What to Expect

• A joyful celebration of the human spirit
• Full-throated gospel meets a massive range of jazz styles
• Free pre-concert discussion about the music and artists at 7pm

 “Everyone has a place.” We live by these words at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Wynton Marsalis’ epic The Abyssinian Mass embodies them. Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis with 70-person gospel choir Chorale Le Chateau directed by Damien L. Sneed, The Abyssinian Mass is a joyful celebration of togetherness and the human spirit.

Bringing full-throated gospel together with a massive range of jazz styles, The Abyssinian Mass is a sweeping blend of big band bravado, impassioned solos, handclaps, tambourine slaps, and some of the mightiest voices you’ll hear outside of church.

Commissioned in 2008 to honor the bicentennial of Harlem’s famed Abyssinian Baptist Church, The Abyssinian Mass has since become a best-selling record and toured packed concert halls and churches around the country. The unique masterpiece now returns exclusively to its hometown for three nights in the House of Swing.

Created and performed for audiences of all faiths and backgrounds, The Abyssinian Mass is a spirited and swinging affirmation of just how good it can feel to be human.

Want to learn more about The Abyssinian Mass? Watch our YouTube playlist.