Last week I had the joy of participating in the final graduate program of a former music intern. Michael Devine sang in the Chancel Choir as an undergraduate student at Wheaton, where he was a vocal performance major studying with College Church member Jerry Sundberg. Michael served for a time with another church in the Chicago area, and then entered the Master of Sacred Music program at Luther Seminary (St. Paul) and St. Olaf College (Northfield) in Minnesota. Michael’s capstone project was a “recital” of sorts: a fully formed service of worship with hymns, anthems, scripture, prayers, and ministry of the Word. Michael conceived the program, wrote the reflections on the Scripture, led in some of the prayers, conducted the choir and instruments, and led the congregation in song. It was much more than a “recital,” and would have been a well-received service of worship here at College Church.

We see our interns move into places of service and influence, and rejoice in how God continues to shape them. College Church shapes them, and also learns from them. Then they go on to be shaped in, and to shape others in new contexts. It was fun to talk with some of the faculty in Michael’s program, and to hear how his Word-centeredness worked its way out in this context – which admittedly is not the usual academic route from Wheaton College and College Church.

And his two years there have paved the way for another College Church intern. Andy Bruhn is also a Wheaton graduate, who approached me last summer to ask about church music. It seemed that his interest, our music ministry’s needs, and the context of this church were the perfect combination for an internship. Andy began in September, and we have seen his work with Hyacks (working both with brass players and singers) and will see it again at the end of the choir season, in a festive communion service on June 3. Andy and Lydia have also been very involved in our brass ensemble, and he was on the planning and conducting team for an extraordinary concert here of brass and organ music.

Andy will also pursue graduate work in theology and music. He is following Michaels’ path to the Twin Cities, to spend the next two years at Luther/St. Olaf. This is an interesting and unexpected route. It is also a great opportunity for our interns to exercise their gospel commitments in a church context where the gospel can often be unclear. Their musical skills provide an excellent entre into a setting where their biblical commitments and faithfulness will be evident and influential among their peers. Just as with women and men in the workplace – often it is the excellence of the Christian worker that provides the best hearing for the gospel.

The training ground of a College Church internship prepares for advanced study, hard work, and influence in unexpected places.

A word in praise of the College Church internship program . . .

For decades now, College Church has invested time, energy, and risk in young people investigating a church vocation, or already preparing for ministry in the local church. Interns have taught, led worship, preached, headed small groups, run retreats, washed tables, worked missions conferences and preaching workshops. The list goes on, and no one person could sit down alone and list everything interns have done at College Church.

Back in the day, interns were paid an embarrassing token for a significant amount of work. Still, without pay, the program continues strong and the interns serve for all they are worth. Some interns have become our pastors. Many more have become pastors and leaders elsewhere. Not a few have established  internship programs in their own ministry settings. The gift keeps giving in churches across the country.

I’ve been specially mindful of interns lately, as this school year draws to a close and we will say thank you and goodbye to two excellent music interns. And at the same time, I note the many successes of former music interns. One is founding conductor of a new orchestra in suburban New York. Another teaches grade school music and conducts a church choir and writes a very fine blog on church music. Yet another is completing graduate work in theology and music. Story after story of God’s good work in these young men and women whom we had the privilege of working with in years past.

Which brings me to our current music interns, Levi Henkel and Andy Bruhn. More on Andy another time. Levi graduates from Wheaton College on May 6. He has sung his last service here, played organ on his last subbing date, and this past Sunday we were led through a very thoughtful, gospel-rich morning service that was planned, prepared, and led by Levi. This was his “capstone” internship project. He read the sermon passage, conceived the opening acts of praise as a precis of the gospel, selected an interesting and challenging anthem for that gospel story. He did all the work on preparing the choir, and was in every respect their leader on Sunday morning. We had heard Levi several times this year, at the organ. This past Sunday he pulled together a year of our work, four years of study, and his love for Jesus and His church. We send him off with thanks and in confidence that the Lord of the Church will use him to God’s glory.

Sing on!

“Hallelujah” – Praise the Lord! That is the Easter cry that shapes and informs our worship all year long. No matter the focus or character of our services, even the sober reflection in communion or the sharing of grief in a funeral, Christian worship is essentially an expression of this acclamation: “Alleluia!”

It is why the apostolic church met on the first day of the week, instead of the Jewish sabbath. It is “the Lord’s Day” because on this day he conquered death, emerged from the tomb, and met his disciples. Sunday is a reminder to believers, and a testimony to the world, that Jesus is alive and he is Lord. “Praise the Lord!”

We joyfully shouted it together on Easter morning, and yesterday we sang it with gusto in our Easter hymn: “Thine is the glory, risen, conquering Son.” As the Sundays unfold, we may lose sight of the Easter-ness of Christian worship. . . unless we remember it in our daily worship, and exercise it in our vocabulary – in praise, in devotion, and in conversation. 

For the moment, in the grand unfolding story of redemption, thedisciples were breathless. Jesus alive and among them kept them running, and alert; kept them surprised. But the day was coming, and Jesus promised it would be soon, when they would be filled with Breath, with Wind, with the Spirit of God. Then their “Hallelujahs” could not be contained. And so on through the ages, we are a breathless people filled with His Spirit; and so, never empty of praise.

Sing on!

Chuck King

A brief word is in order, regarding the musicians of College Church. They work hard, and they understand their work to be worship.

Oh yes, they love to be in gathered worship. And they understand the privilege and responsibility of being “worship leaders.” But their labor, which the congregation never sees, is their worship. And, by they way, that is (or ought to be) true of everyone else who gathers for the assembly of worship. “Worship” isn’t what we “experience” in church; worship is the work we’ve done – by God’s grace, and in faith, with joyful obedience in response to God’s great gift of salvation – before we come through the sanctuary doors.

That bears teasing out, but today I just say it to contextualize a few observations about the most visible of the musicians of College Church. Last night we had the privilege and joy of presenting “Messiah” in our evening service. Most listeners will guess that there was a lot of time and energy behind that event. True! Long rehearsals, extra rehearsals, and for many of the singers and players time spent on their own as well. They all add this time to the things that already keep them very busy.

But do you know what? They aren’t done yet! Singers and players have yet another long, late rehearsal to prepare for our weekend of services: Good Friday Communion and Easter Sunday morning. And do you know what? Even then they won’t be done! Because – in case we hadn’t noticed – Sundays keep rolling. So the Choir will be back in their chairs on Thursday night after Easter. And so it goes.

Why in the world do people keep this up? Because this commitment is an act of worship. We see it also in Sunday School teachers, volunteers at Twice is Nice and the STARS resale shops, Kids Korner workers for Women’s Bible Study . . . you get the picture. And when we all bring the actual work of our worship into the weekly assembly, rather than expecting to find it there, then we have a glorious meeting with God and rich fellowship with one another.

Sing on!

Chuck King

The canny programmer will not provide an intermission after the “Hallelujah Chorus” of Handel’s Messiah. Part of the audience just won’t come back for the rest of the story. Some, because they think the oratorio is over; others because they finally have heard the one piece they came for in the first place! What a pity. Those who miss Part Three miss the most personal music of the Sacred Oratorio.

After the heavens and earth have proclaimed Jesus “King of kings and Lord of lords,” the tender Soprano aria brings it all down to a very personal level: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” (Job 19:25) Whereas in Part Two, the fact of the Resurrection is limited to a single brief aria, Part Three not only speaks of the living Redeemer, but affirms with the Creeds that because He lives, we too shall live: “For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20) The ending of Messiah is a lovely exposition of this glorious truth.

The Chorus intones, “Since by man came death,” then exults, “by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” Again, the bad news: “For as in Adam all die,” and the good news, “even so in Christ shall all be made alive!” Frisson and brisance in the same chorus. The nature of this miracle of transformation is celebrated in the Bass recitative and aria (click here for a reminder about these terms): “Behold, I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible; For this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-23)

Since this is in our future, in light of the resurrection, we do not fear death. The Alto continues from St. Paul’s great resurrection chapter: “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” And the Tenor joins expressing this ultimate joy: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” (1 Cor. 15:54-56) The Chorus can’t not join in worship, “But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ” (verse 57) Listen for the exultant, heroic word ”victory” throughout this chorus!

No Resurrection in Messiah? But wait! There’s more! “If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.” (Romans 8:31-34) And now, for those who have looked at the program, and seen that there is more Messiah after “Hallelujah;” for those who have decided to just see what else could be said after “Hallelujah;” for all who wished there was an intermission for them to slip away after “Hallelujah” – the real crowning glory of this amazing work.

The final scene of Messiah again shifts to the Revelation, from which Charles Jennens compiled the final text for George Frederic Handel to set. And it really is the last word. For those who know and love the Messiah, it is our eternal song of praise:

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Blessing, honor, glory and power be unto Him who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever. Amen!

And so may we Sing on!

Messiah, parts 2 and 3 – Sunday, April 1, 6pm at College Church in Wheaton, 332 East Seminary Avenue, Wheaton.

Chancel Choir, Orchestra and Soloists: Robin Wiper, soprano; Sarah Holman, alto; Daniel Buchanan, tenor; Gerard Sundberg, bass

Chuck King

For most of us, Handel’s Messiah is “The Hallelujah Chorus.” Understandable, inevitable even. It stands alone so well as a glorious anthem of praise. It is so fittingly placed in the oratorio that many, upon their first hearing of the full work, assume it is the ending of Messiah. After all, how can anyone ”top that?!”

This week we look at this familiar and quintessential Messiah chorus in context, as we take a quick walk through the ending of Part Two (most of which will not be sung on Sunday, April 1). While “Hallelujah” is a fitting conclusion to an Easter service (and yes, we will again use it that way this year at College Church), and while it’s certainly OK as a way to wrap up the Christmas portion (though I have long refused to do that, myself), its actual place in the oratorio is both fitting and stunning. Because in context what is being celebrated is the Messiah as judge.

After the Chorus sings “Lift up your heads,” two more scenes of this drama unfold the worship due to this resurrected Jesus, and the opposition that is also levied against him. Heavenly worship and gospel proclamation are contrasted with the reality that surfaced immediately in the church, opposition as pictured in Psalm 2.

First, the tenor asks, in the words of Hebrews 1, “Unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?” To which the chorus continues in reply: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” The Alto continues, from Psalm 68: Thou art gone up on high, Thou hast led captivity captive and received gifts for men, yea even for Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Chorus: The Lord gave the word: great was the company of the preachers. (Psalm 68:5 and 6) What about that company? The Soprano describes them from Romans 10: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Chorus: Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words to the ends of the world. (Romans 10: 15, 18)

Now there is a scene change, and we get a glimpse of the action in Acts 4 – and a picture of the world against the gospel in every age. The Bass asks: Why do the nations so furiously rage together? And why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed. (Psalm 2:1-2; this aria will be sung on April 1) The Chorus takes up the psalm, speaking the words of the nations/rulers against the Lord: Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yoke from us. (Ps.2:3) The Tenor speaks of God: He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision. (verse 4) and to God: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

So, from resurrection and ascension, through worship and proclamation, to opposition and judgment. Only then do we fully apprehend the glory and the praise expressed in “Hallelujah.” Look up the source of this chorus, in Revelation (chapter 19 and 15), and you’ll see (yet again!) that the Rev. Mr. Jennens got it right: “Hallelujah” is the biblical response to judgment and the victory of God. How we cultured modern people need to understand this:

Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah! The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever. Don’t lose sight of those many repeated “forever and ever”s. There’s another bit of rhetoric, choosing to repeat just the right motif to get the point across. And yet, when sung well – and I dare say, you’ll hear this sung very well indeed – “forever and ever” is not interminable! King of kings, and Lord of lords; and He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah!

The oratorio has reached a pinnacle, but we have not yet heard nor sung all that may be said of the Messiah. Part Three gets very personal. And we’ll look at that next week.

Sing on!

Chuck King

In 1971, the world was introduced to – and the Church was shocked by – the “rock opera” Jesus Christ Superstar. Among the many critiques, Christians were quick to point out that the musical stopped short of the resurrection. Cultural critics speaking in defense of the new work argued that Handel’s Messiah also does not include the resurrection.

That is interesting to me – more interesting to me now than when this was all new and I was a brand-new teenaged Christian – because it suggests that Messiah was brought into the discussion as some sort of recognized “standard” against which any story-telling about Jesus was compared. It is also interesting because it is so blatantly incorrect.

Granted, Charles Jennens did not include scripture detailing the empty tomb and the appearances of Jesus; that is correct. But the resurrection marks everything else in the remainder of the oratorio. And, as we shall see, all of Part Three is the testimony of every believer to the resurrection of Jesus. But in keeping with the story-teller’s art – show, don’t tell – only one brief sentence is sung about the resurrection proper: the Tenor sings a brief aria: “But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell, nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.” (And, here again, the words are from the psalms – 16:10 – and not the New Testament. The richness of the biblical theology of Messiah continues to amaze and impress.)

This succinct, almost oblique statement of resurrection is followed by one of the more familiar choruses from the work: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24:7-10) Coming so quickly, so seamlessly after the Passion portrait that begins Part Two, this chorus expresses the preaching of Peter (Acts 2:36) and the apologetics of Paul (1 Cor. 2:8): Let all know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified . . . None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

While on April 1 we will skip across much of the next portion of Part Two, I want here to finish this “scene” – Of this “King of glory” the Tenor continues (from Hebrews), “Unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten Thee?” And the chorus again replies/continues: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” (Part of this chorus foreshadows the Hallelujah chorus, with a musical motif we will hear there in “and he shall reign.”)

No resurrection in Messiah? Then whence all this glory, all this worship, all this praise? No, as we shall see next week, in the remainder of Part Two, the resurrection is all over this oratorio. But we “see” it not because we “see” Jesus, but because we see and know him at work. And that is why we

Sing on!

Chuck King

Part Two of Messiah by George Frederic Handel is introduced by the Chorus, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This text serves as a kind of overture to the middle portion of the oratorio. In the previous post we looked at the Lamb despised and rejected. He was wounded for our transgressions, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him. While humans go blithely on their way, ignorantly or willfully turning each to our own way, “the Lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.”

But the sacred oratorio, being good biblical theology, will not leave us in ignorance. The next sequence of recitatives, arias, and chorus highlight the culpability of all humanity – the iniquity “of us all.”

But first, a couple of technical terms! The soloists in Messiah sing two types of pieces – recitative and aria. You can see the word “recite” in recitative. When a soloist “recites” they sing a text only one time (there is rarely repeated words or phrases), in a short segment, moving the action or narrative along. An “accompanied recitative” is more melodic, and is accompanied by the orchestra, dramatically. When the tenor sings, “All they that see him laugh him to scorn,” the orchestra plays the same aggressive rhythmic figure we explored last week with the Alto aria (“He gave his back to the smiters”) and the chorus (“Surely he hath borne our griefs”). Another type of recitative (the “dry” recitative because of its more skeletal musical support) is more like speech than melody, and is accompanied by a fairly static keyboard part, and a single bass instrument. We heard this type of recitative in the Christmas portion, when the soprano sang “And the angel said unto them, fear not for I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.” In our April 1 performance, we will hear a “dry recitative” near the end when the Alto sings/speaks: “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written . . .”  So, two ways of presenting fairly direct speech-in-song; two ways to move the action along or to introduce text that calls for a bit more reflection or contemplation.

And when the soloists also sing those more reflective texts, they are called “aria.” Arias often follow the recitatives, and are sung by the same soloist. Arias dwell more on the text, repeating words and phrases as we have already experienced in the choruses. In Messiah there are two standard structures – a two-part structure (A and B), where the mood, tempo, and/or character changes between the parts; and a three-part structure (A, B, then a repeat of A), where after the contrasting section the opening section is repeated or reprised. Here again, as with all repeated text in this oratorio, the decisions about structure in the arias gives the listeners some clue as to the biblical and theological importance of the text.

So, with that background, the next items in our walk through Messiah move away from the Chorus (which dominates the first part of the Passion account) to the Tenor soloist. In a series of short pieces he sings (in an Accompanied Recitative) “Thy rebuke hath broken his heart; he is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on him, but there was no man, neither found he any to comfort him.” Uncharacteristically of recitatives, Handel does repeat text here, and note what he highlights: “he is full of heaviness,” and the whole last half of the text “He looked for some … neither found he any to comfort him.” (The iniquity of us all.)

The tenor segues to a little aria (Arioso) -”Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.” This short Aria presents the text straight-forwardly, and repeats it entire. Behold! Look! Gaze upon this man. The tenor continues, in what is probably the briefest item of the whole oratorio, concluding the Passion of Jesus with another accompanied recitative: “He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of Thy people He was stricken.”

Note that word, “transgression.” Part Two began by highlighting the sin of the world. Then later we hear of the iniquity of us all. Here, at the end of the suffering of the Lamb, we are confronted by the final word in the biblical charge against us, transgression. Throughout the Old Testament, in particular, we often read these three terms together or in close proximity. They are generally synonymous, but with some particularity of meaning. Together they describe our condition apart from God’s grace. And here we find that Jesus has borne all so that we might be freed of our sin, iniquity, and transgression.

That is a good place to pause. And we are almost to the middle point of our Messiah presentation on April 1. In this season of reflection prior to Easter, this is a good place to stop and consider: “Behold, the Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world. The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. For our transgression He was stricken.” And we are soon to see that with this Lamb of God, God was well pleased.

Sing on!

Chuck King

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” With those words Part Two of Mesiah begins. Behold is just a way of saying, Look! Pay Attention! The text of Messiah then unfolds the scene of the Lamb taking away the sin of the world.

Mr. Handel, working with the “book” provided by Rev. Jennens, undertakes some masterful story-telling. The entire “Passion” of Jesus is related through the text of the prophet Isaiah. That is, we are shown the mighty act of God by way of looking back at what God said would take place. Interestingly, the portrait from the prophet is more telling than the description in the gospel. Employing four verses from Isaiah chapter 53, the music takes nearly 20 minutes to illustrate the suffering of the Lamb for us.

The Alto sings: He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. (53:3) He turned his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; he hid not his face from shame and spitting. (Isa. 50:6) In the first part of this Aria, the instruments and the voice use two musical devices to portray sorrow and grief. One is a little motif of two falling notes, very close to each other in pitch, the first (higher) having just a little more emphasis than the second. It sounds like sighing. The other is a longer descending line of pitches, creating discord as the notes depart from chords prematurely and lead to but do not settle into the next chord. “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

Then the character changes, quite dramatically. “He gave his back to the smiters” . . . the instruments become aggressive, galloping, battle-like. That same rhythmic figure, that forcefulness, accompanies the choir as they continue in Isaiah: Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace is upon him. (53:4,5) Under the choral parts, the instruments battle away with this inexorable smiting, this aggressive beard-yanking and spitting.

The choir, meanwhile, sings the same rhythm in the word “Surely,” then long drawn phrases with  ”he hath borne our grief . . . ” And as with the accompaniment of the Alto Aria, the choir now sings in long shifting, yearning, sorrowing lines, “He was wounded for our transgressions . . . ” And finally, painting text yet more vividly, we hear the words onomatopoeically striking the bruising blows, “the chastisement.”  Under it all through this chorus, the orchestra drives the battle rhythms to the end.

With the Chorus, “And with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5), we hear two themes. A 4-note theme hammers home the point, “And with his stripes,” much the same way as we just saw with ”the chastisement.” (Not that the themes are the same, but that the effect is the same.) This is followed by a long, meandering theme – never the same among the voice parts, nor when repeated in each voice part. “And with this stripes we are healed” – the contrast to the “stripes” is a complicated, constantly changing, contrasting and almost soothing expression “we are healed.” Over and over through the chorus voice parts enter to remind us from whence the healing flows (“And with his stripes”), until finally all four choral voices blend their final particular way to the outcome of those horrible stripes: “we are healed.”

We do not lose sight that all this is showing us “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” We are reminded that it is for us that the Lamb is despised and rejected. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) The musical contrast might almost be jarring at this point. The accompaniment is downright cheerful by contrast to the previous 15 minutes of suffering and grief. I believe this serves to illustrate how little we esteemed him (Isa. 53:3b), that in the midst of him taking away the sin of the world, the chorus so brightly chirps that we have gone astray. Two things to listen to here; they are contrasts – first listen to the choir sing “have gone astray” and hear how the notes go all over the place. Also, hear the word “turned,” as the choir sings in long series of musical “turns” (the moving of notes above and below an established pitch). This chorus is fun to sing (and not a little difficult!), and I think chorus and audience are meant to both enjoy it and wonder whether it is in fact appropriate. We seem to carry on blithely in our straying and turning – perhaps enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season? (Hebrews 11:25, KJV) – while the Lamb suffers. Then, with the Lamb upon the cross (the oratorio shows, it doesn’t tell) we are suddenly caught up short with the reminder: “and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” All lightness and frivolity are gone. We are forced to recall the opening statement of Part Two:

Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.”

Sing on,

Chuck King

Part Two of Messiah, by George Frederic Handel, begins solemnly and dramatically with the words of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”

The Christmas portion just concluded (Part One) has brought the listener to this declaration. Following the announcement of the glory of God to the Judean shepherds, we learn about the purpose for the coming of the Christ: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.” And we are invited to “Come unto Him, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and he will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn of Him. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.”

Part Two then identifies the shepherd as also the Lamb of God, God’s own sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. This Lamb, the Christ, will give rest to our souls by the suffering that is depicted in the first half of this section. John’s declaration is bold, and solemn; it is full of conviction, and it is sorrowful. As each voice part enters – first the alto, then soprano, followed by bass and finally the tenor – the first pitch is in the lower register of the voice (“Be-”) with an immediate leap up one full octave (“-hold”). It is an arresting statement, musically forcing the sense of the word: “Behold!” Pay attention! Look! (The tenor leap of an octave is delayed to the end of the phrase, emphasizing that this Lamb is from God for us; he is the “Lamb”[low G] “of God” [high G].

Messiah is full of word-paintings like that “Behold.” In these posts I will be pointing out some of the more significant and noticeable ones. When as musicians we get these right; when we identify the word/music interplays and sing them well and meaningfully, the listener perceives and tracks what is going on, without necessarily having to cognitively mark them. In the era in which Handel lived, there was a well-developed tool-kit of rhetorical devices to let music express particular feelings, so that whether or not there were words, the music “meant” something. One of those devices in this opening chorus is a stylized rhythm that is present in all but 7 measures – a rhythmic figure that was meant to represent mourning and lament. That rhythm most notably carries the words “Lamb of God” and “taketh away.”

We won’t spend a full post on each chorus, but it is helpful perhaps to establish some of these ideas at the outset, within a single chorus. The principle of musical rhetoric will come up a lot, and as already noted, we will point to the main, important, obvious details to listen for. Another feature to address early is the ubiquitous repetition of phrases.

When approached by an English bishop with a commission to compose some sacred music, the bishop offered suggestions to Handel about how the scriptures might be set to music. Complaining privately about this, Handel reportedly groused, “I think I know my Bible as well as any bishop!” And, truly, he appears to have known the Bible very well indeed. And though English was certainly Handel’s third spoken language (and the fourth language for which he wrote music), for the most part he seemed to know the English Bible with its particular nuances. The Scriptures of Messiah were chosen by an English clergyman, but G.F. was the one who decided how the text worked with the music, including what to repeat. Over and over again, I am impressed with the theological importance of words and phrases that are repeated. Musically, there are almost no simple note-for-note repetitions, but rather subtle (or dramatic) changes enhance the meaning and the feeling of a given text, so that by the end of a chorus or aria, we have been treated to a richness of meaning through varied expression.

So, while it takes just moments to quote the Baptist’s cry, “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world,” musically we are treated to about 2 and 1/2 minutes of reflection. It is arresting, contemplative, and mournful. We are being prepared for the suffering of the Lamb in the immediately following numbers. You hear throughout Messiah that certain Scriptures are set very plainly, barely more music and than speaking. The compser made a devotional and theological decision here to not rush through this simple exclamation.

And that lingering and looking at Jesus that is why we are presenting Messiah on Sunday, April 1. “Behold! And see if there be any sorry like unto his sorrow.”

Sing on,

Chuck King