Chorus: For unto us a Child is born

gentlemen their swords so a larger audience would fit in the hall and more money could be raised. Messiah was a sensation. The Dublin Journal said, “Words are wanting to express the exquisite delight it afforded to the admiring crowded audience.” Handel hoped to duplicate the success of Messiah in London, but at first it seemed a lost cause. Where his Old Testament oratorios were well-received, the New Testament Messiah seemed somehow to have crossed a line: there were many who objected to the story of Jesus being turned into “entertainment” given that theaters were considered dens filled with shady characters of loose morals. Over the course of several years, Handel put on Messiah three times, but it was received with utter indifference on each occasion. It was only when Handel harkened back to Messiah’s original purpose — a production intended to raise money for charities — that Messiah not only succeeded but became the musical fixture it is today. In 1750, Handel offered to produce his Messiah at a concert to benefit London’s Foundling Hospital, a Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children, and somehow the public’s perception of the work changed overnight. So many clamored for tickets and had to be turned away at the door that a repeat performance had to be hastily organized. The public’s reaction was ecstatic, and the Foundling Hospital’s coffers were filled. The benefit performance was repeated annually and the practice of performing Messiah every season — a now 250 year tradition — began. Messiah differs from Handel’s other oratorios. For one thing, it relies heavily on its choruses to deliver its narrative. For another, it has no plot; it is not a biography of Jesus and there is no dramatic action. In fact, it has no characters at all. It is, rather, a musical exegesis of the Christian faith. It is not really about “what” or “how” at all — it is about “why.” Messiah’s music is remarkable in its scope, its depth, and its sheer beauty. It is a long work, but it doesn’t seem so: Handel’s music is a study in balanced proportion and exquisite pacing. There are three large sections. Part I begins with an unsettled, minor-key orchestral

"In 1750, Handel offered to produce his Messiah at a concert to benefit London’s Foundling Hospital... and somehow the public’s perception of the work changed overnight."

Sinfonia. It continues with words from the prophet Isaiah and others, predicting the coming of the Messiah, giving the circumstances of his birth, and relating God’s plan for the redemption of Mankind. Part II tells of Man’s rejection of Jesus, his passion, and his resurrection. Part III is a hymn of thanksgiving that death is finally overcome. Messiah’s arias are where Handel is at his most poignant and his most personal. The highlights are far too numerous to mention, but among them are the joyous “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted” and “O thou that tellest;” the wandering music of “The people that walked in the darkness;” and the glorious interplay of “The trumpet shall sound.” But the real power of Messiah lies in its choruses. It is there that Handel