A Capital Fourth 2009
Saturday July 4th at 8pm

Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits returns to host the biggest and brightest birthday party in the country, featuring, for the first time ever, Barry Manilow, who will both open and close the broadcast with a stirring medley of hits and patriotic classics along with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. Other special guests include Aretha Franklin; Natasha Bedingfield; Jersey Boys ; Michael Feinstein; and acclaimed classical pianist Andrew von Oeyen. This star-studded cast will light up the stage on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol. As a special treat for the entire family, Elmo, Big Bird, Coookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and more of the SESAME STREET gang will be on hand to celebrate America’s 233rd birthday. The Muppets will perform a medley of patriotic favorites. The multi-award winning A CAPITOL FOURTH, featuring the most spectacular fireworks display anywhere in the nation, will be broadcast live in high definition.

Awake My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp
Saturday July 4th at 10pm
Wednesday July 8th at 8pm

This beautiful documentary details the rich history, music and traditions of Sacred Harp singing, a musical genre popularized by the feature films Cold Mountainand Gangs of New York.The film documents the vitality of this intense and haunting form of a cappella. AWAKE, MY SOUL travels into old country churches in the rural South where shape-note singers still perform from The Sacred Harp, a 160-year-old hymnal containing some of the oldest songs in America.