H+H maintains an archive of more than 1,000 concert program books going back more than 200 years. This collection, totaling 30,000 pages of historical material, is a treasure trove of both musical and social history in America, unmatched by any other arts organization in the country. And now, with the help of the Boston Public Library and Digital Commonwealth, the story this collection tells, from July 1818 through our bicentennial year and beyond, is available to the public. Some of the biggest names in American music history appear on these pages, as well as important historic milestones. Here you can see the American premieres of Verdi’s Requiem (1878) and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (1879), and our memorial services for President Lincoln (1865) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1945).
We are also delighted to be able to share share the first decades of H+H’s audio recordings with the public. This digitization project was made possible by the Recordings at Risk grant program of the Council on Library and Information Resources. These recordings reflect not just H+H’s history of commercially released recordings, going back to the 1950s, but also include live concert recordings from the late 1960s to the early 2000s. This collection provides the exciting opportunity to hear the development of the early music movement as it actually happened and to follow trends and changes in how classical music was performed in the second half of the 20th century. We have over 1,200 hours of material available – dig in!
These digitized items are just two of the many collections H+H holds. We also have membership rolls and photographs from the 19th century, early financial ledgers, scrapbooks of reviews, records of our past Gala celebrations, and scores and other music publications from the 19th century. Curious to learn more? Contact the archivist at [email protected]!
BEFORE YOU SEARCH …
We recommend that you read our Search Tips and Tools page for suggestions that will help you find what you’re looking for.
Please bear in mind that we do not have a program or a recording for every single H+H concert. If you’re looking for information about a particular concert and you don’t see a program for it, feel free to reach out to the archivist at [email protected].
We are always improving this site and adding new material. Check back for updates!
