Thanksgiving Morning Tradition Continues

The auditions are highly competitive, and those who make it spend four days at summer camp working with each other and their conductors. They reunite in October, converging on the Overture Center in Madison for the Wisconsin School Music Association State Honors Concerts and more.

WPR is proud to continue its annual tradition of broadcasting performances by many of these talented young musicians throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Thanksgiving Day listeners will hear a wide variety of excerpts sprinkled into regular classical offerings over a two-hour period.

10:00 a.m. hour:

Mashed Potato Love Poem by Paul Carey: High School Treble Choir conducted by Robert Demaree; Kira Morrissey, accompanist

Slavonic Dance No. 8, op. 46 by Antonin Dvorak: High School Orchestra conducted by Steven Amundson

Stars by Ereks Esenvalds: High School Mixed Choir conducted by Allen Hightower; Amy Wright, accompanist

Gumsucker’s March by Percy Grainger: High School Band conducted by Jack Stamp

Ain’t No Grave Can Hold My Body Down, traditional spiritual arranged by Paul Caldwell and Sean Ivory: High School Treble Choir conducted by Robert Demaree; Kira Morrissey, accompanist

11:00 a.m. hour:

Cheerio March by Edwin Goldman, arranged by Johnnie Vinson: Middle Level Band conducted by Mary Land

Montagues & Capulets (Romeo & Juliet) by Sergei Prokofiev: Middle Level Orchestra conducted by Louis Bergonzi

Walk in Jerusalem, traditional spiritual arranged by Dr. Rollo Dilworth: Middle Level Choir conducted by Mark Boyle; Zachary Holzer, accompanist

In addition, the High School and Middle Level Orchestra, Band and Choir concerts will be aired in their entirety starting at 2:00 p.m. on the last Sunday of the year (12/31/17) and the Jazz Ensemble concert will air on Higher Ground with Jonathan Overby in December, date(s) TBD.

Find stations, stream WPR’s News & Classical network live, or download the WPR app for flexible streaming.