Classical 95.9-FM WCRI

12-14-24 Authors Moya Hession-Aiken and Elizabeth Birkelund, discuss their books Shoulder and A Northern Light in Provence - Ocean House Author Series

Join Ocean House owner and author Deborah Goodrich Royce for a conversation with authors Moya Hession-Aiken and Elizabeth Birkelund, who will discuss their books Shoulder and A Northern Light in Provence. Refreshments will 
About Moya Hession- Aiken: Moya Hession- Aiken studied art at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester University) and the Central School of Art and Design (now Central St. Martins), graduating with a first class honors degree in textile design before moving to New York to work in the garment industry. However, before too long she was working for MTV earning an Emmy Award for her work as a paintbox artist. At MTV she met her future husband, producer Bill Aiken. They had a son, Liam, in 1990, a few years before Bill’s tragic death. She lives in Connecticut and pursues her work as a fine artist, exhibiting frequently.
About Shoulder: Growing up a headstrong Irish Catholic girl in a notoriously tough housing estate in Northern England, Moya has just one goal-to live a rich creative life in America. Shoulder tells the story of the riotous and hilarious path from her boisterous but warm family back home to her education in London and her escape to New York in the 1980s where she finds everything she’s looking for–exciting jobs in the fashion industry and later at MTV–but where she also meets the man of her dreams, only to lose him to cancer following the birth of their son. Told in a voice that is equal parts Alan Bennett and Frank McCourt, this is a story about the thrill of taking chances and the unbearable pain of loss, as well as a profound meditation on what it takes to survive and what it means to care for others.
About Elizabeth Birkelund: Elizabeth graduated from the Hewitt School in New York City, from Brown University with honors in Comparative literature, and from the Radcliffe Publishing Program. After college, she worked for a literary agent and was a member of the editorial staff for a start-up magazine, European Travel and Life. She began her fifteen-year freelance writing career as a monthly personal finance columnist for Cosmopolitan magazine, and has written for over fifteen publications, including The Runaway Wife, Glamour, Self, Working Woman, Victoria, and her first novel: The Dressmaker. She lives in New York City.
About A Northern Light in Provence: Ilse Erlund is a translator who lives in a house on stilts along the west coast of Greenland. Isolated and restless in her world by the sea, she convinces her publisher to pay for a trip to the country she has never visited but whose language she speaks fluently: France. Her mission is to translate the verses of Geoffrey “Po” Labaye, a charismatic poet known as “the last living troubadour of Provence.” Upon arrival in the medieval hilltop village of Belle Rivière, Ilse falls under the spell of the Provençal way of life, captivated by the air, the sun, the vibrant spring colors, and the dulcet sounds of the dialect. Soon enough, Ilse is captivated by the poet, too, and she and Po develop a daily rhythm and warm camaraderie—which is disrupted by the arrival of the poet’s son, Frey. Though he has a fiancée back in Paris, Frey turns his attentions to Ilse, and suddenly she is forced to learn another language, one her translation skills have not prepared her to decode. Where—and with whom—does her future lie? With an eye and ear attuned to the sensibilities of French life, Elizabeth Birkelund has created a love story about a woman forced to choose between the security of her quiet northern home and the possibility of the life of her dreams.
For more information about Moya Hession-Aiken, visit shoulderbymoyaaiken.com. For more information about Elizabeth Birkelund, visit elizabethbirkelund.com. For details on Deborah Goodrich Royce and the Ocean House Author Series, visit deborahgoodrichroyce.com
 

12-13-24 Vocalist & Pianist Ray Charles - Jazz After Dinner

This week on Jazz After Dinner, Joe features Vocalist and Pianist Ray Charles from his 2006 Rhino Records recording titled “A Ray Charles Christmas”

12-15-24 Boston Pops & Keith Lockhart - Conducting Conversation

This week will repeat a very special Christmas program that was one of the first ever done on Conducting Conversations with Keith Lockhart, Director of the Boston Pops. We'll listen to selections from their wonderful Christmas CDs” and discuss his music career. For more information, you can go to www.classical959.com
 
 
 

12-12-24 Snowfall - A Walk In The Park

This week, Jane talks about appreciating the weather.

12-07-24 A Christmas Carol Radio Play 2024 - WCRI‘s Kids Hour

In this WCRI's Kids Hour, we invite you to a special radio play of A Christmas Carol! This play was adapted for radio from Charles Dicken's novella by Anthony E. Palermo. We hope you enjoy it. From your friends at WCRI & Newport Classical!

12-07-24 A Walk In The Park Radio Feature - The 95.9 Company Break

On this week's 95.9 Company Break, we speak with Jane and Andy about their feature, A Walk In The Park on WCRI. Jane & Andy discuss their background and how they create these loved features weekly. For more information on A Walk In The Park, visit classical959.com

12-05-24 Look Within - A Walk In The Park

This week, Jane talks about struggling to slow down and to look within.

12-06-24 Vocalist & Pianist Nat "King" Cole - Jazz After Dinner

This week, Joe is featuring Vocalist and Pianist Nat “King” Cole from an EMI and Digital Dejavu recording titled “The Christmas Album and the Christmas Gift. Collection”

12-08-24 Music of Frank Sinatra - Conducting Conversation

This week, the music of Frank Sinatra, a world famous singer and song stylist, is the subject of our program. Stephanie Goddard, singer and huge Sinatra fan, is the special guest co-host. We talk about the extraordinary amount of music Sinatra recorded and listen to some selections that made him one of the greatest of all time. For more information, you can go to wcri@classical959.com

11-28-24 Norman Rockwell - A Walk In The Park

This week, Jane talks about how holiday expectations may differ from how things are.

11-29-24 Vocalist Tony Bennett & the Count Basie Orchestra - Jazz After Dinner

This week, Joe is featuring Vocalist Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra from their 2008 RPM/Columbia Records recording titled “A Swingin’ Christmas” 

12-01-24 Theatre by the Sea 2025 Line Up - Conducting Conversation

Theatre By The Sea's announcement of the 2025 season is the subject of this week's program with Bill Hanney, owner of the theatre, and Karen Kessler, Director of Marketing. We talk about next summer's musicals and listen to some of the very popular songs from Alway...Patsy Cline, Waitress, Hairspray, and Heartbreak Hotel (about Elvis). For more information, you can call (401) 782-8587 or go to www.theatrebythesea.com

11-23-24 The Tree That Owns Itself - This Old Tree

Host Doug Still introduces us to The Tree That Owns Itself. Legend has it that Col. William H. Jackson of Athens, Georgia, loved his old white oak tree very much. So much so that he created a deed for the tree and the land immediately surrounding it, giving ownership unto itself.  Could it be possible? Who owns a tree? The answers aren't always as simple as they may appear. 
 

11-21-24 Predator vs Prey - A Walk In The Park

Jane talks about predator vs. prey this week on A Walk In The Park.

11-22-24 Vocalist & Trumpet Player Christine Fawson - Jazz After Dinner

This week, Joe is featuring Vocalist and Trumpet Player Christine Fawson from her 2019 Self-published recording titled “Sings Jazz.”

11-24-24 The Cornerstone Church - Conducting Conversation

The Cornerstone Church, on Cowesett Rd. in Warwick, is the subject of this week's program with Jeff Pierce, Assistant Pastor of the Church. We talk about their church ministry and a special Holiday Concert with the Narragansett Bay Chorus being presented on Monday, December 9th. We play some of the music that will be heard that evening. For more information, you can go to www.cornerstonechurchri.org

11-16-24 Bestselling Authors Hank Phillippi Ryan and Carola Lovering discuss their novels One Wrong Word and Bye, Baby - Ocean House Author Series

Join Ocean House owner and author Deborah Goodrich Royce for a conversation with bestselling authors Hank Phillippi Ryan and Carola Lovering as they discuss their new novels One Wrong Word (Phillipi Ryan) and Bye, Baby (Lovering).
Hank Phillippi Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen award-winning novels of suspense. National reviews have called her a “master at crafting suspenseful mysteries” and “a superb and gifted storyteller.” Her novel, THE HOUSE GUEST, received a starred review from Library Journal, calling it “Binge-worhty.” The rave review from Publishers Weekly says “Ryan is a master of suspense.” Her work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for victims and consumers. She’s been a radio reporter, a legislative aide in the United States Senate and an editorial assistant at Rolling Stone Magazine, working with Hunter S. Thompson, Richard Avedon and Richard Goodwin. Hank is a founding teacher at Mystery Writers of America University and served as 2013 president of national Sisters in Crime. She blogs at Jungle Red Writers and Career Authors. She is a co-host at FIRST CHAPTER FUN and a founder and co-host of THE BACK ROOM, and the host of A Mighty Mystery on A Mighty Blaze.
Carola Lovering is the author of the novels Tell Me Lies, Too Good to Be True, and Can’t Look Away. She attended Colorado College, and her work has appeared in New York Magazine, W Magazine, Marie Claire, National Geographic, Outside, and Yoga Journal, among other publications. Her novel, Tell Me Lies, is now a drama series on Hulu. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two young children.
For more information about Hank Phillipi Ryan, visit hankphillippiryan.com. For more information about Carola Lovering, visit carolalovering.com. For details on Deborah Goodrich Royce and the Ocean House Author Series, visit deborahgoodrichroyce.com
 

11-14-24 Remembering - A Walk In The Park

This week on A Walk In The Park, Jane shows how nature and wildlife remember acts of kindness.

11-15-24 Vocalist Betty Carter - Jazz After Dinner

This week, Joe is featuring Vocalist Betty Carter from her 1992 PolyGram Records recording titled “It’s Not About The Melody.”
 

11-17-24 Westminster Youth String Ensemble 2024 - Conducting Conversation

This week, Westminster Youth String Ensemble is the program's subject with Kathleen Curran Monroe, Director. We talk about the upcoming season and the Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 1st, at 3 PM at the Westerly Armory in Westerly and listen to some selections of past concerts. For more information, you can call 401.596.5225 or go to www.westminsterstrings.org