Selected vocalists to perform portions of Handel’s Saul with H+H at Symphony Hall on Oct 3 + 5. Application materials are due by Saturday, May 31.
BOSTON | The Handel and Haydn Society and Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the second annual H+H CitySing, welcoming 30 vocalists from around Boston to perform selected portions of Handel’s Saul alongside the H+H Orchestra and Chorus at Symphony Hall on Oct 3 + 5. Debuted in November 2024 with Handel’s Messiah, CitySing unites Boston’s vibrant choral community and honors the inspiring, original “Society” spirit of H+H.
H+H seeks a diversity of voices for CitySing that reflects the breadth of choral singing in our region. Singers with a variety of experiences and vocal training are encouraged to apply. Selected participants will rehearse and perform with the H+H Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen. Also on stage for the performances will be members of H+H Youth Choruses and five guest soloists.
“CitySing is a celebration of voices,” said Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen. “If you’ve ever dreamt of singing on stage in an iconic venue, this is a perfect opportunity to be part of a riveting work surrounded by professional musicians who are experts in H+H’s specialty of historically informed performance.”
CitySing application materials are due on or before Saturday, May 31, 2025. Eligibility and application process information can be found at: handelandhaydn.org/citysing.
Written in the late summer of 1738, Saul is the pivotal work signaling Handel’s career change from opera to oratorio composer. The story of Saul, taken from the First Book of Samuel by librettist Charles Jennens, begins with the legendary battle of David and Goliath that leads into a thrilling tale of madness, jealousy, war, and love triangles.
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 provides deeply discounted tickets and hosts special events for undergraduate and graduate students and concertgoers under 40 through the H+H Masterpass and H² membership programs. 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.