Composer George Frideric Handel was bankrupt when in 1741 a group of Dublin charities offered him a commission to write a musical work. It was for a benefit performance to raise funds to free men from a debtors’ prison. He accepted that commission and gave himself tirelessly to work on it.
In just 24 days, Handel composed the well-known masterpiece Messiah, which contains “The Hallelujah Chorus.” During that time, he never left his home and often went without eating. At one point, a servant found him weeping over his evolving score. Recounting his experience, Handel wrote, “Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it I know not. God knows.” Afterward he also said, “I did think I did see all heaven before me and the great God Himself.”
“The Hallelujah Chorus” stirs my soul whenever I hear it, as I’m sure it does yours. But let’s be sure we do more than resonate to that magnificent music. Let’s open our hearts in faith and adoration for the Messiah promised in the book of Isaiah (Isa. 9:1-7). He has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ to be our Savior. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder” (v.6). — Vernon C. Grounds
Without question one of the greatest pieces of music every composed. When doing Christmas programs a couple of years ago at a local megachurch the choir there chose to do the Brooklyn Tabernacle version of the Hallelujah Chorus. Frankly, I was disappointed. There's nothing wrong with the original and for my money is far more powerful an arrangement than the soprano-alto-castrati version done by Brooklyn Tab. That song has some great bass parts in it that are totally lost in the rock opera arrangement.
"Modernizing" great music like The Hallelujah Chorus often does not result in an improvement.
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