Meditations for Holy Week

I am frequently asked what my favorite praise song is and the answer always, unhesitatingly is Handel's Messiah.

And so, as we approach Holy Week, today and tomorrow I will be sharing a little about this incomparable work and its famous composer, followed by the text of the Messiah, given out as daily devotional readings beginning on Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday.

Messiah, by George Frideric Handel, is the most familiar and most beloved of all his works. Messiah tells of Jesus, the "Annointed One," the Redeemer Who lives and reigns on high. The text is from the King James Version of the Bible, taken from both the Old and New Testaments. Its message is about Christ: His coming, His life, His death, and His resurrection as well as the blessed hope of our salvation in Him. It was written and first performed for Easter, however it is also frequently performed during the advent season.

It was written in 1741 and first performed in 1742 in Dublin. Handel completed the work in just 24 days. It has been recorded that during the writing of the Messiah, his servants would often find him overcome with weeping as he composed the music to accompany the words of Scripture.

The "Hallelujah Chorus", at the end of Part II, is the most familiar part of the work. Traditionally, audiences stand for this section during a performance. Any who have had the priviledge of attending a performance of Messiah will tell you how deeply moving and unforgettable the "Hallelujah Chorus" is! It is said that when King George II first heard the "Hallelujah Chorus" he rose to his feet and all the rest of those in attendance followed his lead. This story is open to debate. I believe that the words of the chorus itself are enough to cause one to rise to one's feet--or fall to one's knees.

There is another, lesser known passage from Messiah that holds a special place in my heart. Many years ago when I was a preschool teacher, our entire school performed Messiah with each grade taking a section. The preschoolers sang the sections "And Suddenly" and "Glory to God."

The preschoolers sang: "And suddenly, there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying. . .

and the rest of the school joined them singing: "Glory to God, Glory to God in the highest and peace on Earth."

I've never forgotten how beautiful they looked as they sang.

Related Tags: Handel's Messiah, Hallelujah Chorus, George Frideric Handel, Easter, Advent