Presented by the Handel and Haydn Society and
Museum of African American History Boston I Nantucket
Concert takes place at Trinity Church in Boston’s Copley Square,
Wednesday, Dec 31 at 1pm as part of First Night Boston 2026
BOSTON | All are welcome to join the Handel and Haydn Society (H+H) and Museum of African American History Boston I Nantucket (MAAH) for a free performance to celebrate freedom and honor the progress for human rights on Dec 31, the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. As First Night 2026 also marks the beginning of America’s 250th anniversary, the program will trace freedom from the Declaration of Independence to the Emancipation Proclamation through the music of both eras. Led by H+H Resident Conductor Anthony Trecek-King, members of the H+H Orchestra and Chorus will perform Revolutionary hymns, Handel choruses, and spirituals born from slavery to explore the 1776 promise of freedom and how that promise evolved by 1863. Historical context and readings will be provided by Dr. Noelle Trent, President & CEO of the Museum of African American History, Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson, and other special guests.
In its 12th year, the Emancipation Proclamation Concert is presented in partnership with Trinity Church and First Night Boston and has become a tradition for many families as we ring in the New Year. The concert takes place on the eve of the anniversary of the Grand Jubilee Concert held in Boston on January 1, 1863 to celebrate the enactment of the Proclamation, at which H+H musicians performed.
“Music has always been an instrument for survival in times of struggle,” said Dr. Anthony Trecek-King. “This program traces the quest for freedom from 1776 to 1863—from the Declaration of Independence that excluded women and enslaved people, to the Emancipation Proclamation that expanded freedom’s reach.”
“As we enter America’s 250th anniversary year, this concert invites us to reflect on how the nation’s earliest promises of liberty have been challenged, reimagined, and expanded by generations who believed in a more just future,” said Dr. Noelle Trent, President & CEO, the Museum of African American History I Boston & Nantucket. “The Museum of African American History is honored to stand with our partners in celebrating and uplifting the music, stories, and voices that illuminate the long arc from independence to emancipation.”
Concert Information
Wednesday, December 31 at 1:00pm; doors open at noon
Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon St, Boston
The Emancipation Proclamation Concert is free and open to the public and tickets are not required. This concert is an event of First Night Boston 2026 and recognized by Everyone250.
For more information about H+H’s 2025-26 Season, please visit handelandhaydn.org or call the H+H Box Office at 617.262.1815.
H+H and the Emancipation Proclamation
Founded in 1815, the Handel and Haydn Society is the oldest continuously performing arts organization in the U.S. and has served as 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. In 1913 H+H participated in celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation at Mechanic’s Hall in Boston. H+H began presenting its free Emancipation Proclamation Concert in partnership with MAAH in 2012.
About MAAH
The Museum of African American History | Boston & Nantucket (MAAH) is the oldest institution dedicated to African American history in New England. The museum began as an idea of Sue Bailey Thurman, an African American woman and historic preservation advocate, in the 1950s when she noticed the lack of public documentation regarding Boston’s early Black community. A group of dedicated community members began hosting programs and exhibitions around 1963. The museum was organized in 1967 and incorporated in 1972. Today, its mission is to connect the rich legacy of colonial and early African American history in Boston, Nantucket, and the larger New England area with the abolition of slavery and ongoing explorations of race and human rights.
MAAH preserves and interprets four historic landmarks: the African Meeting House – Boston (1806) and Abiel Smith School (1835) in Boston, and on Nantucket, the African Meeting House – Nantucket (c.1825) and the Seneca Boston-Florence Higginbotham House (c.1774). These sites span from the Colonial era through Reconstruction, anchoring two Black Heritage Trails and connecting to pivotal figures and institutions such as abolitionists David Walker and Lewis Hayden, the Massachusetts General Colored Association, and whaling captain Absalom Boston.
Today, MAAH is an established cultural entity and a member of the American Alliance of Museums, American Association of State & Local History, the Association of African American Museums, and the New England Museum Association. The museum played a key role in the establishment of the National Park Service’s Boston African American National Historic Site where it is part of the Black Heritage trail and maintains a partnership with National Park Service. MAAH is an affiliate site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. MAAH continues to ensure that the history of Black Boston and Nantucket’s role in early America and the Antebellum era is preserved and promoted.