Murray street Production:
Winter Solstice Celebration: Solstice Live

		AUDIO CLIPS (Real Media)
	(From the 2006 Winter Solstice celebration). 1. Beatrice 2. Jingle Bells 3. Fantasia 4. Tomorrow Is My Dancing Day 5. Witchi Tai To (From 2005's "Silver Solstice" show featuring Theresa Thomason, Luciana Souza, Russia's Pokrovsky Ensemble and more). 1. Angola 2. Sunderland 3. Desenredo 4. Down in Belgorod 5. Anabella 6. Tomorrow Is My Dancing Day

For almost two decades, Murray Street has made Solstice Live -- The Paul Winter Consort Winter Solstice Celebration -- a holiday tradition on NPR stations around the country. Each December, saxophonist Paul Winter gathers his Consort and musicians from around the globe in The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, to pass the "longest night." They welcome the new season in the world's largest Gothic cathedral. Past guests making use of the cathedral's divine acoustics include Russia's Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, Irish piper Davy Spillane, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, folksinger Susan Osborn, and the legendary Pete Seeger.

This year's Solstice Live, hosted once again by John Schaefer, offers a refreshing change: an intimate acoustic Solstice, with some great new repertoire.

Joining the Paul Winter Consort are the mellifluous Brazilian singer and composer Renato Braz, and original Consort member (and mainstay of the jazz band Oregon), Paul McCandless on double reeds. Included this year--music from "J.S. Bach's Brazilian period," Winter's traditional "Howlalujah Chorus," a new version of the Consort hit, Icarus, and familiar holiday songs in new musical settings.

High-resolution photos of the Winter Solstice Celebration are available here.

Hear the complete solstice broadcast on NPR stations throughout December.

John Schaefer, host of Solstice Live since its inception, is familiar to listeners from WNYC’s daily “Soundcheck” and “New Sounds."

The broadcast is again produced by Murray Street for National Public Radio and Living Music. For broadcast information contact programservices@npr.org or 800.513.2830