Moving Into Music – Music for Easter: Pick 3 # G.F. Handel: The Messiah – Hallelujah Chorus Sydney Philharmonia Choirs performance in 2019 with the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra …

Messiah, written in 1741, is George Frederic Handel’s great oratorio. It has become a ubiquitous part of Christmas celebrations worldwide — and yet it was written for Easter. Only the first third of Messiah is about the birth of Jesus. Part II covers the death of Christ and the third is focused on the Resurrection. The rousing Hallelujah Chorus is one of the most famous pieces of Baroque choral music, and by far the most widely-known section of the work. The tradition of standing during the famous Hallelujah chorus, is said to have begun in 1743, when England’s King George II rose from his seat, enthralled by the beauty of the music. Not wanting to offend the king, the audience also stood – or so the story goes. Messiah is an oratorio, a large-scale work based on sacred text, but without sets, costumes, or action. Drawing from the Old and New Testaments, Handel designed it in three sweeping sections: Prophecy and Fulfillment, Suffering, and Redemption. Although religious, its message remains universal, and Handel intended it for the concert hall. Its theatricality is another reason for its popularity.