Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Composer George Fredrick Handel

 

Celebrating Christmas with “Messiah”

by George Fredrick Handel, 1685-1759

Excerpts from sacred oratorio “Messiah” will be offered twice during Christmas week by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church: On Sunday, December 23 at 8:30 and 10:00 am worship, and during our special Christmas Eve worship for the community planned for 7:00 and 9:00 pm December 24 at Gaithersburg High School Auditorium.

Anthems with Christmas significance will feature the Chancel Choir, alto soloist Roberta McFadden, brass ensemble, percussion and organist Charles Pugh, under the baton of Music Director Peter W. Schmidt. Special arrangements have been made to have a theater-quality organ for Christmas Eve at Gaithersburg High School.

George Fredrick Handel’s entire “Messiah” is lengthy and involves the whole story of Our Lord’s mission on Earth. Inspired by both Old and New Testament texts, Handel’s Baroque masterpiece contains prophesy of Isaiah, Haggai and Malachi of Christ’s coming; the joyful tidings of His birth; and Gospel narratives of His suffering, death and resurrection. Appropriate selections often are performed at Easter and Christmas, although “Messiah” was originally composed for Easter and was traditionally performed in spring.

This week during worship, two of Handel’s joyful proclamations will be offered: “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion” on Sunday, and “For Unto Us a Child Is Born” on Christmas Eve. More gregarious than introspective, Handel’s musical declarations give Isaiah’s words enthusiasm and humanity.

Remarkably, the two-hour-long “Messiah” took the German-born master mere weeks to compose from late 1741 to spring 1742. He began writing at his London Brook Street residence (now the Handel House Museum), and then packed up his notes to polish the manuscript in Dublin. It premiered there at a Fishamble Street music hall (where the George Frederick Handel Hotel now stands). The work was commissioned to benefit Ireland’s charity hospitals and to parole those in debtors’ prison in Dublin.

At the medieval Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, guides like to tell a tale about this frantic composer trekking up and down the hills, knocking on doors of churches overlooking the River Liffey. "Can you lend me some choristers, PLEASE! I'm debuting a new oratorio nearby and I need more voices!" Of course, the year was 1742 and the man was Handel, having his first run of "Messiah."

Both Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, uphill from the music hall, took pity and loaned the composer many from their choir. Until the success of “Messiah,” Handel was known more as a popular dramatic composer rather than a church composer. So it was a bold move when the robed church singers, gentlemen and boys, hiked like white geese down into the hall to rehearse for maestro Handel.

The pinnacle of Baroque composition has stood the test of time and “Messiah” has been a favorite of audiences worldwide, both in churches and concert halls. Handel conducted a performance at London’s Covent Garden Theatre of his most famous work just eight days before his death in 1759.

Please plan to attend these Christmas week worship services and bring a friend. Sharing this glorious offering of music and the Word at worship would be a great way to introduce a neighbor or friend to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

--- Contributed by Penny Risen

The following text of the oratorio movements convey the awe at the coming Christ, and the wonder of His birth on that starry night in Bethlehem:

“Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion” Isaiah 40 and 60 ---
“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, and 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.”

“For Unto Us a Child is Born” Isaiah 9 ---
“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.