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NPR Music critics, editors and Tiny Desk producers each singled out one album they would recommend to anyone who came calling. The elite, no-skips albums of the year.

Traditional Holiday Oratorio Presented in San Diego Bach Collegium San Diego (BCSD), one of the country’s leading baroque ensembles, is presenting Handel’s great oratorio "Messiah" this holiday season in San Diego and the Pacific Palisades. The oratorio will spring to life by way of the fruitful collaboration of Charles Jennens’ carefully conceived libretto and Handel’s supreme skill as a composer of the theatre. BCSD’s performance of "Messiah," delivered by a dynamic cast in the manner of Handel’s dramatic operas, has become one of its crown jewels. Soloists Estelí Gomez, soprano Jay Carter, countertenor Jacob Perry, Michael Jones, tenors Jonathan Woody, bass Handel composed "Messiah" in a breathtakingly swift 24 days. "Messiah" was originally conceived as a work for Easter, and its premiere was during Lent at the Music Hall on Fishamble Street, Dublin on April 13, 1742. The performance was offered as a charity event for the relief of prisoners, support for Mercer's Hospital, and aid for the Charitable Infirmary. There is a long-standing myth that King George II was so touched by the “Hallelujah” chorus that he rose to his feet with the crowd following. It’s impossible to confirm the truth of this legend, since this was first recorded in 1780, almost 40 years later! Audiences today routinely stand during the “Hallelujah” chorus, as a tip of the hat to this legend. BCSD is beginning an annual tradition of performing Handel’s "Messiah" in San Diego so it can become a part of locals’ holiday tradition. Bach Collegium San Diego engages audiences with accessible, historically informed performances and educational programs featuring repertoire from the Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical eras. The ensemble was founded in 2003 by Music Director Ruben Valenzuela to diversify the musical offerings of the San Diego community. Bach Collegium San Diego on Facebook / Instagram

After releasing two albums in 2025, rap's great modern philosopher and griot is having one of his best-ever runs. He may not have all the answers, but his questions are everything we need right now.

Thousands of years before Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert got under President Trump's skin, ancient Greek and Roman poets and philosophers paid a heavy price for displeasing heads of state.

Even as sombr and Rosalía hit new career highs, there's a major churn taking place just below the top 10, as a wave of Christmas songs begin their ascent.

Every year, by the end of April, The Netherlands turn orange to celebrate the Dutch King’s Birthday. Dutch and Dutch-minded communities all over the World join in. So does the Dutch community in San Diego. For one day, Dutch and Dutch-minded San Diegans take on the orange, the color of the royal Dutch family. Come join us in celebrating the King’s Birthday with Dutch and Indonesian traditional food and drinks, music from our Belgian DJ, traditional children’s games, a kid’s flea market and lots of entertainment. Join us in celebrating Koningsdag on Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center at 4126 Executive Drive in La Jolla Entrance is free but donations are welcome. Get your free tickets here. San Diego King’s day on Facebook / Instagram

The longtime right-handed reliever retired from his playing career with the Padres in August 2023, and he spent last season as an assistant to the major league coaching staff and the baseball operations department headed by general manager A.J. Preller.

Our assumption is that King Richard III survives the Battle of Bosworth Field and is to stand trial. Although the new administration of King Henry VII has a variety of offenses to choose from, Richard Plantagenet will be prosecuted only for the six most heinous acts of murder: those of the Lords Hastings, Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan, and, most horribly, of his two minor nephews, King Edward V, aged 12, and Richard, Duke of York, aged 9. Characters from the play will be called as witnesses. At the end, the audience will serve as jury and decides the defendant’s fate. Visit: https://sandiegoshakespearesociety.org/mock-trials/

Trump has long expressed fascination with the royal family. The U.K. government will tap into that this week during a state visit that combines pageantry and politics.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit the White House Tuesday, his first since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.