The Handel and Haydn Society’s CROSSING THE DEEP to Return MLK Weekend

With the return of Crossing the Deep, the Handel and Haydn Society is inviting 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.

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