This Quarter

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ere are our weekly listings for the winter months. Watch this list for further details to be filled in and other possible updates.

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1/6 In Memoriam: Honoring some of the musicians who passed away last year—the list is too long—too heartbreaking. Sean Keane (the Chieftains), Shane McGowan (Pogues), Seamus Begley, Les Barker, David Lindley, Al Pettaway, Sinead O’Connor, Rodriguez, George Winston, Gordon Lightfoot, David LaFlamme, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Wayne Shorter, Bruce Barthol, David Moloney, Harry Belafonte, David Crosby, Chris Strachwitz, Burt Bacharach, Gary Wright.
1/13 British Isles and Irish Contemporary: Spell Songs, Martin Hayes, Karine Polwart, Alasdair Roberts, Jez Lowe, more.
1/20 New and Recent Releases: The latest by Mr. Sun, Las Sampaguitas, Eliza Gilkyson, San Miguel Fraser, Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon, Genticorum from Quebec, Alison Russell, Welsh harper Catrin Finch, and a tribute to the late Nanci Griffith.
1/27 Imbolc: Music for the Celtic beginning of spring: Susan McKeown, Damh the Bard, Carolyn Hillyer, more.
2/3 The Humorous Side of Folk: Songs to tickle your funny bone by Bob Dylan, the late Les Barker, Loudon Wainwright, Nellie McKay, the Chicken Chokers, Jane Siberry, the Bobs, Cheryl Wheeler, Terri Hendrix, Guy Clark, Christine Lavin, and more.
2/10 Year of the Dragon: A year calling for courage, creativity, and a bit of luck, as may be expressed in songs by Yaima, Jay Ansill, Curawaka, Vishtèn, Bruce Cockburn, Ayla Nereo, Mamalama, and more.
2/17 Music & Conversation with Bernice Johnson Reagon: As part of Black History Month, an encore broadcast of an interview with Bernice Johnson Reagon, founder of the all-black female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary.
2/24 Potpourri: Festive music for early spring. Susie Ro, Sierra Marin, Sam Garrett, Gone Gone Beyond, more.
3/2 The Scandinavian-Celtic Connection: Ale Moeller & Aly Bain, The Danish String Quartet, Barry Phillips, Nordic Fiddlers, Dreamers’ Circus, Lyre Lyre, Karen Tweed & Sileas, and a dive into Finnish folk.
3/9 International Women’s Day: Drawing on this year’s theme of inspiring inclusion, we have songs from women around the world. Sierra Marin, Allison Russell, Rhiannon Giddens, rising star Rebecca Folsom, the late Melanie Safka, Angelique Kidjo and other women from Africa, MonÁxi and Sandrayati from Bali, Israeli peace activist Yael Deckelbaum, Marta Gómez from Colombia, Luna Santa from Mexico, Light in Babylon from Turkey.
3/16 St. Patrick’s: Music from Ireland.
3/23 Spring Equinox: The waxing light and leafing forth of things, from Pamela Wyn Shannon, Mamalama, Diana Rowan.
3/30 Tribute to Clannad: Members of the renowned Irish band are completing their final world-wide tour. We’ll look back at their earliest albums and trace the evolution of their music over the years.

God has given us music so that above all it can lead us upwards. Music unites all qualities: it can exalt us, divert us, cheer us up, or break the hardest of hearts with the softest of its melancholy tones. But its principal task is to lead our thoughts to higher things, to elevate, even to make us tremble… The musical art often speaks in sounds more penetrating than the words of poetry, and takes hold of the most hidden crevices of the heart… Song elevates our being and leads us to the good and the true. If, however, music serves only as a diversion or as a kind of vain ostentation it is sinful and harmful.

—Friedrich Nietzsche at age 13

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