You listen to Classical 101 every day in your car, in the kitchen as you cook, maybe even with your headphones at work. But have you taken part in joining the Classical 101 team to provide music all day, every day?
This holiday season—this Thursday, December 8th, specifically— the Classical 101 team would like to invite you to join in and help give the gift of music... And perhaps even take home a CD or two in return.
The WOSU Classical 101 team consists mostly of the few friendly voices you hear on-air every day, and a dedicated radio team that keeps things running behind the scenes, but the Classical 101 Family is much bigger.
By donating to Classical 101 fund drives, you essentially join in on the cooperative goal of providing music and companionship to anyone and everyone who listens.
We always enjoy the letters, emails and phone calls from listeners who rely on the 24/7 companionship of classical music, moreover, each member of the Classical 101 team can truly relate to their sentiments. We love this music, and we love bringing it to listeners and readers like you.
This week's 'Season of Giving ' Holiday Drive is a special opportunity to join the cause, give the gift of music, and even receive a small gift from us in return.
Listeners who support Classical 101 at the $60 level will receive a special CD of holiday music chosen by our new Program Director, Cheryl Dring.
When I asked Cheryl why she chose this great CD in particular as our holiday gift to listeners, here's what she had to say:
"A few years ago Centaur Records, a small independent record label, released a lovely CD called “Christmas Around the World” and this CD is one of those places where the two worlds of public radio and classical music intersect. It’s a recording of very nice string quartet arrangements of Christmas tunes….some well-known, some new discoveries…played by the West Edge String Quartet. But back to that “two worlds colliding” thing….the quartet’s founder is not only a violinist and arranger featured on the recording, he’s also the General Manager of the public radio station in Shreveport, Louisiana AND the conductor of the symphony there. Named by Forum Magazine as one of the top ten faces to watch, Centaur recording artist Kermit Poling is Music Director of both the South Arkansas Symphony and the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet as well as General Manager of the Red River Radio Network. He has been the Associate/Resident Conductor and Concertmaster of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra for over 26 years. He performs extensively throughout the United States and around the world both as a violinist and conductor. And he’s originally from Ohio."
And that's just it. At Classical 101, we want to invite listeners to join in the cause of keeping this music on-air and online. The case for keeping this music on-air and even in our schools has been made in countless articles and studies worldwide, but it takes a group effort at the local and grassroots level to keep it up.
For double the support, a one-time gift of $120, we're thrilled to send you double the music.
At this donation level, our friends will take home a two-CD set called Paradisum. It's an incredible compilation of some of the most beloved classical music, performed by famous musicians such as Renee Flemming, Jonas Kaufmann, Kiri Te Kanawa with some of the greatest recording orchestras such as the Berlin State Opera Orchestra and the Academy of St. Martin in the Field.
To receive either of these CD gifts, donate at wosu.org/classical101 and click on the 'Season of Giving' banner. You can even select whether you'd like your CD to come gift-wrapped to give as a gift!
Let this be the season you join the Classical 101 family and give the gift of music to your community, your friends and family, and even yourself.
Thank you, and Happy Holidays from your friends at Classical 101!
