Sunday Baroque

You’ll hear a luminous 17th-century choral work called Eternal Light, reflective music by a composer who died in military service to his royal patron, plus stirring marches for trumpet and organ.Spend part of the holiday weekend with Sunday Baroque, Sunday morning from 7 to 1 on WSHU… 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

There are so many interesting and obscure holidays … did you know that May 16 is the annual celebration of “love a tree” day! Even better -- would you believe that there’s a famous baroque era aria by George Frideric Handel that is a love song … to a tree? OMBRA MAI FU is from Handel’s opera XERXES, and it’s one of the highlights on Sunday Baroque this weekend.

April is National Garden Month, and you can stop and smell the MUSICAL flowers as you stroll through a magnificent harmonic garden cultivated by musicians with particularly fertile imaginations and creativity – including some Scottish suites named after seasonal spring flowers. It’s a musical bouquet on Sunday Baroque this week.

On this Easter weekend, you’ll get to hear a joyful, extroverted Suite for two trumpets … a contemplative violin sonata for Easter … and charming Italian dances by a composer who worked for the Gonzaga family by day, and composed Hebrew language liturgical music by night. It’s on Sunday Baroque this weekend, starting at 7 a.m. on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

Music is often said to have healing powers, and music by Johann Sebastian Bach seems to be a particularly effective medicine. Whether we are listening to Bach’s music, or performing it, Bach’s music is good for what ails you. You can immerse yourself in the restorative and uplifting effects of Bach’s on the Sunday Baroque Bach Birthday Bash this week, starting at 7 am on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in March 1685 into a family of accomplished musicians. Bach had full-time jobs in music from his teenage years to the end of his life. He was one of the hardest-working musicians of his day. We’ll celebrate his genius and legacy with an all-Bach program on Part 1 of the Sunday Baroque Bach Birthday Bash this week, starting at 7 am on 91.1, 107.5 and our music stream.

Do you remember the 1988 Bobby McFerrin song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”? The extraordinarily talented and versatile musician’s parents were opera singers – Robert McFerrin Sr. was a regular at the Metropolitan Opera, and his baritone voice was dubbed in for Sidney Poitier in the film version of Porgy and Bess. You can hear Bobby McFerrin Jr. leading the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra while singing one of the cello parts for a Double Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi on Sunday Baroque this week.

We know Braille as a system of writing for the blind, but it was created for music, too.Louis Braille was a musician as well as a scholar, and his system made it possible to read and write music by touch. This weekend on Sunday Baroque, hear music by Baroque-era composers who were blind or visually impaired. Sunday Baroque, starting at 7 a.m. on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

From a free youth orchestra in southern Brazil to international stages, recorder player Vladimir Soares has a remarkable musical journey.With help from translator Jessica Oliveria, Vladimir sat down with Suzanne Bona to talk about his life in music.

Breaking Barriers is a 2022 album featuring Carlos Bastidas leading Ontario Pops Orchestra in concertos played by several outstanding young soloists. One of them is a Cuban violinist who has performed and competed all over the world, and is now based in Canada. You’ll hear her remarkable artistry on Sunday Baroque this weekend.