Come celebrate the beauty of Handel's Messiah
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God."
The awe and beauty of Handel's Messiah is not only in its masterful musical and lyrical composition but also in its story telling. From each movement, each of the 3 parts, we are on a journey together, exploring the birth, the sacrifice, and the resurrection. The Hallelujah chorus, which is so familiar to us during the Christmas season, actually comes at death, although Christmas, of course, celebrates the birth of Jesus.
Through Handel's narrative, we find ourselves among the prophetic ("Behold, a virgin shall conceive"); among sarcastic, sneering crowds ("if He delight in Him, let Him deliver Him"), mocking and treacherous; among blithe, naive people ("All we like sheep"); and also within the precious moments of great love and empathy ("thine has led captivity captive and received gifts for thine enemies"). And in the end, "Part the third" celebrates the resurrection, finishing with a grand and massive Amen.
Messiah is a musical journey that is part of our collective history. As we move through the holiday season, we often revel in traditions and memories of family and friends, memories of comfort, and opportunities for peace and connection. Moments of reflection and care in the present may be especially important this year as we emerge into venues and gather again to experience the magic of music in this festive season. Michael Francis, conductor of the The Florida Orchestra for the Messiah asks us to "commit to the masterpiece that it is" with our "quorum of knowledge", and each of us on the stage and in the audience commit ourselves to this masterpiece, together.
Join us for our performances with The Florida Orchestra at the Straz in Tampa on December 17 at 8pm, Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete on December 18 at 8pm, and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on December 19 at 2pm.
The awe and beauty of Handel's Messiah is not only in its masterful musical and lyrical composition but also in its story telling. From each movement, each of the 3 parts, we are on a journey together, exploring the birth, the sacrifice, and the resurrection. The Hallelujah chorus, which is so familiar to us during the Christmas season, actually comes at death, although Christmas, of course, celebrates the birth of Jesus.
Through Handel's narrative, we find ourselves among the prophetic ("Behold, a virgin shall conceive"); among sarcastic, sneering crowds ("if He delight in Him, let Him deliver Him"), mocking and treacherous; among blithe, naive people ("All we like sheep"); and also within the precious moments of great love and empathy ("thine has led captivity captive and received gifts for thine enemies"). And in the end, "Part the third" celebrates the resurrection, finishing with a grand and massive Amen.
Messiah is a musical journey that is part of our collective history. As we move through the holiday season, we often revel in traditions and memories of family and friends, memories of comfort, and opportunities for peace and connection. Moments of reflection and care in the present may be especially important this year as we emerge into venues and gather again to experience the magic of music in this festive season. Michael Francis, conductor of the The Florida Orchestra for the Messiah asks us to "commit to the masterpiece that it is" with our "quorum of knowledge", and each of us on the stage and in the audience commit ourselves to this masterpiece, together.
Join us for our performances with The Florida Orchestra at the Straz in Tampa on December 17 at 8pm, Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete on December 18 at 8pm, and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on December 19 at 2pm.
Handel's Messiah - Master Chorale of Tampa Bay with The Florida Orchestra :: Mahaffey Theater, St Petersburg, Florida 2019
