Last Updated on : November 23, 2014
Handel's Oratorio
"Messiah"
PART THE FIRST
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| No. 1 -- OVERTURE | ||
| No. 2 -- RECIT. Accomp. (TENOR) |
"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 cried in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:1-3) | |
| No. 3 -- AIR (TENOR) |
"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain." (Isaiah 40:4) | |
| No. 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) | |
| No. 5 --
RECIT. Accomp. (BASS) |
"Thus saith 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." (Haggai 2:6-7) "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Malachi 3:1) |
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| No. 6 -- AIR (BASS) |
"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) | |
| No. 7 -- CHORUS | "And he shall purify the sons of Levy, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness" (Malachi 3:3) | |
| No. 8 -- RECIT. (ALTO) |
"Behold! a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us" (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23) | |
| No. 9 -- AIR (ALTO) AND CHORUS |
"O thou that tellest good tidings of 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!" (Isaiah 40:9). "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee" (Isaiah 60:1) |
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| No. 10 --
RECIT. Accomp. (BASS) |
"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) | |
| No. 11 -- AIR (BASS) |
"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) | |
| No. 12 -- 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) | |
| No. 13 -- PASTORAL SYMPHONY | ||
| No.
14 -- RECIT. (SOPRANO) |
"There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night" (Luke 2:8) | |
| RECIT-- Accomp. (SOPRANO) |
"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) | |
| No. 15 -- RECIT. (SOPRANO) | "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) | |
| No.
16 -- RECIT. Accomp. (SOPRANO) |
"And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: | |
| No. 17-- CHORUS | "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill towards men" (Luke 2:13-14) | |
| No.
18 -- AIR (SOPRANO) |
"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" (Zechariah 9:9-10) | |
| No.
19 -- RECIT. (ALTO) |
"Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing" (Isaiah 35:5-6) | |
| No.
20 -- AIR (ALTO) |
"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) | |
| AIR -- (SOPRANO) | "Come unto him, all ye that labour and 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" (Matt. 11:28-29) | |
| No. 21 -- CHORUS | "His yoke is easy and his burden is light." | |