ORLANDO, Dec. 2, 2024 — This holiday season, WUCF invites audiences nationwide to experience “A Classic Christmas with the Bach Festival Society: Joyful Sounds,” a cherished Central Florida tradition.
This special broadcast captures the festive magic of the renowned 175-voice Bach Festival Society of Winter Park’s choir, youth choir and orchestra, under the expert direction of Dr. John V. Sinclair.
WUCF recorded the performance in December 2023, and through a partnership with American Public Television, the program became available to viewers across the country starting Dec. 1.
"Bringing this holiday concert to a national audience underscores WUCF's commitment to exceptional arts and cultural programming," said Jennifer Cook, WUCF's executive director. "We are grateful that our partnership with the Bach Festival Society allows us to share local talent and a new holiday tradition with families across the country."
Led by Sinclair, the society’s artistic director and conductor, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park delivers an inspiring selection of traditional holiday classics, performed with the heart and artistry that have made this Central Florida performance an annual favorite. Many of these works are well-known Christmas hymns and carols beautifully arranged specifically for the Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra.
"The Bach Festival Society began in 1935 as a way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the passing of J. S. Bach," Sinclair said. "We began at Knowles Memorial Chapel on the campus of Rollins College and are thrilled to partner with WUCF TV to share this musical tradition with our Central Florida community and beyond. This performance is special because we believe Christmas music goes straight from the ear to the heart.”
Central Floridians will have a chance to catch the performance on WUCF at select times between Dec. 20 and Dec. 25 or via on-demand streaming on PBS.org or the PBS Video App.
Watch an excerpt of the performance and discover more about “A Classic Christmas with the Bach Festival Society: Joyful Sounds” on PBS.org.
About WUCF: WUCF TV is the sole-service PBS member station for the nearly 4 million Central Floridians across nine counties. WUCF is Central Florida's storyteller, encouraging curiosity and learning through compelling content and community engagement. WUCF produces award-winning local content like "Florida Road Trip," which explores Florida through history, people and culture. WUCF also serves Florida's youngest citizens, offering hours of PBS KIDS content on-air, online and in the classroom, leading the state in usage for PBS LearningMedia. Throughout its 10-year history, WUCF has engaged with over 1.5 million people across Central Florida at in-person events and over 30 million people online through virtual events and streaming content. The station is community-supported public broadcasting from the University of Central Florida. Learn more at http://wucf.org/.
Media Contact on Behalf of WUCF:
Christine Dellert Mullon
407.718.0199