In It Together

For some music lovers, Christmas isn't Christmas without a performance of Handel's Messiah.

That's especially the case in Boston, because thanks to the Handel and Haydn Society, the city has enjoyed 167 consecutive years of Messiah performances -- America's Oldest Messiah is right here.

It's happened every year, through the civil war, world wars, and a global pandemic

So you shouldn't be surprised to hear that 2020 was not going to stop the show, even as stages across the world have gone dark.

We'll hear how the artists worked to bring music and performance to virtual audiences, right at a time when we need it the most.

Boston's holiday music programming is some of the best in the country, and the pandemic isn’t standing in the way of the Boston Pops. Arun Rath speaks with Pops conductor Keith Lockhart to find out how they’re adapting their holiday act.

We take a look at some of the challenges facing expectant mothers and those who have already given birth in this pandemic.

Arun Rath speaks with Maria Fenwick, founder and executive director of the Teacher Collaborative.The organization is helping educators across Massachusetts connect and share best practices for running a classroom - online and in person - amid the pandemic. One such educator is Malden kindergarten teacher Wendy Yaakov, who also shares her experiences with Arun.

Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke with members of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church a few weeks ago about a potential coronavirus vaccine.

Senior Pastor Elizabeth Walker says she arranged the discussion to help quell vaccine skepticism among her congregation.

Pastor Walker joins host Arun Rath to talk about the meeting and what her community has been facing in this pandemic.

Arun Rath speaks with Elizabeth Matos of Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts about the challenges of vaccinating those who are incarcerated. Massachusetts is one of just six states in the country that's including its prison population in the first phase of its vaccination plan, but winning the trust of inmates could be a tall task.

'Nimble and Pivot'

Those are two words Artistic Director Julianne Boyd says she and her company Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield have been living by since the spring.

The company - along with other indoor performance venues - have been told to shut their doors for the second time this year thanks to rising cases and hospitalizations in the state.

But with the first vaccinations being administered this week, there is hope on the horizon.

Hear more about what Barrington Stage Company has planned for next year.

Many people who came down with coronavirus months ago are still dealing with persistent physical and mental health symptoms. Arun Rath speaks with one so-called “long hauler,” Lian Lam of Canton.

Community health centers are pillars of trust and support in communities of underserved residents. That's why their services have been even more crucial in this pandemic.

Host Arun Rath speaks with Dr. Holly Oh, the Chief Medical Officer at Roxbury's Dimock Center, about the care her Center has provided to patients during the pandemic and how that earned trust will be crucial in getting buy-in for a coronavirus vaccine.

Arun Rath speaks with Boston City Council President Kim Janey about how the pandemic is affecting Boston - particularly its communities of color, where there's some skepticism about soon-to-be distributed coronavirus vaccines.