I am so excited. Chris and I are taking the girls to hear Handel's Messiah tonight.  It is a being performed at a local college by the Fine Art Department.  I should be a great experience for us all. 

I cannot wait to introduce the girls to this beautiful composition.

Hope you all have a wonderful evening.

Peace, Nanci

Hi Nanci,
Sounds like you and your family have a BLESSED night planned!!

Michele

Wish I had seen your post earlier!  Let me know how the girls like it!!!

Handel's Messiah has a message for today

At its debut in 1742, Georg Friedrich Handel's oratorio "Messiah" was intended for Passion Week before Easter, but it has become a cherished tradition of the Christmas season. The complete work tells the story of Christ's birth, death and resurrection, and it's common to hear only the Christmas portion at this time of year. Sometimes it's performed with a very small chorus and orchestra, as in Handel's time; sometimes with thousands of singers and hundreds of instruments.

Charles Jennens, who wrote the libretto (the words), skillfully combined the Old Testament promises of a Messiah with the New Testament fulfullment of those promises. He used the 1611 King James Authorized Version, as well as the Great Bible of 1539 and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. He took a few liberties with his texts to let the words fit with the music, but the majestic language of the Scripture gives substance to every aria and chorus.

Handel, who moved to England from his native Germany, was a favorite composer of King George I. He wrote "Messiah" as a fund-raiser for three Dublin charities (two hospitals and a jail), and it was almost always performed to raise money for worthy causes. From the beginning, "Messiah" was his gift to the world.

Handel barely ate or drank or slept as he composed the oratorio in 24 days. Tradition has it that his papers were marked with his tears. While the work became wildly popular from its first performances, Handel remarked to a friend, "I should be worried if I only entertained them. I wished to make them better."

From the start, "Messiah" was a crowd-pleaser. Some people, recognizing the sacred nature of the Messiah story, thought the oratorio should not be performed in a theater by the popular opera singers of the day, but rather heard only in churches. John Newton, the famous Anglican preacher, once railed against secular "Messiahs" in 52 consecutive sermons.

The most well-known and popular part of "Messiah" is the "Hallelujah Chorus," drawn from Revelation 19. Tradition says that King George II, attending the first performance in London, was so moved by its magnificence that he stood - so everyone else in the audience had to stand. Whether it actually happened that way, the custom of standing for the Hallelujah was well-established in Handel's time and continues today.

Making "Messiah" a part of your Christmas:

• Buy a tape or CD of "Messiah" for your family Christmas collection. You may want to look for the complete version; many omit some portions of the original.
• Identify the Bible verses used for each part of the oratorio. Notice how both Old and New Testaments are used for the libretto.
• If you are familiar with the words and music, you may enjoy attending a "Messiah" concert; it's easy to find one in almost any city. Or look for a broadcast version.
• Allow Handel's music to change your life.

Hi! Thank you for sharing this information.  Knowing the history of King George, I would not be surprised.  After reading what you wrote, I pulled some information to share with my DD to further explain the work and give her a history of Handel. Did you know that Handel was harshly criticized for his WEIGHT?

Handel also struggled with his weight, a problem about which critics mercilessly teased him.  His London years were up and down, and unbelievably down at times.  As Romain Rolland has tried to explain it: "He was surrounded by a crowd of bulldogs with terrible fangs, by unmusical men of letters who were likewise able to bite, by jealous colleagues, arrogant virtuosos, cannibalistic theatrical companies, fashionable cliques, feminine plots, and nationalistic leagues...Twice he was bankrupt, and once he was stricken by apoplexy amid the ruin of his company.  But he always found his feet again; he never gave in."
Taken from Rediscovering Handel, April 1993 Deep Cove Crier

It was a beautiful performance.  The acoustics were fabulous. Sydney, my 7 year old, said the soprano was loud. I had to explain to her the differences between the four ranges so she could understand how each part made for a beautiful blend and the statement of the soprano's aria. The theater was not packed so during the intermission, we changed seats from upstairs to downstairs so we could experience the difference in sound travel.

I'm not well versed in music but I attended a liberal arts college (Bham Southern) and had to complete two semesters of music appreciation and music history. Since I homeschool my girls,  fine arts is something I place a strong emphasis on in our classical education curriculum.  Plus, I think it just compliments and give balance to the basics of education. Not to mention, I have been learning Italian for the past couple of years and learning the basic terms of music have helped me with my Italian lessons.

You would have probably enjoyed it. 
Peace, Nanci

nanci!  I went to BSC too!  I was a voice major studying with Rachel Mathes and andy Gainey.  Jim Cook was my organ teacher and music history.  Lester Seigel was my accompanist!  he had alrady graduated but was still there for awhile.  This weekend I am singing in the Alumni Choir for BSC's 72nd (I think) Annual Carol Service at Canterbury Methodist.  You should come!

No Kidding!! OMGoodness!  I had Dr. Gibbs both times. He was hard, especially since I was a business major.   I got a reminder card in the mail about that and seriously considered it but we have TWO Christmas parades and a party on Sat. Then Sunday, Sydney (my future alto?) is practicing for the Children's Choir. She is going to perform before the Christmas Eve Mass at our church, then read one of the readings, then help lead during the Mass.  I am so proud of her. I'm trying to place some of that Hannah Montana influence toward singing classically.

PLEASE let me know when you are singing in the future.  I would LOVE to hear you, esp. if you are performing with BSC events.  I try to take the girls to the Hilltop at least once a month or so to enjoy the arts programs. Most are free and the students love to see the kids there. We live near Montevallo and they have a great program too. That is where the Messiah was performed last night.

God Bless, Nanci

Oh Nanci! That sounds great!
Hope you all had a great time! I know you did!

We had "Simply Christmas: An Advent Series" begin tonight. It will be every Monday night until Christmas. It was great! A gift we will be getting for Christmas is PEACE!! It's free and available to all!! Amen!!
Hope you have a great night my Goal buddy!
Look for my post.. I want you to share how you are doing!

someone needs to call her cell and wake her and the kids up and tell them it is over
poor kids what did they do to deserve that punishment

Corny- Thanks for the concern.  I stayed awake the entire time and enjoyed it.  Now I cannot say the same for my 4yo but she slept peacefully in my arms so THAT made the event all the more memorable.

Maybe next year you can come with me.

Peace, Nanci

*edited to correct spelling of a word*