Messiah: Hallelujah
What is Christmas season without Handel’s Messiah? Of course almost everyone recognizes this amazing musical piece, probably from earlier Christmas seasons. But Messiah and Christmas wasn’t always a foregone partnership.
George Frederic Handel’s Messiah was first performed in 1742 in the Spring as an Easter offering in Dublin. The whole first part is about the birth of Christ, and so it wasn’t long before it became a Christmas season staple. And it’s beautiful.
One great theme of Christmas is joy. Joy to the World we sing. And indeed Christmas should and does bring joy to us, even in those times we don’t feel so much joy.
Handel was keen to write music related to the human experience. In Smithsonian Magazine it is written:
”A sense of humanity imbues his music as well—a point often made by conductors who compare Handel with Bach. But where Bach's oratorios exalted God, Handel was more concerned with the feelings of mortals. "Even when the subject of his work is religious, Handel is writing about the human response to the divine," says conductor Bicket. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Messiah. "The feelings of joy you get from the Hallelujah choruses are second to none," says conductor Cummings. "And how can anybody resist the Amen chorus at the end? It will always lift your spirits if you are feeling down."
Of course the most recognizable part is those Hallelujah choruses to conclude Messiah. It seems everyone even knows to stand when it begins.
If you’re like me, you won’t see and hear the Messiah live this year. So I will enjoy 600 singers from the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs as they join the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra to perform Handel's jubilant "Hallelujah!" chorus from the Messiah, live at the Sydney Opera House in 2019. I’m looking for that joy! I hope you are as well and find the true joy that only Jesus the Messiah gives. [words are below the video]
By the way, Hallelujah is a transliteration of Hebrew: הַלְלוּ יָהּ (hallū yāh), which means "praise ye Jah!" (from הַלְלוּ, "praise ye!" and יָהּ, "Jah".) The word hallēl in Hebrew means a joyous praise in song. The second part, Yah, is a shortened form of YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah in modern English). i.e., Praise the Lord!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world is become
the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ,
and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords.
King of kings, and Lord of lords.
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
and Lord of lords,
and He shall reign,
and He shall reign for ever and ever,
for ever and ever,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign for ever and ever, for ever and ever.
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!