A Boston Christmas
Friday, December 20, 2024 • 7:30 pm - SOLD OUT
Saturday, December 21, 2024 • 4:00 pm - SOLD OUT
Old South Church, 645 Boylston St., Boston 02116
Back Bay Chorale
Brass Ensemble
Justin Blackwell, organ
Michael Sparhuber, timpani
Stephen Spinelli, conducting
Friday's concert is sold out.
Saturday’s concert is sold out.
The Back Bay Chorale’s “A Boston Christmas” returns, bringing the warmth and cheer of the holidays to our audiences through choral music. The grand but inviting, historic space provided by Old South Church, the sounds of brass and organ, and the invitation to sing carols that many of us have known since infancy all signal that this is a time of year for reflection, connection, and hope.
This year’s concerts, in addition to featuring a number of well-known classics, will shine a light on some interesting facets of American history. Alfred Burt, best known for his contributions to early 20th-century Hollywood film scores, made a habit of writing a Christmas carol each year, and sending it as a Christmas greeting to his loved ones. Burt’s granddaughter, Abbie Betinis, is a celebrated composer living in Minnesota. She has picked up the mantle of her grandfather’s Christmas Carol tradition, and the Burt family carols are alive and well. We will celebrate Abbie and Alfred by performing their music.
Last year’s concerts featured a little-known carol by the great Margaret Bonds, and this year we will continue to spotlight her underrepresented contributions to the field of choral music. A yet unpublished choral version of her spiritual “Sing Aho!”, arranged by the composer herself, will take center stage. We will also celebrate the centennial of the great Julia Perry, an historically underrepresented composer known best for her significant contributions to the modernist movement. Her first published work, however, was a charming Christmas carol “Carillon Heigh-ho”, composed while she was still a student at Westminster Choir College. Happy 100th, Julia Perry!
The warmth and longevity of holiday choral music traditions will shine through with performances of well-known works like Benjamin Britten’s Hymn to the Virgin and Morton Lauridsen’s timeless O Magnum Mysterium. We hope to welcome you, to inspire you, and to guide you towards the welcome respite provided by the holiday season.
FEATURING
Gabriel JACKSON: To Morning
Jonathan DOVE: The Three Kings
John RUTTER : The Wexford Carol
Benjamin BRITTEN: Hymn to the Virgin
Morton LAURIDSEN O Magnum Mysterium
Abbie BETINIS: Behind the Clouds
Alfred BURT: Set 1 of Christmas Carols
Will TODD: My Lord Has Come
Margaret BONDS: Sing Aho
Julia PERRY: Carillon Heigh Ho
Daniel PINKHAM: Christmas Cantata
VENUE INFO
Old South Church
645 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02116
Old South Church Seating Plan
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Old South Church Panorama
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Upcoming This Season
A Boston Christmas
Friday, December 20, 2024 • 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 21, 2024 • 4:00 pm
Old South Church
645 Boylston St., Boston 02116
BUY TICKETS
Of Hope and Destiny
Saturday, March 8, 2025 • 5:00 pm
Old South Church
645 Boylston St., Boston 02116
Featuring Florence Price's Song of Hope and Johannes Brahms's Schicksalslied.
The Waking Sun
Saturday, May 17, 2025 • 7:30 pm
Sanders Theatre
45 Quincy St., Cambridge 02138
Featuring Kile Smith's The Waking Sun and Giacomo Carissimi's Jephte.
We are proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health's WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of cultural organizations across Massachusetts by expanding cultural access for low-income and working families.
EBT cardholders receive $5 admission to concerts for up to four people per card. Please leave your name and phone number at 617-648-3885 to reserve. See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT discounts.
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