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A special Christmas Eve hour of Radio Boston

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Sleigh races on Salem Street in Medford, thought to have inspired Pierpont's "Jingle Bells," circa 1883. (Courtesy of the Medford Historical Society)
Sleigh races on Salem Street in Medford, thought to have inspired Pierpont's "Jingle Bells," circa 1883. (Courtesy of the Medford Historical Society)

This is the Radio Boston rundown for Dec. 24. Tiziana Dearing is our host.

  • From "White Christmas," to "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer," to "Santa Baby," Jewish American composers helped create the sound of Christmas and re-invent the holiday for a new country. We hear from Rob Kapilow, conductor, composer and host of the concert, "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas," which was part of Celebrity Series of Boston's "What Makes It Great?" program back in December 2019. Kapilow is also author of "Listening For America: Inside The Great American Songbook From Gershwin to Sondheim."
  • Did you know Jingle Bells is about ... MEDFORD?! We talk with listeners about their Christmas music favorites, many of which are from New England, with Joe Bennett, professor and musicologist at Berklee School of Music.
  • "A Christmas Carol" is one of the all-time classic Christmas stories. But did you know that more than 150 years ago, British author Charles Dickens actually came to Boston to read his story out loud for a captivated audience? We hear that story from Susan Wilson, official house historian of the Omni Parker House in Boston.

This program aired on December 24, 2021.

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