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Celebrate the Holidays with These KCET Shows

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Nothing says holiday time quite like festive music and indulgent food. Here are the holiday-themed programs KCET will air in honor of the auditory and gustatory pleasures that await you in the next week. With the exception of "Healthy Heritage Kitchen," "50th Annual Chapman University Holiday Wassail Concert," and "Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel," this marks the KCET debut for all the programs below.

Visit the KCET holiday hub for the latest holiday-themed news, articles, recipes, programs, preparation tips, and community events.

Visiting with Huell Howser -- Holiday Star

Monday, December 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Upland was hit hard by the 2003 wildfires. That following holiday season, this tight-knit community banded together to recreate the brilliantly lit star that had shined for many years on a hilltop before being destroyed by the fires. It's a sign of hope and renewal for everyone who sees it.

Sharon Isbin: Troubadour

Tuesday, December 23 at 9 p.m.

Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique, and versatility, multiple Grammy winner Sharon Isbin is considered one of today's preeminent classical guitarists. Her catalog of more than 25 recordings -- ranging from Baroque, folk, and Latin to rock, pop, and jazz-fusion -- reflects Isbin's remarkable versatility. Combining performance and documentary, "Sharon Isbin: Troubadour" focuses on Isbin's unusual and inspiring musical journey, including her early guitar studies and teenage triumphs.

Along the way, the Minneapolis native overcame numerous obstacles -- from resistance to the guitar as an orchestral instrument to her struggles working in a traditionally male-dominated field. The film also explores Isbin's role as teacher to a new generation of guitarists at both The Julliard School, where she created the first guitar department, and the Aspen Music Festival.

Alsatian Christmas Dinner with Chef Hubert Keller

Wednesday, December 24 at 11 a.m.

Chef Hubert Keller prepares a classic Christmas dinner: roast turkey with chestnut stuffing served with braised fennel and dried figs.

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Alsatian Christmas Treats with Chef Hubert Keller

Wednesday, December 24 at 11:30 a.m.

Chef Keller shows how to make the famous Petits Bonhommes, the brioche bread figures found in Alsace at Christmas time, and serves them with his favorite hot chocolate. The chef also reveals the secret recipe for his famous Alsatian fruitcake.

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The First Silent Night

Wednesday, December 24 at 12 p.m. and Thursday, December 25 at 12 p.m.

"The First Silent Night" tells a tale 200 years in the making. The story begins in humble circumstances and ends with the creation of the world's most popular carol. For close to 200 years, one somg has occupied the heart of Christmas celebrations across the world. It has been translated into over 300 languages and performed by symphony orchestras, international artists, and soloists.

Join renowned actor Simon Callow as he uncovers the moving origins of "Silent Night." Simon journeys to the Austrian village of Oberndorf as well the city of Salzburg, where the story of the world's favorite carol had its origins.

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Around the World: The Crane Candlelight Concert 2013

Wednesday, December 24 at 1 p.m.

The Crane Chorus and Symphony Orchestra present a special holiday concert. The concert, featuring over 300 carolers and musicians from the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, includes traditional Christmas and seasonal hymns along with popular favorites.

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Anderson University's Candles & Carols (2013)

Wednesday, December 24 at 2 p.m.

Anderson University's annual "Candles & Carols" has ushered in the Christmas season at the Indiana liberal arts institution for nearly half a century. Audience members return annually to hear the familiar strains of "Silent Night" and other traditional hymns echo through the campus auditorium amid the glow of candlelight.

The 2013 edition of "Anderson University's Candles & Carols" spotlights the talents of AU's chamber orchestra and chorale, the men's choir, the women's chorus, the wind ensemble, the string quartet, and the dance ensemble. On a festively dressed stage, the musicians perform orchestral pieces by Tchaikovsky and Corelli, popular holiday arrangements, and familiar carols.

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Handel's Messiah: A United States Naval Academy Tradition

Wednesday, December 24 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, December 25 at 2 p.m.

The United States Naval Academy Glee Club teams up with members of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and world-renowned soloists to create a unique performance of one of the greatest choral works in Western music. Recorded at the chapel on the grounds of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Messiah is an English-language musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists written in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer.

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Holiday Handbells: The Raleigh Ringers

Wednesday, December 24 at 4 p.m. and Thursday, December 25 at 1 p.m.

The Raleigh Ringers, a community handbell choir based in North Carolina, present the sequel to their critically acclaimed holiday special "One Winter Evening at Meymandi." "Holiday Handbells" runs the gamut of song selections from old yuletide favorites to Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" score. In between, director and conductor David Harris explains the centuries-old history of handbells, the variety of bells and bell-like instruments used, and the teamwork required to perform a piece.

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50th Annual Chapman University Holiday Wassail Concert

Wednesday, December 24 at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. & Thursday, December 25 at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Join Chapman University's Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music as it celebrates the season with a special performance blending holiday classics with festive songs from around the world.

51st Annual Chapman University Holiday Wassail Concert

Wednesday, December 24 at 8 p.m. & Thursday, December 25 at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

This year's Holiday Wassail concert is performed by more than 150 Chapman University singers and musicians from the University's Women's Choir, University Choir, University Singers, and Orchestra. Stephen Coker, Angel Vasquez-Ramos, and Daniel Alfred Wachs conducted the various selections in the program.

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Joshua Bell Presents Musical Gifts

Wednesday, December 24 at 10 p.m. and Thursday, December 25 at 3 p.m.

In celebration of the release of his 2013 album "Musical Gifts," world renowned violinist Joshua Bell welcomed cameras into his Manhattan residence for a rare and intimate concert. The salon-style performance captures the warmth, beauty, and magic of the season. The 10-song set list features holiday standards, including "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" with opera star Renee Fleming, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with pianist and vocalist Frankie Moreno, Jimmy Van Heusen-Sammy Cahn's "The Secret of Christmas" with Michael Feinstein, "Let it Snow" with guitarist-violinist Rob Moose, and a heartwarming rendition of "Silent Night" by the Young People's Chorus of New York.

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Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel

Thursday, December 25 at 11 p.m.

Sister Wendy looks back at her life for the first time, revealing intimate thoughts, reminiscences, and self-doubt. She also uses classic paintings in the National Gallery, the Louvre, and the Fitzwilliam, and some modern paintings to tell us the gospel stories that were once universally familiar, but are now regularly disregarded.

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Healthy Heritage Kitchen - Kwanzaa Edition

Friday, December 26 at 11:30 a.m. and Wednesday, December 31 at 11:30 a.m.

"Healthy Heritage Kitchen" demonstrates healthy versions of traditional holiday meals for ethnic communities. Chicago-based chef and food product developer Wilbert Jones demonstrates how to prepare healthy recipes for Kwanzaa.

This program introduces some simple substitutions that viewers can use to lighten up their holiday culinary celebrations. Jones reveals his recipes for spoon bread, seafood stew, and pecan coconut pie that present alternative ways to cut cholesterol, sodium, and fat.

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