The Dale Warland Singers were America's premiere a capella choir for over three decades, and more than 20 of those seasons were graced by a remarkable event, their annual Echoes of Christmas concert. Hundreds of public radio stations carried the program each holiday season, and listeners far from the Singers' home base in Minnesota were captivated by the choir's warmth and virtuosity.

For 2007, we've created a one-hour Echoes of Christmas broadcast. With host Brian Newhouse, Dale Warland guides listeners through his favorite selections of the season. It is a mix of familiar carols (the most beautiful arrangement of "Silent Night" you're likely ever to hear) and a striking performance of Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols.” But you can also expect a surprise or two as Warland introduces composers like Janika Vandervelde and Russell Platt who create gorgeous contemporary pieces that gracefully capture the essence of Christmas.

Program Highlights:
Dale Warland grew up in the fields of northern Iowa, singing every day in a one-room schoolhouse and every week in the nearby country church. This was the simple beginning to one of the great careers in American music. His virtuoso 40-voice choir, the Dale Warland Singers, became his ‘voice’ to convey the many ways of celebrating Christmas. In this program, treasured old carols sit alongside brand new arrangements and commissioned pieces, and the hour’s centerpiece is the Benjamin Britten classic, "A Ceremony of Carols."

Listen to the program

Musical Highlights:

David Willcocks (arr.): Sussex Carol (On Christmas Night)
Kathy Kienzle, harp

Dale Warland (arr.): What Child Is This?
Linda Chatterton, flute, Nikki Christopher, harp

Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols
Kathy Kienzle, harp

Russell Platt: Pray to What Earth
Judy Kogan, harp

Janika Vandervelde: O Viridissima
Jay Johnson, percussion

William Beckstrand: So Gracious Is the Time
Judy Kogan, harp, Jay Johnson, percussion

Stephen Paulus (arr.): The First Noel

Fred Prentice & Carol Barnett (arr.): Sing We Now of Christmas
Judy Kogan, harp

Malcolm Sargent (arr.): Silent Night