Highlights of the 17th Annual Pipes of Christmas will be aired on HomeTowne Television throughout central New Jersey this Christmas. The program will be aired Christmas Eve at noon, 5 and 11 PM and on Christmas Day at 2, 6 and 9:30 AM and at 3 PM. The videotaping took place at the December 20th concert at Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, NJ.

 

The broadcast will reach 30 New Jersey towns representing over 140 thousand households via the Comcast and Verizon cable television platforms. The production will also stream “live” during the scheduled broadcasts on both the station’s website (www.hometownetv.org) thus making the production accessible to anyone around the world with an Internet connection.

 

The Pipes of Christmas features performances by many leading Scottish and Irish performers, including popular country dance trio Local Hero, Celtic harpist Jennifer Port, and the Kevin Ray Blandford Memorial Pipe Band. Other members of the company include guitarist Steve Gibb, cellist Sarah Hewitt-Roth, James Robinson, Mhairi Calvey, and the Solid Brass ensemble.

 

Lead sponsors of the 2015 production were Edinburgh Napier University, the Grand Summit Hotel and Celtic Life Magazine. Additional support was provided by the Classic Malts of Scotland, Investors Savings and Walkers Shortbread.

 

Highlights of the 17th annual production included the world premiere of the winning Prof. Alexander McCall Smith composition contest at Edinburgh Napier University and a tribute to the late musician and folklorist Jean Ritchie.

 

Concert proceeds fund music scholarships in the US, Scotland and Canada.

 

An Award-Winning Collaboration

 

HomeTowne Television first began broadcasting concert highlights in 2000. Since that time, the program has been the recipient of five prestigious Telly Awards and a Videographer Award for video production excellence. The 2003 concert was televised live as a fundraiser for the community access station.

 

HomeTowne Television broadcasts via Comcast channel 36 to Summit, Millburn/Short Hills, Berkeley Heights, Springfield, and New Providence; and via Verizon channel 33 to the same five towns plus parts of Chatham, Cranford, Florham Park, Kenilworth, Maplewood, West Orange and Union.