Produced by the local public radio outlet, the program will air nationwide during the holidays

Singer Kathy Mattea stars in "A Carolina Christmas" special on WDAV.

Davidson-based public radio station WDAV-FM, 89.9, will air the holiday special “A Carolina Christmas from Biltmore Estate with Kathy Mattea” on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 3 p.m., offering local listeners a preview of a program WDAV has produced for national syndication during the holiday season. Recorded this fall at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, the show features Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Kathy Mattea along with other regional performers, including the local choral ensemble Vox and the Baroque/Celtic trio The Beggar Boys, led by Henry Lebedinsky of Davidson.

Station officials are calling the program “a new holiday musical tradition.” Hosted by WDAV’s Jennifer Foster, it will include a mix of sacred and traditional music, African-American spirituals, Celtic jigs and folk favorites. Ms. Mattea will sing arrangements from her holiday albums “Good News” and “Joy for Christmas Day,” accompanied by Vox, directed by David Tang, as well as The Beggar Boys.

“A Carolina Christmas” is the latest in a series of live productions at WDAV under General Manager Benjamin K. Roe, who is himself a Grammy Award-winning producer. Last summer, the station produced programming from the Spoleto Festival in Charleston as well as summer music festivals.

“WDAV has worked all year long to present the best cultural arts programming in our region,” Mr. Roe said in a press release. “And for the holidays, we wanted something special and uniquely of the Carolinas. … And thanks to our partnership with NPR, WDAV can share this Carolina-born concert with the nation.”

The concert was recorded in the massive banquet hall at French Renaissance-style Biltmore, which was built by George Vanderbilt a century ago and first opened to friends on Christmas Eve 1895.

A photo gallery of the concert and information about the performers and music are available at www.carolinachristmas.org.

RELATED LINKS

See our 4-minute interview with Ben Roe, WDAV’s general manager, talking about the station’s efforts to increase its local programming, productions of regional music events, and the importance of the “Carolina Christmas” syndication deal. CLICK HERE>

HOLIDAY MUSIC: Read about WDAV’s lineup of holiday programming in a post by Frank Dominguez on the WDAV blog See also the schedule below.

HOLIDAY SPECIALS ON WDAV

November 27, 2009
This holiday season, join WDAV 89.9 Classical Public Radio for a series of live holiday concert broadcasts and events showcasing some of the area’s best music and music-makers. Listen over the air at 89.9 FM, online at wdav.org and iTunes – or attend these concert broadcasts in person!

Charlotte Chamber Music “First Tuesday” Concert
Tuesday, December 1 at 1 PM
First Presbyterian Church, 200 West Trade Street, Charlotte
WDAV’s Mike McKay hosts this special live concert broadcast. The centerpiece of the concert will be Mozart’s soaring Exultate Jubilate, featuring the crystalline voice of soprano Melanie Russell. The marvelous teenage talent Sarah Sullivan is front and center in the Flute Concerto in D by Mozart contemporary Josef Myslivecek. Admission is free.

A VOX Christmas from St. John’s
Friday, December 4 at Noon
St. John’s Baptist Church, 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte
WDAV’s Jennifer Foster hosts this special live concert broadcast. It’s a festive program of holiday favorites and new discoveries from the innovative choral ensemble VOX (now the premiere ensemble of Carolina Voices). VOX will be led by conductor David Tang and joined by a host of special guests, including the Saint John’s Baptist Church Choir, the Charlotte Contemporary Ensemble, guitarist Bob Teixeira, and the West Charlotte Senior High School Choir. Admission is free.

WDAV’s Holiday Open House
Friday, December 4, 6-8 p.m.
WDAV, 423 North Main Street, Davidson
Share some Christmas cheer with WDAV at its annual Holiday Open House on Friday, December 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. Enjoy studio tours, seasonal refreshments and lively holiday music performed by local artists. Then stroll down Main Street and join Christmas in Davidson, our town’s annual family-friendly holiday celebration with music, holiday shopping, horse-drawn carriage rides and more. All the festivities are free of charge. Ample parking is available in the lot on Jackson Street behind the WDAV studios.

The Beggar Boys: A Celtic Christmas
Sunday, December 13, 3 p.m.
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 301 Caldwell Lane, Davidson
For the first time ever, WDAV shares a great Davidson holiday tradition with the Carolinas and the world: Kate Minogue and The Beggar Boys in their annual holiday concert of songs, tunes, stories, and dancing to welcome the season and warm the spirit. WDAV’s Rachel Stewart hosts this original live broadcast. For ticket information, call 704-941-0650.

CORRECTION: The headline on this article has been corrected. It originally had an incorrect day for the “Carolina Christmas” airing.