BOSTON | With the return of Crossing the Deep, the Handel and Haydn Society invites audiences to explore and reflect upon the stories, themes, and musical traditions of European sacred music by George Frideric Handel and spirituals by enslaved Africans in America created at the same time on both sides of the Atlantic. Performances take place January 17 and 19, 2025 at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall.
Premiered to sold-out houses in 2023 and returning for the first time this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Crossing the Deep was co-created by H+H Resident Conductor Anthony Trecek-King and H+H Programming Consultant and countertenor Reginald Mobley as a response to the revelation that Handel (one of H+H’s namesakes and the composer of Messiah ) had owned stock in companies involved in the slave trade. Crossing the Deep explores the resonances and juxtapositions between Handel’s Chandos Anthems and Negro spirituals, created at the same time and often using the same Biblical texts. The selection of traditional spirituals arranged by Trecek-King includes “In This Lan’” “I’m, Building Me A Home,” “Children, We All Shall Be Free” and others. New to the program is the instrumental piece “Solemnity” composed by violinist Sawney Freeman, who was born into slavery in Lyme, Connecticut and emancipated by the son of his enslaver in 1793.
Crossing the Deep is an immersive concert experience that incorporates spoken word by literary performer, narrator, and author of the text, Regie Gibson and narration by Gillian Mackay-Smith to carry the story forward and highlight common themes found in the music from both sides of the Atlantic. Soprano Brianna J. Robinson , who made her H+H debut during the inaugural Crossing the Deep performances, returns as a soloist alongside countertenor Reginald Mobley and the H+H Orchestra and Chorus.
“The profound stories told by Handel and in the Spirituals—often referring to the same texts—resonate with each other, underscoring their common humanity,” said Dr. Anthony Trecek-King.“At the same time, their stories diverge, prompting important questions about struggle, oppression, faith, and hope. We invite you to take this emotional and educational journey with H+H, and to experience the universal power of music.”
Following each performance the audience is invited to participate in a Q&A with Crossing the Deep co-creators Dr. Anthony Trecek-King and Reginald Mobley.
Crossing the Deep is supported in part by the Robert N. Shapiro Fund for Imagination and Creativity. H+H’s current You Are the Music campaign supports the development of programs that showcase the vibrancy and expansiveness of Baroque and Classical repertoire, such as Crossing the Deep.
Concert Information
The Handel and Haydn Society presents Crossing the Deep at NEC’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St, Boston) on Friday, January 17 at 7:30pm and Sunday, January 19 at 3:00pm.
Forty-five minutes prior to each performance all ticket holders are invited to Musically Speaking in Williams Hall. Hosted by H+H’s Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed Performance Fellow Teresa Neff, Ph.D. this talk provides background and context about the music and composers on the program.
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.