On this page I am collecting podcasts, concerts, playlists, holiday streams and other interesting music links for Christmas. Every year I am adding new concerts and I do check if the old links are still working. You can find free downloads as well as all kind of streaming resources and also a link collection for accessing free sheet music for Xmas.
More interesting links will be added within the next weeks!
Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier – Thomas Friz & Klaus Wuckelt
A Choral Christmas With Stile Antico (NPR)
Stile Antico is a 13-member a cappella choir based in London. These young, fresh-faced singers have already racked up some impressive awards for their recordings — mainly of intricately woven music from the Renaissance.
And that’s just what the group has in store for us in this concert at St. Paul’s Church in Cambridge, Mass. — hand-picked sacred music for the Christmas season from the English Tudor era, by such 16th century composers as Thomas Tallis and William Byrd.
- https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2012/12/03/166416569/a-choral-christmas-with-stile-antico
- More NPR streams about Christmas
Deep Roots Magazine
The Deep Roots Magazine has a growing collection of Christmas topics – check the following two pages to find special songs and background information:
- From Advent to Epiphany – A Seasonal Miscellany with carols, motets and more by Robert Hugill
- The Deep Roots 2016 Yuletide Baedeker
Acoustic Christmas Carols for Guitar, Mandolin and Fiddle – Philip John Berthoud
Folk Radio UK
NPR – A Paul Winter Solstice Concert 2015
For many, the sound of Paul Winter’s sax ringing out in New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine has become an annual marker of the Winter Solstice and the holiday season. But this year’s Paul Winter Solstice Concert kicks off with the cuatro, a member of the mandolin family and the national instrument of Puerto Rico, played by Pachito Vega, as he performs with Danny Rivera, the man they call the national voice of Puerto Rico.
Sleeping at last – Christmas Collection 2016
Merry Christmas!!! Each year around this time, I record a Christmas song and give it away for free. (My version of a Christmas card.) This tradition has accumulated into this full 16-song Christmas album, “Christmas Collection 2016”
One of the main reasons behind this tradition (aside from wanting to thank you for supporting me!!) is to support charities I believe in. This year, 100% of “tips” given on NoiseTrade will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I humbly ask that you’ll consider giving to this important cause by leaving a “tip” here on Noisetrade. 100% of all tips received on this album will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Noisetrade Holiday Mixtape 2017 (Download)
Noisetrade Holiday Mixtape 2016 (Download)
An Americana Christmas (Noisetrade – Streaming only)
Beatsense Xmas Stream 2016
Beatsense is a great way to listen to youtube videos! I have added Xmas music with mandolin and guitar to the Xmas stream at beatsense – you can add your own favorite songs too:
Another great Christmas stream:
Emory Lester – Christmas Carols (Airplay Direct)
http://www.airplaydirect.com/music/EmoryLester-ChristmasCarols
Every year npr produces a concert with Jazz Piano Christmas – the concerts of the previous years are still available:
A Jazz Piano Christmas 2015
For 2015, the program welcomes four artists whose ages span more than six decades. Kenny Barron, 72, is one of the post-bop greats and an NEA Jazz Master. Fred Hersch‘s fluid individual style has become influential — particularly his independent-hand technique, which is especially evident when he performs solo. Carmen Staaf won the Mary Lou Williams piano competition held at the Kennedy Center; she returns as a student at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute in Los Angeles. And Joey Alexander, 12, was recently nominated for two Grammy Awards for his debut album, My Favorite Things.
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/11/459075864/a-jazz-piano-christmas-2015
A Jazz Piano Christmas 2014
For its 25th anniversary, the program welcomes four artists. Harold Mabern, 78, is one of the great post-bop pianists. Kris Davis brings a distinct, experimental style that’s made her a celebrated rising talent. The veteran performer Lynne Arriale returns to A Jazz Piano Christmas, and Cyrus Chestnut, at home in both the church and dialing up dazzling high-speed runs, has recently been named a professor at nearby Howard University.
http://www.npr.org/event/music/365363584/a-jazz-piano-christmas-2014
A Jazz Piano Christmas 2013
Toward the end of every year, NPR Music invites some of the world’s best jazz keyboard players to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. We ask them to take on some of their favorite Christmas tunes, solo, and the recording becomes the public radio special A Jazz Piano Christmas.
http://www.npr.org/event/music/250573462/a-jazz-piano-christmas-2013
Butch Baldassari – Evergreen
Mandolin music for Christmas
Classical Guitar Program of the Spanish Radio
Two hours classical guitar music for Christmas as podcast or download:
- La guitarra – Programa dedicado a la Navidad – 25/12/11
- La guitarra – Dedicado a la Navidad – 23/12/12
- La guitarra – El invierno y la Navidad – 28/12/14
Playlists von Smithsonian Folkways
- Traditional European Christmas Music from Smithsonian Folkways
- Feliz Navidad from Smithsonian Folkways
Ensemble Galilei Shares The Essential Songs Of The Season
The Celtic folk band Ensemble Galilei has been performing music from the Renaissance, Ireland and Scotland together more than two decades. When the time comes every year for the six musicians to pick out a Christmas set, they have a lot of material to choose from — without being too predictable.
Brian Oberlin – Solo Swing Chrismas
Brian Oberlin has recorded a CD titled Solo Swing Christmas – he sings and plays the mandolin in the jazz-style of Jethro Burns and Don Stiernberg. This is up to now my favorite Christmas CD for this year. You can listen to three tracks on Brian’s website:
http://www.mandoberlin.com/listen.php
The CD is available at cdbaby (CD/download): Click here to buy Solo Swing online
Folk Alley Holiday Stream
Folk Alley presents the December Holiday Stream featuring nearly 50 hours of some of our favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice and winter music by artists like Rhonda Vincent, Over the Rhine, Sufjan Stevens, Christine Lavin, Lyle Lovett, John Fahey, the Asylum Street Spankers, Leon Redbone, Bela Fleck, The Roches… and lots more!
Christmas Music from the Antique Phonograph Music Program with MAC
Historical recordings from Edison cylinders and 78 records
- http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/43169
- http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/38525
- http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/34105
- http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/29663
- http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25615
NPR: First Listen
NPR First Listen has always some great CDs as preview, during Christmas time you can also find some Christmas music.
Check NPR first listen: http://www.npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen
A great video from Switzerland – mixing Turkish and Swiss traditions:
Müslüm “Samichlaus” Musikvideo
Website: http://www.muesluem.ch/
Christmas Carols from Switzerland by Sabrina Sauder
Donna Ulisse – All The Way To Bethlehem
at Airplay Direct: http://www.airplaydirect.com/music/DonnaUlisseAllTheWayToBethlehem/
Gretchen Peters – Northern Lights – 12 Songs for Christmas
Gretchen Peters has recorded the CD Northern Lights with 12 songs for Christmas – great Christmas CD – you can find a playlist at youtube:
A Fiddler’s Holiday with Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
New recording!
http://www.airplaydirect.com/music/JayandMolly
Festive Canadian roots music
In the spirit of the impending holiday season, we’ve gathered an array of musical Yuletide treats from around the web and across the country to share with you.
http://www.rootsmusic.ca/2011/12/13/festive-canadian-roots-music/
http://www.rootsmusic.ca/2011/12/19/festive-canadian-roots-music-%E2%80%94-part-2/
Jazz, Native flute, mandolin, & Celtic: holiday music you haven’t heard
A Bluegrass and Old Time Music Radio Show
2 podcasts with Christmas music:
Show #25 – December 20, 2006 — Christmas time is comin’. Here’s a variety of Christmas songs performed by old time and bluegrass bands for your holiday enjoyment. Merry Christmas to all and have a wonderful New Year.
Show #11 – December 8, 2005 — Jack plays the entire Christmas concert of the Oriskany Strings which they performed at the historic Buchanan Theatre in Buchanan, VA on December 1, 2005.
http://radio.surberstation.com
The FolkCast Festive Selection Box
bursting with good things for the season of Christmas, Yule and Saturnalia, with specially selected music and readings.
(previous years podcasts also available! – follow the links at the bottom of the page!)
Youtube Playlists
Christmas Music with Mandolin
Winter Wonderland
Sheet Music for Christmas
Sheet music link collection for christmas: http://pinboard.in/u:mandoisland/t:weihnachten/t:noten