IDAGIO | Joy to the World - An American Christmas 828021611728

Featuring

Harry Christophers
Sonja DuToit Tengblad
Stefan Reed
Woodrow Bynum
Handel and Haydn Society Chorus
Anonymous (Christmas)

Morten Lauridsen
Lowell Mason
Richard Storrs Willis
Gustav Holst
William Billings
Robert Lucas Pearsall
Bob Chilcott
Charles Ives
John Rutter
Lewis Henry Redner
Herbert Howells
Hieronymus Praetorius
James Bassi
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

The Handel and Haydn Society, founded in Boston in 1815, is considered the oldest continuously performing arts organization in the United States and is a leader in Historically Informed Performance.

Historical Context

The Handel and Haydn Society was founded in Boston in 1815 as a reaction against the "earthily rugged and syllabic" carol hymns of composers like William Billings, aiming to bring quality music to the Boston public.

Historical Context

The Handel and Haydn Society, a professional Period Instrument Orchestra and Chorus, gave its first performance on Christmas Day 1815, and later premiered Handel's Messiah in the United States on December 25, 1818.

Composer Biography

William Billings, a Boston composer, established a famous singing school in Stoughton in 1774, bringing congregational and choral singing to rural areas and giving rise to the First New England School of composers.

Historical Context

Christmas celebrations were outlawed in colonial America by the Plymouth Pilgrims and Boston Puritans, and it was not until 1870 that Congress declared Christmas a federal holiday.

Performer Biography

Harry Christophers, the Artistic Director of the Handel and Haydn Society, is also the founder and conductor of the UK-based choir and period instrument ensemble The Sixteen, with whom he has recorded over 120 titles and won numerous awards.