Music that changed my life…
Handel’s Messiah, has followed me around all my life- and it continues to do so- I’ve sung it, conducted it, listened to it, raised money from it, flash-mobbed it, it’s almost like a musical bible to me. I can’t read some parts of scripture without this music filling my brain.
I like it even more these days, an English Oratorio, First performed in Dublin, Written by a German Imigrant who was an expert in Italian Opera, with a Libretto by an Anglican, non-juror using the words of Hebrew scripture and the life of a first century palestinian as inspiration. Like so many of our English traditions it’s not really that English at all. Handel’s Messiah is not just European, it represents what it means to be a citizen of the world as well as a citizen of the Kingdom.
It was first premiered during the Easter season in 1742 in Dublin with the Choirs of St Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedrals and a small orchestra. It was a charity concert, for the benefit of prisoners’ debt relief, the Mercer’s Hospital, and the Charitable Infirmary. 700 people attended the premiere, women were asked to remove the hoops in their skirts, and gentlemen their swords so everyone could fit in the Great Hall. Though lauded in Dublin, Messiah was initially not so well received in London and after some revision and a gap in its performance history it began to gain traction through annual charity concerts in aid of the Foundling Hospital -it has been a vehicle for generosity ever since and that is another reason I love it.
Written in about three weeks, it is said that Handel was ‘divinely inspired’ – he wrote this at a time when his luck was low, his health was fragile, but upon seeing the libretto by Charles Jennens everything seemed to come together. The verses of the Prophet Isaiah we have heard this evening were not used in the libretto for Messiah, but in a sense they do reflect the sentiment- I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the most high.
That is what Messiah is- a recounting of Salvation history, the gracious deeds of the Lord through about three hours of exquisitely constructed baroque music.
The first part, the prequel if you like, is Isaiah’s prophecy of Salvation, a reflection on the coming judgement and the prophecy of Christ’s birth (this is the Christmassy bit). Then we hear from the Gospel of Luke- there were shepherds abiding in the fields and the angels sang ‘Glory to God in the highest’.
Part One ends with references to Christ’s work here on earth and what his life means for us- the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, he shall feed his flock like a shepherd and will carry their burdens, because his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Part Two is about what happens next. What humanity did to the Son of God. He was despised, and rejected, sings the alto, his sheep have gone their own way, but surely he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows, and yet still, he is laughed to scorn. After his passion and death we are told ‘lift up your heads, O ye gates’ as he ascends into heaven and is received by all the angel hosts who worship him forever.
The final three scenes, tell us about those who were called to proclaim the Gospel – the Lord gave the word, great was the company of the Preachers- how beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim the gospel of peace- their sound is gone out into all land. But the world rejects the good news- it still does doesn’t it? The final scene seeks to reassure us-God will have the ultimate victory and we rejoice in the very famous, Hallelujah Chorus, a piece that I will never tire of, words from the last book of the Bible, Revelation Chapter 19.
This chorus is one of reassurance and complete confidence in God. IT exudes Joy. It is said that when Handel wrote the Hallelujah chorus, his assistant found him in tears saying “I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the very face of God”.
According to 18th Century Urban myth, King George upon hearing it, was so very moved he stood up and the rest of the audience followed, beginning a lasting tradition. At this point in proceedings, King George may have just needed to stretch his legs. We will never know.
Could Handel have ended there? No, because Christians like the number three-so Part Three meditates on what we have ultimately gained through Christ- the promise of eternal life (I know that my redeemer liveth) often sung at funerals, and we remember that one day we will all be judged- we shall not all die, but we shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and the trumpet shall sound. Number 48.
It is at this point (piece 48 out of 54) that you secretly hope the conductor doesn’t do the repeat- when I conducted Messiah I did do the repeat, and my non-church going friends, who I had persuaded to come and watch, said that the blessed trumpet shall sound nearly broke the camels back. Top tip- never do the repeat of The Trumpet Shall Sound.
The conclusion is the final victory over sin, if God is for us who can be against us and all is drawn together in the wonderful chorus, Worthy is the Lamb and the extended Amen.
When I conducted Messiah, I was rejoicing when we got to Worthy is the Lamb, because it had all gone so well- but as we settled into the final fugal ‘Amen’ a rogue tenor (whom I shall not name, but who was very, very loud, unlike most Tenors) came in a bar early and rocked the whole thing.
It took all my remaining energy and adrenalin to beat up and down until we reached the end in one piece. Which we did. Exhausted, Exhilarated.
There is no ‘authentic’ historical version of Messiah, because every time it’s performed, even in Handel’s lifetime, it’s different, it adapts and changes to the context in which it is set. It is a generous enough piece to carry all kinds of versions and interpretations. From performances with the highest level of professional skill and artistry to those pulling together happy amateurs. The version I conducted was of the latter variety.
We were 80 singers who had never sung together before with a scratch orchestra, a missing organ because it was a semi-tone sharp to the orchestra and a missing organist because of family tragedy, a stand in pianist to play the organ part, and conductor who didn’t really know what she was doing- even though she did know we had to cut ‘All we like Sheep’ because it was a bit tricky.
But we did it. We sang Messiah, by George Frederic Handel, and we raised about five hundred quid for the Church Roof. In the best and truest sense of the word inspire- we were awoken by divine influence, it felt like the breath of God was giving us energy to sing all those trills, it felt like the Holy Spirit was at work. Handel signed Messiah ‘To the Glory of God alone’ and I think that makes all the difference.
We sang our way through the totality of the Christian faith, we journeyed through the whole of human experience, joy, sorrow, hope and fulfilment, suffering and death, resurrection and redemption. I still count conducting Handel’s Messiah as one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life- despite the rogue tenor who nearly unraveled the last, Amen.
A scratch Messiah in a suburb of Manchester remains a moment I will never forget, and I have a feeling that it has something to do with me getting ordained.
The stand in pianist and my co-concert organiser are now ordained too. And I think a couple of others from the chorus. This is music that lives and breathes, it is music for the people, it is music of generosity, it is music which even today, has the power to communicate the Christian faith to those who have not known, and those who have not heard.
I think I can say that this music changed my life, and maybe it will change your life too. To the Glory of God alone. Amen.
On Voice 
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