Five guest soloists, the H+H Youth Choruses Chamber Choir, and second H+H CitySing ensemble join an expanded H+H Orchestra and Chorus to present Saul on Oct 3 and 5 at Symphony Hall.
BOSTON | Handel and Haydn Society Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen is set to lead a full stage of musicians to open H+H’s 211th consecutive season with Handel’s large-scale oratorio Saul at Symphony Hall on October 3 and 5. Joining the H+H Orchestra and Chorus, H+H Youth Choruses Chamber Choir, and five guest soloists on stage for the performances will be members of choral ensembles from throughout Greater Boston selected for the second annual H+H CitySing. The 2025-26 Season marks H+H’s 125th season performing at Symphony Hall.
British bass-baritone Neal Davies sings the role of Saul, and Rhode Island native countertenor Christopher Lowrey sings David, joined by three soloists making their H+H debut: soprano Sarah Brady (Merab), soprano Julie Roset (Michal), and tenor Linard Vrielink (Jonathan). Supporting roles will be performed by H+H Chorus members: tenor Jonas Budris (Abner and an Amalekite), baritone David McFerrin (Doeg), tenor Stefan Reed (Witch of Endor), tenor Steven Soph (High Priest), and baritone Ryne Cherry (Apparition of Samuel).
“Saul showcases Handel’s genius for oratorio composition,” said Cohen. “Drawing on all the colors of an expanded baroque orchestra, Handel presents us with dynamic arias and rousing choruses throughout this grand masterwork. I’m excited to welcome our second CitySing collaboration with our H+H Youth Choruses Chamber Choir and our magnificent H+H Chorus center stage to present a choral extravaganza!”
Saul is a story of ambition, loyalty, love, jealousy, and madness told in exciting, imaginative musical detail. The Biblical-based text for Saul was supplied to Handel by librettist Charles Jennens, their first of several collaborations including Messiah two years later. To bring to life the story of Israel’s first king, Saul and his tragic demise, Handel deploys trombones, trumpets, large drums, as well as a harp and carillon, a bell-like keyboard instrument. Hailed as one of the leading organists of his age, Handel wrote organ solos into the oratorio so that he could star in its premiere.
Saul opens with a celebratory sequence of choruses culminating in victorious, “Hallelujah” rejoicing at David’s victory over the Philistine champion Goliath. This marks the beginning of Saul’s descent into jealousy and madness, which cannot be soothed even by David’s soft harp in a moment of tenderness. The famous “Dead March” from Act III has been played at numerous state funerals over the centuries, from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Winston Churchill.
Concert Information
The Handel and Haydn Society presents Saul at Symphony Hall (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston) on Friday, October 3 at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 5 at 3:00pm.
Individual tickets to Saul as well as subscription packages for the 2025-26 Season are now on sale at handelandhaydn.org or by calling the H+H Box Office at 617.262.1815.
Musically Speaking
Forty-five minutes prior to each performance, all 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(s) on the program.
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 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.