[youtube width=720 height=405 autoplay=yes]wp_RHnQ-jgU[/youtube]
Music by George Frideric Handel
Lyrics by Charles Jennens
1741 – Public Domain
Performed by Opera Company of Philadelphia
Youtube video uploaded by Opera Philadelphia
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign forever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And Lord of lords,
And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
What causes you to say “Hallelujah”?
It has become a modern tradition for the Hallelujah Chorus to be performed during the Christmas season. In recent years, this majestic musical creation has been taken to the streets and the malls as choirs surprise shoppers in what has become known as a flash mob performance. The video above is just one example of many available online where this occurred.
At life’s lowest ebb after several setbacks and in debt, George Frideric Handel set to work to compose a musical with lyrics taken from the Book of Isaiah and The Gospels. He intended to depict Christ’s life, death resurrection eternal glory and the concept of redemption. For 24 days and nights he worked solidly, hardly eating, or sleeping, which resulted in the creation of his masterpiece, The Messiah. “I saw the great God himself, on his throne” Handel later recounted, “and all his company of Angels.”
The Messiah was first performed at Fishamble Street, Dublin, as part of a charity series of concerts with Handel leading the performance from the harpsichord. Current publications of his work run 250 pages, including 20 choral numbers and more than 30 solos and instrumentals. It is an astounding accomplishment and one of the most popular works in the Western choral canon.
The most famous section is the Hallelujah Chorus whose lyrics are drawn from three passages in the New Testament Book of Revelation: 19:6, 11-15, 19-16. In many parts of the world it is the accepted practice for the audience to stand for this section of the performance. Tradition has it that this originated at The Messiah’s first performance in London when King George II stood up at the end of the Hallelujah Chorus, and the rest of the audience followed his lead.
The story goes that after the first performance of The Messiah, an enthusiastic member of the audience congratulated composer and director George Frederic Handel for producing such a wonderful piece of entertainment. “Entertainment!” Handel replied, “My purpose was not to entertain, but to teach them something.”
He didn’t write the Messiah for music historians or classical music geeks. In an age when illiteracy was widespread and written copies of the Bible were expensive and rare, he wrote it to tell the story of Jesus to ordinary people, through music, the language of the heart.
Born in Germany in 1685, the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach, his father wanted him to study law, but when it became apparent that the young Handel was musically gifted, his father reluctantly agreed to let the boy study music.
Handel died in 1759 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. The Messiah is arguably the greatest piece of Christian music ever written. The Hallelujah Chorus is instantly recognizable, even by those who do not consider themselves members of the Christian faith. It has become a part of our Christian cultural heritage.
The word hallelujah can be translated to mean Praise the Lord, Praise God, Praise to our God, or Thanks Be to God. It can also be used as a statement of praise or worship or as a call to worship as in, Praise the Lord, you People. Secular culture uses the term to express happiness that a thing hoped for or waited for has happened or in other words, to rejoice.