December 5, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Tuesday, December 5.
Today we begin a series on the stories behind Christmas songs. Our first selection isn’t exactly a song, but it is one of the most famous pieces of Christmas music ever written. Today we look at the story behind the oratorio "Messiah”.
In 1741 the career of the classical composer George Frideric Handel was in big trouble. He had had a string of failures and was facing financial ruin. At this critical moment he received two blessings - an inspired libretto on the life of Jesus Christ and a commission by a Dublin charity to write a work that would be used as a fundraising tool. In August of that year Handel set to work. He sealed himself off from friends and family, hardly ate, slept sparingly, and 24 days later he had completed the monumental “Messiah”.
It was an immediate success, raising large funds for the charity and jump starting Handel’s sagging career. “Messiah” isn’t really a Christmas piece. For most of its’ early life it was performed at Easter. ”The Hallelujah Chorus” takes its’ inspiration not from Luke Chapter Two but from the book of Revelation. But today Messiah is almost always performed at Christmas. In December of 2020 a record was set for a virtual performance as 2500 singers gathered online to sing it. Many cities around the world annually host Messiah Sing-A-Longs. At these unique events there’s an orchestra onstage, but the choir is the audience. I’ve been part of a few of these over the years and it’s a musical experience unlike any other.
Give yourself a gift this Christmas and listen to Messiah. Or, if your holiday season is too busy, just listen to the mighty Hallelujah Chorus. A work of art that saved a man’s career. A miracle of music that has thrilled listeners for almost three centuries.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
