WGTE Public Media showcases local talent among its slate of holiday specials

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols will be broadcast Christmas Eve on FM 91. (Photo from WGTE Public Media)

From WGTE PUBLIC MEDIA

WGTE has a full schedule of holiday programming on both WGTE HD and WGTE 91.

The schedule includes both locally produced programs featuring talent from the area as well as holiday specials by favorite series and national and international performances.

Highlights include:

Christmas at Belmont 2021

WGTE HD: Monday, Dec. 20 at 9 p.m.

Christmas at Belmont 2021 features alumnus, country/gospel singer Josh Turner and Belmont University students. Taped in Belmont’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, the show includes holiday favorites and songs from Turner’s new Christmas album.

WGTE Holiday Radio Play:

FM 91: The Shop Around the Corner

Wednesday, Dec. 22 & 24 at 7 p.m.

Join us this holiday season as we travel back in time to Hollywood of 1940! WGTE presents The Shop Around the Corner, a story filled with laughter and romance with a good helping of nostalgia and holiday cheer. You’ll hear the familiar voices of Qarie Marshall, Haley Taylor, and Brad Cresswell as they join a little group of people who work together in a certain little shop around the corner.

In Performance at The White House: Spirit of the Season

WGTE-HD: Tuesday, December 21 at 8 p.m.

This dazzling music special celebrates the holidays and highlights the seasonal décor at the White House. Featuring special remarks by President Joseph R. Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, actress Jennifer Garner will serve as the program host, which will include performances from over a dozen incredible performers and groups.

Toledo Symphony Presents: Handel’s Messiah

WGTE-HD: Thursday, Dec.  23 at 8 p.m.

A local holiday favorite returns to the glorious acoustics of Rosary Cathedral: Handel’s Messiah with the Toledo Symphony! Featuring acclaimed soloists and a professional chorus, this is the premiere Christmas event of the season.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival

FM 91: Saturday, Dec.  25 at 10 a.m.

F. Melius Christiansen started the Christmas Festival in 1911 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota as a simple service in word and song for students, faculty, friends and family. In the 109 years since, it has grown to include more than 500 student musicians who share their gifts with more than 12,000 audience members at the four live concerts – tickets for which always sell out months in advance.

WGTE Presents: Toledo Ballet’s 79th Annual Nutcracker

WGTE-HD:  Thursday, Dec.  23 at 9 p.m.

Toledo Ballet’s Nutcracker comes to life with exquisite dancing, breathtaking scenery, and Tchaikovsky’s beloved score performed live by Alain Trudel and the Toledo Symphony.

LIVE | Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

FM 91: Friday, Dec.  24 at 10 a.m.

The audience will share in a live, worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols, and related seasonal ‘classical’ music. Presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue.

Downton Abbey Movie

WGTE-HD: Saturday, Dec.  25 at 7 p.m.

In this feature film, the beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance, and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance. Written by series creator Julian Fellowes and starring the original cast.

Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2021

WGTE-HD: Saturday, Dec.  25 at 9 p.m.

Christmas 1966 promises to be a memorable one. The Nonnatus House team are faced with their busiest Christmas Day ever as the Maternity Home is filled with expectant moms and challenging cases. Luckily Mother Mildred is on hand to support the team.

Lima Symphony: 

Bells, Brass, and Bows

FM 91: Thursday, Dec.  30 at 8 p.m.

Gather together with renewed purpose to celebrate the sounds of the season with the Lima Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. From the introspective to the uplifting, this program is imbued with warmth and excitement.

WGTE Presents: Christmas and the King of Instruments

On WGTE HDSunday, Dec.  26 at 7 p.m.

On FM 91Wednesday, Dec.  29 at 7 p.m.

Join us for a celebration of Toledo’s grand organs and sacred spaces in this Christmas special, featuring performances and backstage tours from four local churches: St. Michael’s in the Hills, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Epworth United Methodist, and Rosary Cathedral.

Click for full schedule.