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Hart House Chorus presents:
Selections from Handel's Messiah parts I & II

The texts below are taken from the Hebrew and Christian bibles and were curated by Charles Jennens together with Handel.


Sinfonia

 

Recitative

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, 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.

 

Aria

Ev'ry valley shall be exalted, and ev'ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain.

 

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.

 

Recitative

Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts; yet once a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations; and the desire of all nations shall come.

The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

 

Aria

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

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Recitative

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.

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Aria/Chorus

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 they voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, behold your god! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

 

Recitative

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.

 

Aria

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.

 

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.

 

Pifa

 

Recitatives

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

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.

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.”

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying:

 

Chorus

“Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men.”

 

Aria

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.

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Recitative

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

 

Aria

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.

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.

 

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.

And with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 

Recitative

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.

 

Aria

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto his sorrow.

 

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.

The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.

 

Chorus

The Lord gave the word; great was the company of the preachers.

 

Aria

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 counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed.

 

Chorus

Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.

 

Chorus

Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!

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