12/13/2021 – Handel’s Messiah: “Overture” opening last night here at First Baptist.
Comments – under the link (bottom of post)
What a praise report! I will share an excerpt from the program:
“In July 1741, Handel’s librettist Charles Jennens wrote to a friend: ‘Handel says he will do nothing next WInter, but I hope I shall perswade him to set another Scripture Collection I have made for him & perform it for his own Benefit in Passion Week. I hope he will lay out his whole Genius and Skill upon it, that the Composition may excell all his former Compositions, as the Subject excels every other subject. The Subject is Messiah.’ In fact within the month Handel was hard at work. He began composing Messiah on August 22 and finished a rough score by September 12, a little more than 3 weeks later.”
I gave you the “For unto us a child is born” section yesterday. I wonder if I should post this with all 20 sections, one by one daily, ending with the Hallelujah Chorus we all sang at the end.