In case I forget to tell you, I did purchase one Christmas gift this month. I can't tell you anything about it though, because the person I got it for reads this blog! I am beginning to feel a little pressured. I am only about half-way through my Christmas gift list and there are only 87 days 'till Christmas!
There are also only 17 more songs before the Hallelujah Chorus. But take heart. Only nine of them are used regularly in a Christmas Messiah concert. Of those total 18, eight are written for the tenor soloist. Of those eight, only four are usually used. Poor tenor!
Here are the words. We'll start with the tenor. "Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man; neihter found He any to comfort Him." Those words are from Psalm 69:20. The tenor continues with his aria, "Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow." (Lamantations 1:12)
The chorus next sings, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory." (Psalm 24: 9-10)
Now in my opinion that song would make a lot more sense if we had let the tenor sing his preceeding recitative and aria. What we missed was, "He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of Thy people was He stricken." (Isaiah 53:8) "But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10) See what I mean? Jesus had to die before he could be resurrected.
The next four songs are usually omitted. So onward we gallop. The soprano sings, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. (Isaiah 52:7 and quoted in Romans 10:15)
Another chorus is omitted and then the bass sings one of my two favorite bass solos in the oratorio. Here comes the drama of the end times: "Why do the nations so furiously rage together? (and) why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel against the Lord, and against His Anointed." (Psalm 2:1-2) The chorus answers, "Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us." (Psalm 2:3) Then the tenor agrees, "He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision." (Psalm 2:4) "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2:9)
Now comes the resounding, "Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Hallelujah!" (Revelation 19: 6 and 16)
Well, as the song says, "You may think that this is the end. Well it..."
I have to think about this. The oratorio continues, but I may want to save the last part for next year's blog, A Year of Easter.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Handel's Messiah, Part II
Part II of Handel's Messiah is all about Jesus' sacrifice for us. Many of the choruses are used in Christmas concerts, and indeed, this section ends with the triumphant "Hallelujah Chorus," a Christmas favorite.
But after seeing the emphasis Mr. Jennens (who compiled the Scriptures for the oratorio) places on this part and his central positioning of it, I have to agree with him and Handel that this oratorio was meant to be performed at Easter.
Nevertheless, here's what you may hear this Christmas season: the chorus opens with the very startling and moving, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." (John 1:29) This, of course, is the reason Jesus was born, and is the central message of the Bible.
The alto soloist followed by the chorus gives us much of Isaiah's prophecy concerning Christ's death. "He was despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (Isaiah 53:3)
The next part of the alto's solo is usually omitted. It is not a quote from the Isaiah passage which preceeds and follows it, but is quoted from Isaiah 50:6 It almost seems to be a tag ending to say, "Hey, this was real and violent." In fact, it is verified and testified to in Matthew's gospel account. (Matthew 26:67 and Matthew 27:30) The orchestral accompaniment is very agitated as these words are sung: "He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; He hid not his face from shame and spitting."
The chorus continues directly with the Isaiah 53 prophecy: "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Far from being distracting during the Christmas celebration, these words emphasize why Jesus was born. If Jesus remains only a baby in a manger, he cannot do much for me, but I can rejoice that God kept His Christmas promise and sent a Savior for my soul.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
But after seeing the emphasis Mr. Jennens (who compiled the Scriptures for the oratorio) places on this part and his central positioning of it, I have to agree with him and Handel that this oratorio was meant to be performed at Easter.
Nevertheless, here's what you may hear this Christmas season: the chorus opens with the very startling and moving, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." (John 1:29) This, of course, is the reason Jesus was born, and is the central message of the Bible.
The alto soloist followed by the chorus gives us much of Isaiah's prophecy concerning Christ's death. "He was despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (Isaiah 53:3)
The next part of the alto's solo is usually omitted. It is not a quote from the Isaiah passage which preceeds and follows it, but is quoted from Isaiah 50:6 It almost seems to be a tag ending to say, "Hey, this was real and violent." In fact, it is verified and testified to in Matthew's gospel account. (Matthew 26:67 and Matthew 27:30) The orchestral accompaniment is very agitated as these words are sung: "He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; He hid not his face from shame and spitting."
The chorus continues directly with the Isaiah 53 prophecy: "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Far from being distracting during the Christmas celebration, these words emphasize why Jesus was born. If Jesus remains only a baby in a manger, he cannot do much for me, but I can rejoice that God kept His Christmas promise and sent a Savior for my soul.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Shepherds and Angels
After the Pastoral Symphony in Handel's Messiah comes the soprano's delight. I should know. I am a soprano and I used to sing this. Only one time was it not a delight and that was at a college Christmas concert, when I had my usual Christmas laryngitis. (which is a whole nuther story)
The soprano sings from Luke 2:8-13: "There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying:"
To which the chorus responds: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men."
What a thrill!
Following this, is more prophecy from the books of Zechariah and Isaiah which tell about Jesus' earthly life. (Remember they were written more than 500 years before Jesus was born.) The soprano sings, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen." (Zechariah 9:9-10)
From Isaiah 35:5-6 an alto sings, "Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing."
Yep, that's Jesus.
She continues: "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (Isaiah 40:11)
This was beautifully pictured in a stained glass window over the choir loft in the church I attended as a child. I stared at it every Sunday and loved it.
The soprano extends the invitation: "Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He shall give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn of Him; for He is meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)
To end Part I of the Messiah, the chorus responds, "His yoke is easy and His burden is light."
Thus ends the Christmas portion of the Messiah. But wait, you say. Where is the Hallelujah Chorus? Hm-m-m, I think I'll tell you next time.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
The soprano sings from Luke 2:8-13: "There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying:"
To which the chorus responds: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men."
What a thrill!
Following this, is more prophecy from the books of Zechariah and Isaiah which tell about Jesus' earthly life. (Remember they were written more than 500 years before Jesus was born.) The soprano sings, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen." (Zechariah 9:9-10)
From Isaiah 35:5-6 an alto sings, "Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing."
Yep, that's Jesus.
She continues: "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (Isaiah 40:11)
This was beautifully pictured in a stained glass window over the choir loft in the church I attended as a child. I stared at it every Sunday and loved it.
The soprano extends the invitation: "Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He shall give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn of Him; for He is meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)
To end Part I of the Messiah, the chorus responds, "His yoke is easy and His burden is light."
Thus ends the Christmas portion of the Messiah. But wait, you say. Where is the Hallelujah Chorus? Hm-m-m, I think I'll tell you next time.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pastoal Symphony/Silent Night
The next part of The Messiah by Handel is an orchestral interlude which sets the stage for the angel's announcement to the shepherds who are out in the fields watching their sheep.
Unfortunately, since it is the only selection without words, it is often used at an intermission break, or as a background to taking an offering (if it is part of a church service).
Since the Pastoral Symphony does not have words, I am going to insert our September Carol of the month here. It will also set the mood for the angel's announcement to the shepherds: the first verse showing the newborn baby, the second telling of the shepherds surprise, and the third proclaiming who this baby is.
"Silent Night" by Franz Gruber
Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing alleluia;
Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!
Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
P.S. Last night, our choir director introduced the cantata for this Christmas season. Did yours?
Unfortunately, since it is the only selection without words, it is often used at an intermission break, or as a background to taking an offering (if it is part of a church service).
Since the Pastoral Symphony does not have words, I am going to insert our September Carol of the month here. It will also set the mood for the angel's announcement to the shepherds: the first verse showing the newborn baby, the second telling of the shepherds surprise, and the third proclaiming who this baby is.
"Silent Night" by Franz Gruber
Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing alleluia;
Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!
Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
P.S. Last night, our choir director introduced the cantata for this Christmas season. Did yours?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Jesus is Born
"Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us."
How refreshing. This is what we've been waiting for in our journey through Handel's Messiah. This quotation is from Isaiah 7:14. It is also in the New Testament in Matthew 1:22-23 when the writer is confirming to us the significance of the angel's announcement to Joseph.
The announcement here is made by an alto soloist. She continues with Isaiah 40:9, "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up unto 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!" "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." (Isaiah 60:1)
The chorus jubilantly joins her using many of the same words.
Oh, oh, here comes our bass soloist again. He starts out in his somber mood, but he can't help himself this time. Though he commands our attention and we're ready for the worst, he brings us some good news. "For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to the light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isaiah 60:2-3)
Did you hear what he said? "...and the Gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising." Gentiles! The Old Testament says Gentiles shall come to the light. That's us!
The bass continues, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9:2)
And the chorus (and we, too) respond, "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, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
How refreshing. This is what we've been waiting for in our journey through Handel's Messiah. This quotation is from Isaiah 7:14. It is also in the New Testament in Matthew 1:22-23 when the writer is confirming to us the significance of the angel's announcement to Joseph.
The announcement here is made by an alto soloist. She continues with Isaiah 40:9, "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up unto 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!" "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." (Isaiah 60:1)
The chorus jubilantly joins her using many of the same words.
Oh, oh, here comes our bass soloist again. He starts out in his somber mood, but he can't help himself this time. Though he commands our attention and we're ready for the worst, he brings us some good news. "For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to the light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isaiah 60:2-3)
Did you hear what he said? "...and the Gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising." Gentiles! The Old Testament says Gentiles shall come to the light. That's us!
The bass continues, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9:2)
And the chorus (and we, too) respond, "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, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Holy God, Sinful man
Hang on to your hats, you fellow Messiah oratorio fans.
After the glorious announcement that God's promised Savior is coming, instead of taking us immediately to the prophecy concerning Jesus' birth, Mr. Jennes takes us to an Old Testament scripture regarding Christ's return to the temple in Jerusalem. Here's a little background on his chosen scripture.
It is from the small book of Haggai (only two chapters), the third to the last book in the Old Testament. This prophecy by Haggai, the prophet, was given to Zerrubabel, the governor at the time, Joshua, the priest, and a remnant of the Israelites who had come back from captivity in Babylon. They were rebuilding the temple which had been destroyed by the Babylonians 70 years prior, and were very discouraged because the foundation seemed so small and insignificant compared to the original temple. But the Lord said, "Be strong Zerrubabel, be strong Joshua, be strong all you people of the land. Work for I am with you."
Then the prophet says, "Thus saith 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 2:6-7)
Question: Was God going to shake the heavens and earth right then? when Jesus was born? or when He comes back at the end of the age? Most scholars think this refers to Jesus' second coming. If so, Mr. Jennes has used it here to forshadow the glorious ending of the oratorio.
He couples this verse with Malachi 3:1-2: "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. But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire."
All this is sung by a bass soloist which emphasizes the gravity of the pronouncement. We'll see as we go along if the bass soloist continues to the "the heavy."
The chorus sings the next verse from Malachi which says the Lord will purify the sons of Levi. The sons of Levi were the priests who offered sacrifices to God. They would not be able to offer sacrifices if they themselves were not first purified.
"And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Malachi 3:3)
Whew! That's the best I can do gang. Next time, though, we get the prophecy about Jesus.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
After the glorious announcement that God's promised Savior is coming, instead of taking us immediately to the prophecy concerning Jesus' birth, Mr. Jennes takes us to an Old Testament scripture regarding Christ's return to the temple in Jerusalem. Here's a little background on his chosen scripture.
It is from the small book of Haggai (only two chapters), the third to the last book in the Old Testament. This prophecy by Haggai, the prophet, was given to Zerrubabel, the governor at the time, Joshua, the priest, and a remnant of the Israelites who had come back from captivity in Babylon. They were rebuilding the temple which had been destroyed by the Babylonians 70 years prior, and were very discouraged because the foundation seemed so small and insignificant compared to the original temple. But the Lord said, "Be strong Zerrubabel, be strong Joshua, be strong all you people of the land. Work for I am with you."
Then the prophet says, "Thus saith 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 2:6-7)
Question: Was God going to shake the heavens and earth right then? when Jesus was born? or when He comes back at the end of the age? Most scholars think this refers to Jesus' second coming. If so, Mr. Jennes has used it here to forshadow the glorious ending of the oratorio.
He couples this verse with Malachi 3:1-2: "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. But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire."
All this is sung by a bass soloist which emphasizes the gravity of the pronouncement. We'll see as we go along if the bass soloist continues to the "the heavy."
The chorus sings the next verse from Malachi which says the Lord will purify the sons of Levi. The sons of Levi were the priests who offered sacrifices to God. They would not be able to offer sacrifices if they themselves were not first purified.
"And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Malachi 3:3)
Whew! That's the best I can do gang. Next time, though, we get the prophecy about Jesus.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
Monday, September 1, 2008
The Announcement
If you were going to tell the story of the Messiah, where would you start? Genesis 1, at the creation of the world? My husband said he would start with the Gospel of John, "In the beginnig was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
Mr. Jennens (who chose the Scriptures for Handel to use in his oratorio, The Messiah) chose to start with sinful mankind desperately in need of a Savior.
A tenor voice announces, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
That is a prophecy from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:1-3) who lived and prophecied a few years before the Israelites went into captivity in Babylon. It is written in old English because Mr. Jennens used the King James Version of the Bible. It's not that hard to follow and it sings well.
The tenor follows with, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight, and the rough places plain."
The chorus answers with "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (These last two are also from Isaiah 40, verses 4 and 5.)
This then is the initial announcement of the fulfilling of many prophecies in the Old Testament. Messiah will come. God's promises are sure.
You may be surprised at what comes next, and may think we've completely lost track of where we are going. Hang in there. It lays a wonderful foundation for the coming of Messiah.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
Mr. Jennens (who chose the Scriptures for Handel to use in his oratorio, The Messiah) chose to start with sinful mankind desperately in need of a Savior.
A tenor voice announces, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
That is a prophecy from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:1-3) who lived and prophecied a few years before the Israelites went into captivity in Babylon. It is written in old English because Mr. Jennens used the King James Version of the Bible. It's not that hard to follow and it sings well.
The tenor follows with, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight, and the rough places plain."
The chorus answers with "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (These last two are also from Isaiah 40, verses 4 and 5.)
This then is the initial announcement of the fulfilling of many prophecies in the Old Testament. Messiah will come. God's promises are sure.
You may be surprised at what comes next, and may think we've completely lost track of where we are going. Hang in there. It lays a wonderful foundation for the coming of Messiah.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita
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