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| Portrait of George Frideric Handel from the Royal Collection (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Psalm 146:2
New International Version (NIV)
The rousing strains of Handel's Messiah will be oft heard over the next few weeks in many venues as we near Christmas. Though a work appropriate and inspirational for any time of year, the Messiah is a musical work that has become closely associated with Christmas.
This year I will be joining an assemblage at my church for a performance of this sacred oratorio on Sunday December 2nd. This choir will consist of a handful from the church that I attend, a few members of a Japanese men's chorus from the city of Torrance, some professional soloists hired for this performance, and a number of Koreans from a church that uses our facilities in Downey, California.
We've been practicing since July under the baton of one Ken Taguchi who originally came to us from Japan. It's a wonderful assemblage of peoples from several parts of the world, professional and amateur, all gathering for one evening of worshiping God.
Surely this amazing musical composition is but one example of the music of praise that will be sung to God in Heaven. Thank you George Frederick Handel for the oratorio. And thank you Jesus for the inspiration.
Hallelujah! He shall reign forever and ever.
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
Revelation 19:6-7
New International Version (NIV)
Such a beautiful song. I remember one year at our church, before the choir sang it, they offered for anyone in the congregation who had sung it before to come up and join the choir and it was amazing!
ReplyDeleteYep, now Handel's 'MESSIAH' is the sort of sound I would expect from a person genuinely inspired by the Life and Death of Christ.
ReplyDeleteI have a version of it on CD sung by Johnny Mathis: A voice that was a gift from God, singing a song that was inspired by God - what a combination!
Have a great time singing yer heart out tonight, Boidman. I expect a full report.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
The concert was a big success. We had a full house in the church, which was nice to see for a change. My wife said that there were times when we singing that she could almost imagine she was in Heaven. It's stirring music that will be running through my head for weeks to come.
ReplyDeleteLee