About this Event
Christmas, reimagined.
A centuries-old musical form meets the full range of Black sacred music, from high church to contemporary and down-home gospel.
Through singing, live musicians, dance, theatre, and dramatic expression, The Christmas Cantata brings the Christmas story to life through the sound and imagination of the Black church.
Created by Michael W. Bradley
Billboard No. 1. Carnegie Hall. The White House. Boston Pops.
The Berklee-trained composer, conductor, arranger, and Boston Arts Academy Music Department Chair returns to the production he created at Bethel.
Sounds of a Living Legacy
A landmark moment in nearly four decades of faith, justice, civic leadership, and the arts.
The 2026 Cantata takes place during the final pastoral year of Bethel founders Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond and Rev. Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, longtime Boston faith, medical, civic, and social-justice leaders.
Born at Bethel
A Boston institution at the intersection of worship, justice, community, and the arts.
For nearly four decades, Bethel AME Church has invested in people and ideas whose impact reaches well beyond Sunday morning.
The Christmas Cantata is one expression of that legacy.
Event venue & nearby stays
Bethel AME Church, 100 Wachusett Street, Boston, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.