Handel's Messiah

In 1741, Charles Jennens, a wealthy English scholar, assembled and arranged selections from the King James Bible from the books of Isaiah, Haggai, Malachi, Matthew, Luke, Zechariah, Psalms, Lamentations, John, Hebrews, Romans, 1 Corinthians and Revelation. His libretto described the life of Christ, including prophecies related to His coming, His birth, His death and resurrection, and His glorious second coming. Jennens asked his friend, Handel to compose the music, writing “I hope [Handel] will lay out his whole Genius & Skill upon it, that the Composition may excel all his former Compositions, as the Subject excels every other Subject.”

Handel wrote the music for Jennen’s libretto in less than four weeks, writing from morning until evening. Handel chose to debut his work in Dublin in April 1742. After the first open rehearsal, a Dublin newspaper wrote, that the oratorio “in the opinion of the best judges, far surpasses anything of that Nature, which has been performed in this or any other Kingdom.” At the premiere event, ladies were asked to come without their hoops and gen-tlemen without their swords in order to make “room for more company.” The Messiah’s success in Dublin was shortly thereafter repeated in London.

Handel himself loved the Messiah. He included it in his annual benefit concerts for the London Foundling Hos-pital. Eight days before his death in 1759, in failing health, Handel attended an April 6 performance of the Mes-siah in Covent Garden. In the ensuing years, it has become a beloved part of Christmas celebrations worldwide. Our Indianapolis area Messiah sing along event began in 2022.