For unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah
9:6
George Frederick Handel was born in Halle, Germany (50 miles from Eisenach, Bach's birthplace) in the same year as Bach, 1685. Unlike Bach, who never strayed more than 100 miles from home, Handel was a world traveler. He was educated in Italy and after several small moves, established himself in England around 1712 and became a naturalized citizen. Interestingly, a blue plaque marks the street where he lived, 25 Brook Street in London, next door to another famous musician – Jimmy Hendrix – who lived at 23 Brook Street.
Handel’s career focused mostly on church music and operas, but following the failure of several opera’s and after suffering a stroke, paralyzing his left arm and making organ play difficult, he focused on the composition of Oratorios, also called church operas. Handel was a devout Christian, and this work is a presentation of Jesus's life and its significance according to Christian doctrine, with the text of the oratorio taken from the King James Bible, especially the Old Testament book of Isaiah and the New Testament Gospels; thus the title Messiah. Messiah is commonly refered to as The Messiah, which is actually not the correct title, but having heard the incorrect title for so many years, many modern listeners find the proper title of Messiah a bit awkward.
Messiah is composed in three major sections, The Birth, The Passion, and The Aftermath of Christ’s life. Although the work was conceived and first performed for Easter, it has become equally traitional, since Handel’s death, to perform the oratorio during Advent.or Lent. The one song of controversy in this performance practice is Hallelujah Chorus as many hear it as a praise of the Savior’s birth, but in the oratorio, it is a joyous pronouncement of Christ’s defeat of death and Easter resurrention. For this fact alone, I will not program the Hallelujah Chorus as part of a Christmas music program, saving it for its place of Easter celebration.
What is most interesting to me is actual composition folklore attached to this Oratorio. In the summer of 1741 Handel, at the peak of his musical powers but depressed and in debt, began setting Charles Jennens' Biblical libretto to music at his usual breakneck speed. In just 24 days, Messiah was complete. However it was not first performed until April 13, 1742, at a charity concert in near Dublin. Like many of Handel's compositions, it borrows liberally from earlier works, both his own and those of others. It is said that while Handel was writing Messiah, his valet would often find him weeping silently at his desk, overcome by the beauty and majesty of the music that was flowing from his pen.
How
truly inspired this beautiful music was, and still is to this day.
And how grateful I am to a man, like Handel, willing to commit to paper
the music of his heart and soul. We are very blessed. I
would like to encourage you during this season of Advent to check out
a copy of Messiah from the local library or dust of your
old 8-track recording and spend some time inside of the music, as we
await Christ’s birth.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Bethany Kirkpatrick,
Director of Music
