(Boston June 23, 2020) The Handel and Haydn Society has announced that its performances of “Bach Christmas” will now take place at St. Cecilia Parish in Boston’s Back Bay. Maestra Laurence Equilbey, conductor of Paris’s acclaimed Insula orchestra and Accentus choir, will make her H+H debut conducting the H+H Orchestra and Chorus in Cantatas I, II, and III from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. The performances were originally planned to take place at NEC’s Jordan Hall, but the hall will be closed for the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. H+H will perform Bach Christmas at St. Cecilia Parish, 18 Belvidere St., Boston, on Friday, December 17 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, December 20 at 3:00 PM.
Built in 1894, St. Cecilia Parish is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Boston. Named after the patroness of musicians, St. Cecilia Parish has a deep connection with the music scene in Boston. The Berklee College of Music regularly holds classes in the church, and the parish itself is known for its extensive music programs.
“St. Cecilia Parish is a wonderful setting for H+H’s ‘Bach Christmas,’” said H+H President and CEO David Snead. “We are excited to introduce our audiences to this magnificent building.”
Subscriptions for the Handel and Haydn Society 2020-21 season are on sale now at handelandhaydn.org or by calling the Box Office at 617.266.3605.
Handel and Haydn’s 2020–21 Season Performances include:
Brahms A German Requiem September 25 + 27, 2020 Symphony Hall
Bach + Vivaldi Gloria October 23 + 25, 2020 Symphony Hall
Handel Messiah November 27 + 28 + 29, 2020 Symphony Hall
Bach Christmas December 17 + 20, 2020 St. Cecilia Parish
Haydn + Mozart January 22 + 24, 2021 Symphony Hall
Mozart Great Mass February 5 + 7, 2021 Symphony Hall
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 March 5 + 7, 2021 Symphony Hall
Handel Israel in Egypt March 19 + 21, 2021 Symphony Hall & Sanders Theatre
Haydn The Creation April 30 + May 2, 2021 Symphony Hall
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society is dedicated to performing Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. H+H has been captivating audiences for 205 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States). Today, H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50,000 listeners annually with a nine-week subscription series at Boston Symphony Hall and other leading venues. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy 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’s numerous free community concerts include an annual commemoration of the original 1863 Emancipation Proclamation concert on December 31. The artistic director of the Handel and Haydn Society is Harry Christophers. Under Christophers’s leadership, H+H has released 12 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 us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.
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