George Frederick Handel: The Messiah

 Messiah is one of the most celebrated sacred works of the last three centuries. Written by George Frederick Handel (1685-1759), it has been performed by ensembles of different formats, with the Hallelujah chorus being the most famous chorus of all time.

Written in 1741, it took Handel only 24 days to complete the entire oratorio. The libretto (text) was created by Charles Jennens and it was inspired by the King James version of the Bible. The entire work focuses on Christ's work in his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, with a great emphasis on Old Testament prophecies regarding Christ, and their fulfillment.

The musical score is immense and has proven to be not only great performance material, but alos great material for serious music study. At the end of the manuscript, Handel wrote the letters "SDG" which stand for "Soli Deo Gloria" ("To God Alone The Glory"). This is an inscription also used by the great J.S. Bach in his own manuscripts. It should be noted that the original score was much smaller than many versions we hear performed today. Later composers wanted to give the work a bigger sound, and many added instruments to the orchestration. Lately, there have been some acclaimed ensembles that returned to the original score, which is much smaller than what we are used to hear. Just as an example, the original arrangement called for thirty-two chorus members: sixteen men and sixteen boys, plus the four solos. Not the big sound we are used to hearing during the holidays on TV and Radio!

The first performance was give in Dublin and it raised a considerable amount of revenue, and Handel donated all of it to three charities:

• prisoner's debt relief
• local Mercer hospital
• local charitable infirmary

Besides helping the Mercer hospital and the local infirmary, Handel's contribution freed 142 indebted prisoners.

There were seven hundred people in the audience at the first performance on April 13. In order to allow as many people in the audience as possible, it is said that all men were asked to remove their swords, and all the ladies were asked not to wear hoops in their dresses... The local press praised the performance using these approximate words: "Words are wanting to express the exquisite delight in afforded to the admiring and crouded Audience" (Luckett, pp. 127-28).

A local clergyman, Rev. Delaney, was supposedly so overcome by the performance of "He Was Despised" (an alot solo) that he jumped to his feet and shouted: "Woman, for this be all thy sins forgiven thee!" (Hogwood, pp. 22-25).

Below is a drawing of the Great Music Hall in Dublin, where the Messiah was first performed. 

Many performances followed in the years and decades to follow, and especially after Handel's death, music performance venues always gathered large audiences eager to hear the Messiah. Today, the Hallelujah chorus and most of the oratorio Messiah is celebrated and performed around the world. 

Hymn Story: Silent Night

Silent Night is undoubtedly one of the most known and loved Christmas carols ever written. Translated in numerous languages and arranged for different vocal and instrumental combinations, the hymn has been sung and played around the world for many decades.

The composer was Franz Gruber of Austria, and he wrote the hymn a few days before Christmas, in the year 1818. Tradition reports that the pipe organ at the church was broken, and a day or two before Christmas Eve, the composer quickly re-wrote the arrangement for guitar and voices. 

The hymn later received a lot of attention due to an episode involving soldiers from opposing armies, during World War I. The year was 1914, on the battlefield of Flanders.

It is said that American soldiers and German soldiers were engaged in battle on Christmas Eve. Suddenly, in the middle of the fierce battle, a German soldier stood up, white flag on his rifle, and started singing: “Stille nacht, heilige nacht…” After a short while, others join in from both sides, and soon the entire battle scene was transformed into a place of worship where soldiers on both sides continued to sing this carol, each in their own language.

The story continues by saying that all soldiers laid down their arms and had a Christmas celebration that evening, and the following day on Christmas, where songs were sung, food was shared, and soccer games were played. The third day, they returned to battle…

Hymn Story: Joy To The World

Hymn Story: "Joy To The World"

Music: George Frederick Handel, Lowell Mason

Text: Isaac Watts

Even though "Joy To The World" is one of the most famous hymns for Christmas, it was not originally written for Christmas. 

The lyricist was Isaac Watts (1674-1748), an English author of over 600 hymns. He was best known for his collection entitled "Psalms of David Imitated In The Language Of The New Testament" (1719), a collection in which he paraphrases all but five of the 150 psalms. 

Displaying a high interest in theological and literary study at a very early age, Isaac Watts begins writing hymn texts, driven by a strong desire to improve what he considered a sorry state of congregational worship music of the church in his day. 

The text of "Joy To The World" is based on Psalm 98, which is a proclamation of God's sovereignty and also an anticipation of his day of judgement.

The tune is believed to have been created by George Frederick Handel (1685-1759), one of the greatest composers of the Baroque period and of all time. Later, the American composer and music educator Lowell Mason (1792-1872) adapted this tune into the song we sing today. Lowell Mason is credited as being the founder of American music education. Since there was no funding for music classes in schools, Mason funded the program himself. Throughout his lifetime, Lowell Mason wrote at least 1600 hymns and choruses.

When the hymn was published by Mason, Americans embraced it and labeled it as a Christmas tune, even though the original intention of the composer/lyricist/arranger was not to create a Christmas song. 

The music is elegant, simple, and majestic. A wonderful example of a masterful use of the major scale. The first notes in the tune are built on an entire descending major scale. From there, the entire tune uses those same notes, in different patterns, without using any other notes. 

"Joy To The World", whether sung at Christmas or anytime throughout the year, remains a great example of the immense impact one simple song can have from one generation to the next. 

Psalm 98:4 NIV

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music."

Photo Credit: "Adoration of the Shepherds" by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622