Lent "Messiah" Listen

Last Advent, a group of us gathered on Tuesday evenings (when there wasn't a snowstorm) and listened our way through the Advent/Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah. We found out some interesting things along the way about Handel -- like this little story, revealing that Handel wasn't the sweet pious composer we imagine him to be. From the book Every Valley, by Charles King: "You may be a real devil,” Handel is supposed to have told the temperamental Cuzzoni during one session, grabbing her by the waist and threatening to throw her from a window, “but I will have you know that I am Beelzebub, the chief of the devils!”

Indeed, people complained about his Messiah (after it's first glorious production in Dublin in 1742) because its sacred text deserved to be treated more honorably by being sung in churches and cathedrals and not concert halls and theaters.

Anyway, we're listening through part 2 during Lent. We started last week but there is nothing particularly cumulative about it. Come and join us in the sanctuary to have a listen and a brief chat about what we hear. 6:30 PM on Tuesdays for an hour. We will continue to the Tuesday after Easter, April 7, and listen to the most famous "Hallelujah Chorus." I hope you can join us!