charlie Warren presents light holiday ditties, wacky Christmas classics, and quirky quips in a fast-moving, fun program.
6 pm A Christmas Carol: Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater present Lionel Barrymore in his iconic role as Ebenezer Scrooge in this 1939 radio adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic.
7 pm Miracle on 34th Street: The Lux Radio Theater’s radio drama version of the 1947 film favorite features the original cast headed by Maureen O’Hara and John Payne, and with Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle, the true Santa.
8 pm It’s A Wonderful Life: The Lux Radio Theater‘s radio drama version of the now-revered 1946 film is a marvel. It stars James Stewart, Donna Reed, and the rest of the original cast. Where are ZuZu’s petals?
9 pm UpFront Soul Christmas: Sanguine Fromage of Community Radio WERU in Maine fills our stocking with soulful Christmas classics from James Brown, Louis Armstrong, and Mahalia Jackson, and lights the way with Hanukkah gems from Sharon Jones and Aaron Myers.
11 pm Jazz Christmas Holiday Close out this most magical of days with host Howard Burchette, who presents classic jazz from many of the masters as they interpret holiday and Christmas favorites.