Messiah (HWV 56), George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Running order

PART THE FIRST

1. Sinfony
2. Comfort ye (Accompagnato: Tenor)
3. Ev’ry valley (Song: Tenor)
4. And the glory of the Lord (Chorus)
5. Thus saith the Lord (Accompagnato: Bass)
6. But who may abide (Song: Alto)
7. And he shall purify (Chorus)
8. Behold, a virgin shall conceive (Recit.: Alto)
9. O thou that tellest (Song: Alto, & Chorus)
10. For behold, darkness (Accompagnato: Bass)
11. The people that walked in darkness (Song: Bass)
12. For unto us a child is born (Chorus)
13. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)
14(a). There were shepherds (Recit.: Soprano)
14(b). And lo, the angel of the Lord (Accompagnato: Soprano)
15. And the angel said unto them (Recit.: Soprano)
16. And suddenly there was with the angel (Accompagnato: Soprano)
17. Glory to God (Chorus)
18(a). Rejoice greatly (Song: Soprano)
19. Then shall the eyes of the blind (Recit.: Alto)
20. He shall feed his flock (Duet: Alto & Soprano)
21. His yoke is easy (Chorus)

INTERVAL (20 minutes)

PART THE SECOND

22. Behold the Lamb of God (Chorus)
23. He was despised (Song: Alto)
24. Surely He hath borne our griefs (Chorus)
25. And with His stripes (Chorus)
26. All we, like sheep (Chorus)
27. All they that see Him (Accompagnato: Tenor)
28. He trusted in God (Chorus)
29. Thy rebuke hath broken His heart (Accompagnato: Tenor)
30. Behold and see (Song: Tenor)
31. He was cut off (Accompagnato: Tenor)
32. But Thou didst not leave (Song: Tenor)
33. Lift up your heads (Chorus)
34. Unto which of the angels (Recit.: Tenor)
35. Let all the angels (Chorus)
36. Thou art gone up on high (Song: Alto)
37. The Lord gave the word (Chorus)
38. How beautiful are the feet (Song: Soprano)
39. Their sound is gone out (Chorus)
40. Why do the nations (Song: Bass)
41. Let us break their bonds (Chorus)
42. He that dwelleth in heaven (Recit.: Tenor)
43. Thou shalt break them (Song: Tenor)
44. Hallelujah (Chorus)

INTERVAL (5 minutes; please remain in your seats)

PART THE THIRD

45. I know that my Redeemer liveth (Song: Soprano)
46. Since by man came death (Chorus)
47. Behold, I tell you a mystery (Accompagnato: Bass)
48. The trumpet shall sound (Song: Bass)
49. Then shall be brought to pass (Recit.: Alto)
50. O death, where is thy sting? (Duet: Alto & Tenor)
51. But thanks be to God (Chorus)
52. If God be for us (Song: Soprano)
53. Worthy is the Lamb (Chorus)
54. Amen (Chorus)

Programme Note

Handel’s Messiah has played an important part in the cultural history of Birmingham. It was the work that launched the Birmingham Music Festival in 1768 in Birmingham Cathedral and was performed at every Triennial Festival from 1784 to 1912. The Festival Chorus was one of the finest in the world and Saint- Saёns’ description in a Parisian newspaper is something Ex Cathedra aspires to! This wonderful choir has everything: intonation,
perfect timing and rhythm, finely shaded expression and a lovely sound . . . they certainly perform as if they were the finest musicians in the world.

Messiah has also played an important part in the history of Ex Cathedra. Almost 50 years ago we gave our first performance to a packed Lichfield Cathedral – a small chamber choir and orchestra with soloists stepping out
from the choir. It seemed revolutionary at the time. There have been many memorable performances since. For the benefit of grumpy music critics at this busy time of year, there is a funny story attached to our performance in Lourdes 20 years ago. On a rare free afternoon a group of singers took to the hills – the Pyrenees – for some mountain air. Unfortunately, on the descent one of them sprained an ankle and that evening had to sing from a wheelchair. When we came to the Hallelujah chorus she felt so moved (or traditionally compelled) to stand. It was surely a miracle. The audience ‘gasp’ was almost audible!

Messiah was written in the late summer of 1741 and first performed in Dublin on 13 April. Its subject is the ‘greatest story ever told’ and Handel’s setting has been described as the ‘greatest single work in the English
language’. It is certainly the most popular and probably the best loved Oratorio. It seems indestructible! There are rock Messiah’s, soul Messiah’s, Young Messiah’s, scratch Messiah’s, singalong Messiah’s, large and small-scale performances, and versions re-orchestrated by Prout, Beecham, and of course Mozart. All interpretations are able to uplift and inspire; or as Handel said, ‘I should be sorry if I only entertained them, I wish to make them better.’

Unusually for an Oratorio there are no characters, and the biblical text is from the Old and New Testaments. In its three parts Charles Jennens’ original and beautifully constructed libretto relates the Messiah’s birth, his suffering and resurrection, and the promised life of the world to come. The Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ never appears in the work and the message is all the stronger for this. Handel composed part one in seven days, part two in nine, and part three in six! After composing the Hallelujah Chorus he is reputed to have said, ‘I did see all heaven before me and the great God himself.’ Handel’s music reflects this breathless momentum and fiery, unstoppable inspiration in the extraordinary pace and conviction of the work. There are wonderful choruses one after the other, seamlessly linked to memorable ‘Songs’. And there are only a few recitatives! Each part has a cumulative energy which is irresistible, and audiences and performers can
share in the profound spirituality of the work and its infectious optimism. It is not difficult to understand the popularity of Messiah.

Handel supervised 36 performances, and each was tailor-made for the occasion. There is a mass of valuable evidence surrounding these performances and later ones. Handel rarely used just four soloists and, on many occasions, used seven. We use 12 today. It is important to remember that, while taking into account all this evidence, the essential spark of inspiration and commitment is paramount. Jennens’s Classical preface to the word-book of the first performance summarises perfectly: ‘Let us sing of greater things’.

Texts

PART THE FIRST

Sinfony

Accompagnato
Tenor: Seb Hill

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
that her warfare is accomplish’d, that her iniquity
is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make
straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40 : 1-3

Song
Tenor: Seb Hill

Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and
hill made low; the crooked straight, and the rough
places plain.
Isaiah 40 : 4

Chorus

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all
flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord
hath spoken it.
Isaiah 40 : 5

Accompagnato
Bass: Lawrence White

Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts; yet once a
little while and I will shake the heav’ns and the earth,
the sea and the dry land: and I will shake all nations;
and the desire of all nations shall come.
Haggai 2 : 6-7
The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His
temple, ev’n the messenger of the Covenant, whom ye
delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Malachi 3 : 1

Song
Alto: Gabriella Liandu

But who may abide the day of his coming, and who
shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a
refiner’s fire.
Malachi 3 : 2

Chorus
And he shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may
offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Malachi 3 : 3

Recit
Alto: Anna Semple

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and
shall call His name Emmanuel, ‘God with us.’
Isaiah 7 : 14; Matthew 1 : 23

Air & Chorus
Alto: Anna Semple

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee
up into the high mountain. O thou that tellest good
tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength;
lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,
behold your God. O thou that tellest good tidings to
Zion, arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory
of the Lord is risen upon thee.
Isaiah 40 : 9; Isaiah 60 : 1

Accompagnato
Bass: Tom Lowen

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon
thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And
the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the
brightness of thy rising.
Isaiah 60 : 2-3

Song
Bass: Tom Lowen

The people that walked in darkness have seen a
great light; and they that dwell in the land of the
shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Isaiah 9 : 2

Chorus

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and
the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His
name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9 : 6

Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)

Recit
Soprano: Margaret Lingas

And there were shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 2 : 8

Accompagnato
Soprano: Margaret Lingas

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and
the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and
they were sore afraid.
Luke 2 : 9

Recit
Soprano: Margaret Lingas

And the angel said unto them: fear not, for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of
David, a saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2 : 10-11

Accompagnato
Soprano: Margaret Lingas

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude
of the heav’nly host, praising God, and saying:
Luke 2 : 13

Chorus
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth,
good will towards men.
Luke 2 : 14

Song
Soprano: Katie Trethewey

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O
daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy king cometh unto
thee; He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak
peace unto the heathen.
Zecharaiah 9 : 9-10

Recit
Alto: Anna Semple

Then shall the eyes of the blind be open’d, and the
ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man
leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
Isaiah 35 : 5-6

Duet
Alto: Anna Semple, Soprano: Margaret Lingas

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; and He shall
gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in his
bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 40 : 11
Come unto Him all ye that labour, come unto Him that
are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His
yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and
lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11 : 28-29

Chorus
His yoke is easy, his burthen is light.
Matthew 11 : 30

~ INTERVAL of 20 minutes ~

PART THE SECOND

Chorus

Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of
the world.
John 1 : 29

Song
Alto: Martha McLorinan

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Isaiah 53 : 3
He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to
them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face
from shame and spitting.
Isaiah 50 : 6

Chorus
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows! He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement
of our peace was upon Him.
Isaiah 53 : 4-5

Chorus
And with His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53 : 5

Chorus
All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned
ev’ry one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on
Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53 : 6

Accompagnato
Tenor: Seb Hill

All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they shoot
out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:
Psalms 22 : 7

Chorus

He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let
Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.
Psalms 22 : 8

Accompagnato
Tenor: James Robinson

Thy rebuke hath broken His heart: He is full of
heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him,
but there was no man, neither found He any to
comfort Him.
Psalms 69 : 20

Song
Tenor: James Robinson

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His
sorrow.
Lamentations 1 : 12

Accompagnato
Tenor: James Robinson

He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the
transgressions of Thy people was he stricken.
Isaiah 53 : 8

Song

Tenor: James Robinson
But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst
Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
Psalms 16 : 10

Chorus

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye
everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come
in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads,
O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King
of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.
Psalms 24 : 7-10

Recit

Tenor: James Robinson
Unto which of the angels said He at any time: Thou
art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee?
Hebrews 1 : 5

Chorus

Let all the angels of God worship Him.
Hebrews 1 : 6

Song
Alto: Martha McLorinan

Thou art gone up on high; Thou hast led captivity
captive, and received gifts for men; yea, even from
Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell
among them.
Psalms 68 : 18

Chorus

The Lord gave the word; great was the company of
the preachers.
Psalms 68 : 11

Song
Soprano: Katie Trethewey

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach
the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good
things.
Romans 10 : 15

Chorus

Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words
unto the ends of the world.
Romans 10 : 18

Song
Bass: Lawrence White

Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and
why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings
of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsels
together against the Lord, and His anointed.
Psalms 2 : 1-2

Chorus

Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their
yokes from us.
Psalms 2 : 3

Recit
Tenor: Bradley Smith

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn;
the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psalms 2 : 4

Song
Tenor: Bradley Smith

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt
dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Psalms 2 : 9

Chorus

Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Revelation 19 : 6
The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom
of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for
ever and ever.
Revelation 11 : 15
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 19 : 16
Hallelujah!

~INTERVAL (5 mins)~

PART THE THIRD

Song
Soprano: Imogen Russell

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth. And tho’ worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
Job 19 : 25-26
For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits
of them that sleep.
I Corinthians 15 : 20

Chorus

Since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive.
I Corinthians 15 : 21-22

Accompagnato
Bass: Themba Mvula

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be chang’d in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
I Corinthians 15 : 51-52

Song
Bass: Themba Mvula

The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
rais’d incorruptible, and we shall be chang’d. For this
corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal
must put on immortality.
I Corinthians 15 : 52-53

Recit
Alto: Martha McLorinan

Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written; Death is swallow’d up in victory.
I Corinthians 15 : 54

Duet
Alto: Martha McLorinan, Tenor: Bradley Smith

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of
sin is the law.
I Corinthians 15 : 55, 56

Chorus

But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15 : 57

Song
Soprano: Imogen Russell

If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?
It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again;
who is at the right hand of God, who makes
intercession for us.
Romans 8 : 31, 33, 34

Chorus

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath
redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power,
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour,
and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory
and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.
Revelation 5 : 12-13

Chorus

Amen

Performers

EX CATHEDRA
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor
Soloists:
Soprano: Margaret Lingas, Imogen Russell, Katie Trethewey
Alto: Gabriella Liandu, Martha McLorinan, Anna Semple
Tenor: Sebastian Hill, James Robinson, Bradley Smith
Bass: Tom Lowen, Themba Mvula, Lawrence White

Soprano: Marianne Ayling, Phoebe Boateng, Alison Burnett, Ros Crouch, Sophie Henderson^, Naomi Hedges, Joy Krishnamoorthy, Margaret Langford, Rebecca Ledgard, Shirley Scott, Sally Spencer, Clover Willis**
Alto: Martin Hodgkinson, Katy Raines-Rami, Andrew Round, Ellie Stamp**, Laura Toomey^
Tenor: Steve Davis, Tony Dean, Dan Marles*, Jeremy Reid, Iain Sloan, James Wells**
Bass: Robert Asher, Oliver Barker*, Jeremy Burrows, Richard Green,
John Johnston**, Ollie Neale, Matthew Pandya^, Bill Robinson

* denotes Enhanced Student Scholar
^ denotes RBC student scholar
** denotes Ex Cathedra graduate scholar

1st violin: Lucy Russell, Iona Davies, Madga Loth Hill, Persephone Gibbs,
Fiona Duncan
2nd violin: Liz MacCarthy, Miki Takahashi, Jo Lawrence, Ellen Bundy, Veronique Matarasso
Viola: Alan George, Kate Fawcett
Cello: Sebastian Comberti, Imogen Seth-Smith
Double bass: Kate Brooke
Oboe: Gail Hennessy, Mark Radcliffe
Bassoon: Andrew Watts
Trumpet: Paul Sharp, Ross Brown
Timpani: Ben Fullbrook
Keyboards: James Johnstone

Soloists

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