Highlander Concert: Messiah

Messiah George Frideric

Handel Messiah by George Frideric Handel tells the story of the prophecy, birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ using the words of holy scripture set to amazing music. This is the most performed piece of music in the world and sounds revelatory with each experience. No matter if you attend Messiah performances regularly or this is your first experience, there’s nothing quite like hearing Messiah at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

PERFORMED BY Highland Park Chorale & Orchestra

FEATURED PERFORMERS
Danielle Talamantes – Soprano
Claire Shackleton – Alto
Ben Caston – Tenor
Kerry Wilkerson – Bass

Messiah, an oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is the most performed choral and orchestral composition in the world. Its popularity has crossed national and cultural barriers, generational changes, and language challenges, all while presenting the compelling story of the prophecy, birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Its appeal is common to all Christian denominations and is universally admired by those of other faiths and cultures.

The most striking element of Messiah is the text — every word in the oratorio is a recitation of scripture, with no commentary, narration, description, or explanation. Quotations from the prophets Isaiah, Haggai, and Malachi cover the first 30 minutes of the performance. Then, the gospel is introduced with readings from Luke and Matthew. Later, Psalms, Epistles, and final quotes from Revelation conclude the work.

This collection of scriptures was carefully curated by the librettist Charles Jennes in partnership with Handel. Together, they worked to select scriptures that could guide the listener to discovery of the truth of Jesus. The music that accompanies the scripture serves as the sermon — delivering clarity, emotional undergirding, textual emphasis — in place of a preacher.

I’ve always felt encouraged by the popularity of this composition, knowing that there are few events when a congregation will routinely fill a church to capacity so that they can listen to scripture being read (or in this case, sung) for over two hours. A performance of Handel’s Messiah offers an extraordinary opportunity to allow the power of the faithful and artistic recitation of scripture to minister to the hearts of people from all walks of life.