The Messiah

This week I will get to initiate what I hope will become an annual tradition for Henry and me. Since mid-October, he and I have been driving over to Zeeland on Sunday afternoons to rehearse Handel's Messiah with the Zeeland Civic Chorus. This all-volunteer group of over a hundred members has been performing this great piece of music for sixty-eight years. Thanks to a friend of Henry's, he was invited to join the group this year, and then he invited me. While initially I was a little leery of giving up my Sunday afternoon naps, it has proven to be a rewarding experience.

The last time I performed this music, I was a student at Cedarville College, back in--a long, long time ago. I was also singing the alto part--I'm not sure why. So I do have to remind myself, especially on "And the Glory" for some reason, that I'm singing soprano now. I'm so glad that I've participated in this. It's been wonderful to stretch myself and use my singing abilities to perform this beautiful piece of music.

I love how Handel has composed the movement of the music to reflect the words. In "All We Like Sheep," all four parts go astray in their own,seemingly mindless, way until the end of the piece where the music takes a sudden somber tone, until the four parts suddenly come together to sing, "And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." In "And with His Stripes," the music seems to be indicating the slashing sounds of the whip on Jesus' back. And then there's the beautiful grandeur of "Worthy Is the Lamb" that nearly brings me to tears, especially when I had the thought the last time I was singing it that I couldn't begin to imagine music to honor the Lord more beautiful than this--and yet heaven's music will be even more glorious.

We have dress rehearsals tomorrow night and next Monday night for our two performances: Thursday, December 6, at First Zeeland CRC, 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, December 11, at Central CRC in Holland, 7:30 p.m. I can think of no better way to celebrate Christmas than with this music. Come sing with me!