Handel and Haydn Society Launches CITYSING and Annual Performances of Handel's Messiah

For the 171st consecutive year, the Handel and Haydn Society will present Handel’s Messiah at Symphony Hall November 29 + 30 + December 1, performing on period instruments like those Handel knew and composed for.

New this year H+H introduces ‘CitySing’ as Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen welcomes 30 singers from throughout Greater Boston and 25 young singers from the H+H Youth Choruses Chamber Choir to join the H+H Orchestra and Chorus and featured soloists on stage to share in the joy of performing the much-loved music of Messiah.

CitySing was conceived by Cohen to celebrate and showcase the vitality of Boston’s singing community. H+H engaged with local choral ensembles, universities, churches, and other singing groups to select finalists through an audition process. CitySing also honors the inspiring original spirit of H+H’s founding as a choral Society by a group of music-loving Bostonians who believed that music-making should be a shared experience. H+H is launching CitySing with performances of Handel’s Messiah, a work that has been identified with H+H since the Society performed the “Hallelujah” Chorus during its first concert held on Christmas Day in 1815 at Kings Chapel in Boston. In future years, CitySing will be paired with other concerts featuring different repertoire.

“Much like the oratorio Messiah, CitySing is a celebration of voices,” said H+H Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen. “The breadth and depth of talent within Boston’s singing community and in our own Youth Choruses is quite impressive. This multiplicity of voices joins with our professional chorus and exceptional soloists to create a most spectacular Messiah and make this beloved holiday tradition new once again.”

Featured soloists on the Messiah stage include: Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique making her H+H debut; Boston-based countertenor Reginald Mobley, who serves as programming consultant for H+H and is co-creator of Crossing the Deep; tenor Nicholas Phan, who appeared with H+H in Bach + Vivaldi Gloria during the 2021–22 Season; and baritone Sumner Thompson, who appeared with H+H in Haydn + Mozart during the 2021–22 Season.

H+H is dedicated to following historically informed performance traditions of Baroque and Classical music, creating a sound every bit as fresh and contemporary as when the music was first written. H+H performs Handel’s Messiah with deep understanding, respect, and affection honed by over two centuries of tradition and experience with this masterpiece.

H+H and Messiah

Following nine months of rehearsals, H+H performed selections from Messiah, including the “Hallelujah” Chorus for its first concert held on Christmas Day in 1815 at Kings Chapel in Boston. Exactly three years later (December 25, 1818), H+H gave the first complete performance of Messiah in the U.S. with a chorus of about 200 singers. H+H returned to the work repeatedly, especially the “Hallelujah” Chorus, which was performed for dignitaries visiting Boston as well as civic celebrations, including the January 1, 1863 concert celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation, and for charitable causes, such as an 1882 concert to benefit the Russian Jewish Refugees Society. H+H has performed Messiah during the holiday season annually since 1854, including in 2020 when H+H presented a video streamed "Handel's Messiah For Our Time," recorded at GBH’s Brighton studio using robotic cameras. Sunday, December 1, 2024 marks the H+H’s 450th performance of the complete work. Even more H+H and Messiah history can be found at handelandhaydn.org/beyond-messiah.

Musically Speaking

Forty-five minutes prior to each performance all guests are welcome to attend “Musically Speaking” in Higginson Hall. Hosted by Teresa Neff, Ph.D., the Handel and Haydn Society’s Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed Performance Fellow, “Musically Speaking” provides background information and a lively discussion about the music and composers on the program. In addition, guests will enjoy a period instrument demonstration in the main corridor off the Massachusetts Ave. entrance 30 minutes prior to each performance.

Concert Information

The Handel and Haydn Society presents Handel’s Messiah at Symphony Hall, Friday, November 29 at 7:30pm; Saturday, November 30 at 3:00pm; and Sunday, December 1 at 3:00pm. Individual tickets and subscription packages are still available for purchase by calling 617.262.1815 or visiting handelandhaydn.org.

About the Handel and Haydn Society

Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society performs Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. Called “one of the most exciting ensembles of historically informed performances in the world” (OperaWire), H+H has been captivating audiences for 210 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States), speaking to its singular success at welcoming new audiences to this extraordinary music, generation after generation.

H+H performed the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s Messiah in its first concert in 1815, gave the American premiere in 1818, and ever since has been both a musical and a civic leader in the Boston community. During the Civil War, H+H gave numerous concerts in support of the Union Army (H+H member Julia Ward Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) and on January 1, 1863, H+H performed at the Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later, H+H performed at the memorial service for Abraham Lincoln.

H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 76,000 listeners annually through concerts at Symphony Hall and other leading venues as well as radio broadcasts. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Learning and Education Program, H+H supports seven youth choirs of singers in grades 2–12, and provides thousands of complimentary tickets to students and communities throughout Boston, ensuring the joy of music is accessible to all. H+H has released 16 CDs on the CORO label and has toured nationally and internationally. In all these ways, H+H fulfills its mission to inspire the intellect, touch the heart, elevate the soul, and connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.

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