Under the leadership of grant Llewellyn and conductor laureate Christopher Hogwood, the Society, in its 189th season, has maintained its long tradition of musical excellence. Handel and Haydn gave the American premieres of Handel's "Messiah" in 1818, Haydn's "The Creation (1819)," Verdi's "Requiem (1878)," and Bach's "St. Matthew Passion (1889); and the Society won a 2002 Grammy for its recording of Sir John Tavener's "Lamentations and Praises." The 32 mixed-voice Chorus bring us 10 songs on the appropriately named "Peace:" de Victoria's "O magnum mysterium," Randall Thompson's lovely "Alleluia," Rachmaninov's "Blazen muzh, Op.37," Lauridsen's "O magnum mysterium," Samuel Barber's "Agnus Dei," Tavener's "Song for Athene," Schoenberg's "Friede auf Erden Op.13," Gorecki's "Tous Tuus," Frederick Delius' "To be sung of a summer night on the water," and Edward Elgar's "Lux Aeterna" (Nimrod). These are songs of great depth and beauty, as befitting songs sung with the intention of bringing peace to a world desperately in need of it.