Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Handel's Messiah


Many years ago a friend gave me a recording of The Messiah - I loved the mass chorus singing but the soloists not so much, in fact not at all. Growing up in a culture that had zero knowledge or acceptance of classical music, this 'la-de-la' singing was really far-out! So I would either put up with the 'bad' to hear the 'good' or fast-forward the tape (this was waaaay back in the seventies!).

Until I went to Philadelphia to a grand theater there (sorry, I don't remember the name of it) and to see this in person...I. Fell. In. Love. With ALL of it...it was GLORIOUS! The surroundings, to see the mass chorus dressed in their robes, the violinists - ah, the violinists...that wondrous music! To see the soloists sing with such power...though I have to admit it took awhile to see that as an art...

And the Hallelujah! chorus...well, there simply are no words! No. Words! To hear for the first time in person that moment of silence before that final hallelujah is sung - when one could hear a pin drop among the thousands that were there...it's an awesome, profound, goosebumps, worship moment...and this description does not do any of it justice!

Then there's the The trumpet shall sound with that powerful trumpet music and Worthy is the Lamb - Amen...it's a piece of heaven to hear! 

I look forward to that eternity when I'll be able to sing the Hallelujah! and the Amen without fumbling or losing my place in the score or merely singing in snatches of my favorite places...I'll be able to sing it with perfection! To sing it with all of those who have gone before me and all those who will come after me - from every tribe and every nation where we will all together sing in one mass chorus...

THAT is heaven!

...blessedness!


ox

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