Handel and Haydn Society to Present Holiday Programs in Boston

The Handel and Haydn Society will continue its 2026–27 Season, The Choices that Shape Us, with holiday programs in November and December to bring generations of Bostonians together around music that illuminates questions about our lives and way of moving through the world. With Handel's Messiah H+H invites listeners to ask, What can I believe in when things are uncertain? And at Baroque Christmas, How can we cultivate and radiate joy?

“Handel's Messiah has been part of H+H's story for over 200 years, and it feels new every time we come together to hear it,” said H+H President and CEO Lecolion Washington, Jr. “I think it's especially meaningful for people who have been part of H+H for decades to experience this music alongside those who are new. We warmly welcome everyone to hear Messiah and be reminded there is hope in what endures, even when the future is unclear. At Baroque Christmas in December, we'll discover a festive work by Heinrich Schütz that H+H is performing for the first time. We want to feel the joy of gathering as a society of musicians and members, and see how that joy grows when we share it.”

Handel's Messiah at Symphony Hall, Nov 27 at 7:30pm; Nov 28 at 3pm; Nov 29 at 3pm

Sung in English with supertitles

H+H Conductor Laureate Harry Christophers returns to lead the Society's 173rd consecutive performances of Messiah featuring soloists Hilary Cronin, soprano in her H+H debut; Christopher Lowrey, countertenor; Robert Murray, tenor; and Roderick Williams, bass-baritone. On November 17 from 1-1:45pm, Christophers joins H+H President and CEO Lecolion Washington, Jr. for “Beyond the Baton,” a live online conversation about the lasting resonance of Messiah and what to listen for when H+H performs it at Symphony Hall on Nov 27-29. Registration for “Beyond the Baton” is free and open to all.

Friday's Messiah performance is included in the H² [H-squared] membership, H+H's network for culturally curious adults ages 21-40. H² members are invited to gather with one another at a pre-concert reception with Harry Christophers. For the second year, H+H welcomes Boston students and their families to attend the Saturday matinee free of charge in partnership with the City of Boston Family Days program. Special activities for all concertgoers will include period instrument demonstrations, a Messiah activity sheet, and family photos. Boston residents are encouraged to visit the City of Boston website to register for Family Days.

Baroque Christmas at NEC's Jordan Hall, Dec 17 at 7:30pm and Dec 20 at 2pm

The joyful sound of the H+H Youth Choruses Concert Choir opens this year's Baroque Christmas concerts. Then, Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen leads members of the H+H Chorus and musicians from H+H's period instrument orchestra in a showcase of seasonal motets and suites by German composers. The program's centerpiece is Heinrich Schütz's The Christmas Story, a vivid retelling of the Nativity that debuted in 1660, now performed by H+H for the first time. Schütz's music carries this centuries-old story into the present, bringing musicians and audiences together across generations to discover how joy grows when we create it together—and how far it can travel when we share it. Tenor Nicholas Mulroy sings the role of the Evangelist, and 17th‑century cornetts and sackbuts (early trombones) bring vivid, distinct sound to this festive concert.

Ticket Information

Individual tickets to Handel's Messiah and Baroque Christmas as well as subscription packages for H+H's 2026-27 Season are now on sale at handelandhaydn.org or by calling the H+H Box Office at 617.262.1815. H+H is pleased to now offer mobile ticketing.

New this season, The Society @ H+H membership provides flexibility when purchasing tickets. Members pay one monthly rate of $9, and can then purchase one ticket to each of our eight season programs for just $10 (a few blackout dates apply). Tickets can be purchased months in advance or the day of a concert, pending availability. Members are seated together to create community at concerts and also enjoy benefits such as early access to tickets and 20% off the purchase of additional tickets.

Full time undergraduate and graduate students can attend up to eight programs in H+H's season with a $25 Masterpass. Young adults enjoy three Friday evening concerts, including Messiah on Friday, November 27, plus networking and social events with a $120 H² membership. H+H is a certified partner of SocialRx (formerly Art Pharmacy), a program that enables healthcare providers to prescribe tickets to creative experiences that support mental health, reduce isolation, and strengthen overall well-being.

Musically Speaking

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