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Show ;1742, under direction of the com- poser. Ladies were requested to "refrain "re-frain from wearing hoops" and gentlemen to "leave their swords at home," in order that a capacity audience might swell the proceeds to relieve needy children and the inmates of debtors' prisons. "The Messiah" was given its English premiere before the court at Covent Garden in March, 1743. George II was so overpowered by the grandeur of the music portraying por-traying the King of Kings that he sprang to his feet in reverent acclaim ac-claim at the opening bars of the Hallelujah chorus, an action which led to the modern custom. THE 'MESSIAH' RANKS YULETIDE FAVORITE Best known of all oratorios is Handel's "The Messiah," a favorite favor-ite presentation of the Christmas season. In almost every community in the civilized world a choir will sing part or all of the oratorio during the Yuletide. People in places too remote to boast a sufficiently suf-ficiently skilled choir or soloists will hear "The Messiah's" message by radio. The famous oratorio was written writ-ten by George Frederick Handel in London between August 22 and September 14, 1741. The first presentation pre-sentation was in Fishamble Street Music hall, Dublin, on April 13. |