← Back
- And the Glory of the Lord
- And He Shall Purify
- Oh Thou that Tellest Good Tiding to Zion
- For Unto Us a Child is Born
- Glory to God
- His Yoke is Easy, and His Burden is Light
- Behold the Lamb of God
- Surely He hath Borne our Griefs
- And with His Stripes we are Healed
- All we Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
- He Trusted in God that He would Deliver Him
- Lift up your Head, O ye Gates
- Let all the Angels of God Worship Him
- The Lord Gave the Word
- Break forth into joy (How beautiful are the feet, version II)
- Their Sound is Gone out into all Lands
- Let us Break their Bonds Asunder
- Hallelujah!
- Since by Man came Death
- But Thanks be to God
- Worthy is the Lamb
- Blessing and honour
- Amen
- And with his stripes
About Messiah
Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.
Handel's reputation in England, where he had lived since 1712, had been established through his compositions of Italian opera. He turned to English oratorio in the 1730s, in response to changes in public taste; Messiah was his sixth work in this genre. Although its structure resembles that of opera, it is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations of characters and very little direct speech. Instead, Jennens's text is an extended reflection on Jesus Christ as Messiah. The text begins in Part I with prophecies by Isaiah and others, and moves to the annunciation to the shepherds, the only "scene" taken from the Gospels. In Part II, Handel concentrates on the Passion and ends with the "Hallelujah" chorus. In Part III he covers the resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in Heaven.