December 12 Messiah Hymn

Messiah - George Frederick Handel Part 1 5. Accompagnato (Bass) – “Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts: Yet once, a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea, and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.” (Haggai 2, vv.6–7); “The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3, v.1) 6. Air (Bass) – “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire.” (Malachi 3, v.2) 7. Chorus – “And he shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3, v.3) 8. Recitative (Alto) – “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.” (Isaiah 7, v.14; Matthew 1, v.23) 9. Air (mezzo-soprano) and Chorus – “O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40, v.9); “Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60, v.1) In a time of rising secularism and humanism in England, Charles Jennens was a member of the “Society for the Propagation of the Gospel” and a passionate evangelical believer. He believed that putting the gospel to music would communicate its truth, not just intellectually, but at a deep heart level. This libretto was made up entirely of Old and New Testament texts combined to present the entire Christian message in a single piece. When it was finished he took it to his friend, the great composer, George Handel. For 18 months the libretto sat on Handel’s shelf gathering dust until one day he took it down, dusted it off, and in three intense weeks, shut up in his flat on Brook Street, composed the oratorio that made the words come alive. He barely ate or slept; he was completely engulfed in the creation of this music—and he wasn’t alone. When he got to the Hallelujah chorus, his assistant found him in tears, saying, “I think I did see heaven open, and the very face of God.” Charles Morris • November 20, 2020, https://haventoday.org/blog/handels-m... SOLOIST – Robert Achterberg; Karen Holligan FLUTE - Dawn Mueller ACCOMPANIST - Kathleen Achterberg CHOIR - Parish Choir of St. Paul Lutheran Church - Austin, TX Jonathan R. Mueller, director