Watertown’s Kim Leeds will sing in the Boston First Night Day Celebration with the Handel & Haydn Society.
Watertown resident Kim Leeds will sing alto in The Museum of African American History/The Handel & Haydn Society’s Sixth Annual Jubilee Day Concert, which is part of Boston’s First Night Day Celebrations.
The Handel & Haydn Society sent out the following information:
The Handel and Haydn Society and the Museum of African American History proudly announce the sixth annual Jubilee Day Concert, part of First Night First Day Boston, and in partnership with Trinity Church Boston.
Conducted by Scott Allen Jarrett and featuring narrated passages from the Emancipation Proclamation by poet Regie Gibson, the concert takes place Sunday, December 31 at 2 pm at Trinity Church, located in Boston’s Copley Square. The concert is free and open to the public, on a first come, first served basis.
This year’s Jubilee Day concert program features music by Mendelssohn, Bach, and Handel as well as readings of the Emancipation Proclamation – all based on “two broader themes of ‘Hope in the Lord’ and ‘Be Not Afraid,’” shares conductor Scott Allen Jarrett.
“The opening of the second part of Elijah with ‘Hear Ye, Israel’ is quite beautiful, and I like the opening with the grand Mendelssohn motet concluding with the bold ‘Harre auf Gott!’ I’m glad we’ll perform the sorely neglected Bach motet ‘Fürchte dich nicht.’ I’ve also programmed the closing chorus from Act III of Hercules to introduce this piece to our Boston’s audiences –H+H will perform the full Hercules program this spring.” The program also features performances of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “We Shall Walk in the Valley of Peace.”
“We love partnering with the Museum of African American History and sharing the Jubilee Day Concert program with Boston audiences,” shares H+H President/CEO David Snead. “It’s the perfect way to welcome in a New Year and remind us about liberty, freedom, and equality for all.”
According to Marita Rivero, Executive Director of the Museum of African American History, the Museum values its partnership with the Handel and Haydn Society and the ability to highlight African American history in a unique way.
“Each year we look forward to showcasing meaningful passages from the Emancipation Proclamation during such a special performance in Boston,” says Rivero. “Trinity is honored to host this year’s concert,” shares Rev. William W. Rich, Interim Rector, Trinity Church. “As both the Parish and the Trinity Boston Foundation are committed to dismantling the racism that has so badly crippled our nation, we join you all in looking with hope towards the day when America’s dream of liberty and justice for all will become a living reality.”
About the Handel and Haydn Society
The Handel and Haydn Society is internationally acclaimed for its performances of Baroque and Classical music. Based in Boston, H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50,000 listeners each year with a 10-concert subscription series at Symphony Hall and other leading venues in addition to a robust program of intimate events in museums, schools, and community centers. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Harry Christophers, the ensemble embraces historically informed performance bringing classical music to life with the same immediacy it had the day it was written. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program, H+H also provides engaging, accessible, and broadly inclusive music education to more than 11,500 children each year through in-school music instruction and a Vocal Arts Program that includes six youth choruses.
Founded in Boston in 1815, H+H is the oldest continuously-performing arts organization in the United States, and is unique among American ensembles for its longevity, capacity for reinvention, and distinguished history of premieres. H+H began as a choral society founded by middle-class Bostonians who aspired to improve the quality of singing in their growing American city. They named the
organization after two composers—Handel and Haydn—to represent both the old music of the 18th century and what was then the new music of the 19th century. In the first decades of its existence, H+H gave the American premieres of Handel’s Messiah (1818), Haydn’s Creation (1819), Verdi’s Requiem (1878), and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (1879). Between 2014 and 2016, H+H celebrated its Bicentennial
with two seasons of special concerts and initiatives to mark 200 years of music making. Since its founding, H+H has given more than 2,000 performances before a total audience exceeding 2.8 million.
In addition to its subscription series, tours, and broadcast performances, H+H reaches a worldwide audience through ambitious recordings including Haydn Symphonies, the critically-acclaimed Haydn: The Creation, the best-selling Joy to the World: An American Christmas, and Handel Messiah, recorded live at Symphony Hall under Christophers’ direction. http://handelandhaydn.org/