Following performances in Boston, H+H presents its iconic Messiah in Florida at Artis–Naples on Dec 2 and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Dec 3
BOSTON | For the 172nd consecutive year, the Handel and Haydn Society will usher in the holidays with performances of George Frideric Handel’s glorious oratorio, Messiah. Led by H+H Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen, this season’s performances of the iconic work with its beloved “Hallelujah” chorus take place at Symphony Hall on November 28 + 29 + 30 and feature four celebrated American soloists: soprano Lauren Snouffer, mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau, tenor Ben Bliss, and bass-baritone Nicholas Newton in his H+H debut.
Following the Boston performances, Cohen, the H+H Orchestra and Chorus, and soloists will present two debut performances of Messiah at Florida venues Artis–Naples on Tuesday, December 2, and at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, December 3. Rounding out the season’s performances, H+H Associate Conductor Ian Watson will lead H+H’s annual chamber version of Messiah at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on Friday, December 12.
H+H performs Messiah with a deep understanding, respect, and affection honed by over two centuries of experience with this celebrated work. The “Hallelujah” chorus and other selections from Messiah were performed for H+H’s first concert held on Christmas Day in 1815 at Kings Chapel in Boston. Exactly three years later on December 25, 1818, H+H gave the first complete performance of Messiah in the U.S. Annual performances of Messiah during the holiday season have formed the cornerstone of H+H’s programming since 1854, including in 2020 when H+H presented a video streamed “Messiah For Our Time,” safely recorded at the GBH studio using robotic cameras.
“No other chorus and orchestra performs Messiah with the authenticity, commitment, and dramatic power that audiences experience from H+H every year,” said Judith Verhave, newly appointed Chair of the Handel and Haydn Society Board of Governors. “This year we are especially looking forward to sharing this beloved music, played on period instruments and presented as Handel intended, with audiences in Naples and West Palm Beach.”
Musically Speaking
Forty-five minutes prior to each Boston performance, all concert guests are welcome to attend “Musically Speaking” in Higginson Hall hosted by H+H’s Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed Performance Fellow, Teresa Neff. “Musically Speaking” provides background and context about the music and composer on the program.
Concert Information
Boston: The Handel and Haydn Society presents Handel’s Messiah at Symphony Hall, Friday, November 28 at 7:30pm; Saturday, November 29 at 3:00pm; and Sunday, November 30 at 3:00pm. Individual tickets and subscription packages are still available for purchase by calling 617.262.1815 or visiting handelandhaydn.org.
Florida: The Handel and Haydn Society presents Handel’s Messiah at Artis-Naples, Tuesday, December 2 at 7:30pm and at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30pm with a pre-concert lecture from 6:30-7pm.
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 211 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 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.