hearts of space | news

PGM 968R 'ICE CASTLES' : dec.25-jan 1

HERE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF CHANGING CLIMATE, our concept of winter may need some adjustment. While we're enjoying t-shirt weather in California, south Texas and Florida, other parts of the U.S. are getting hammered by record rain, sleet, and snow. It's a disruptive challenge for the entire country, and we may be dealing with a lot more of it in years to come.

OK, that's the hard news, but one of the good things about winter storms are the visual and sculptural effects of frozen water — ice crystals on windows, icicles on trees and buildings, and blankets of snow airbrushed on the landscape that transform our world into something magical.

Among the most magical of winter's artistic delights are ice castles. Whether naturally occurring where moving water meets freezing cold, or artistically created — ice castles are a yearly attraction in many cold weather climates. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we search for the sound of frozen water, on a program called ICE CASTLES. Music is by KIRSTY HAWKSHAW, ANDREW LAHIFF, BRIAN ENO, MAITREYA, BETWEEN INTERVAL, MICHAEL KASTRUP, and JUSTIN VANDENBERG.

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PGM 1098 'CARITAS' : dec. 18-25

DECEMBER 2015 IS THE 30th ANNIVERSARY of the first Hearts of Space program created by our guest producer for western classical and sacred spacemusic, ELLEN HOLMES — a labor of love, dedication and stamina that continues to bring us experiences of sublime beauty and depth. Thank you, Ellen. We are all in your debt.

On this winter holiday transmission of Hearts of Space, Ellen brings together sacred choral and instrumental sounds of love, caring and compassion, on a program called CARITAS. The Latin word translates as charity and is considered the highest of Christian virtues: the divine love of God, as well as the love of one's neighbor and oneself.

The program includes Anonymous early sacred chants; Baroque and Classical choral gems by MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER, WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART, CHARLES GOUNOD, and FRANZ SCHUBERT, and sacred choral and classical instrumentals by contemporary composers JOHN TAVENER, IVER KLEIVE, GEOFFREY BURGON, JOHN RUTTER and PATRICK HAWES.

Holiday sounds of love, caring and compassion: CARITAS...on this transmission...of Hearts of Space.

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PGM 1097 'STRINGWAY TO LIGHT 2' : dec. 11-18

1983 WAS THE FIRST YEAR of the nationally syndicated Hearts of Space program. That same year an artist named BILL DESMOND released an ambitious cassette album (remember cassettes?) called TRAPEZOID STRINGWAY TO LIGHT. It featured the wire-strung sounds of the dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer and the psaltery, along with early electronic keyboards and supporting acoustic instruments.

Unfortunately that was the last we heard from Bill Desmond, but a few years later we borrowed most of his title for a program of warm and sparkling winter music for wire-strung instruments called STRINGWAY TO LIGHT. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we return to the beguiling sounds of the Celtic harp, hammered dulcimer and harp-guitar, on a program called STRINGWAY TO LIGHT 2. Music is by JOHN DOAN, DAVID MICHAEL, ARYEH FRANKFURTER & LISA LYNNE, PAUL BAKER, HAROLD BUDD, AINE MINOGUE, and DAVID LINDSAY.

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PGM 1096 'AFTERGLOOM DELIGHT' : dec. 4-11

The end of the euphemistically named "daylight saving time" each fall is generally greeted with a chorus of depression. Not only is it clearly the final nail in summer's coffin, it's an all too blatant reminder of the long winter ahead.

Our Celtic ancestors gathered around bonfires at this time of year to chase away the gloom and recall the Pagan and pre-Christian festivals of the sun — then looked forward to the year-end solstice and religious holidays and the festive celebration of light itself.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient chamber music for the transition to the season of light, on an early winter program called AFTERGLOOM DELIGHT. Music is by KEVIN KELLER, A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN, HELEN JANE LONG, YUTA TAGASHIMA, and BRUNO SANFILIPPO.

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