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Show II Text of Handel's 'Messiah' Tells Why We Observe Christmas - I THE story of Christ, the prediction of His coming, His humble birth and His remarkable i career are told in "The Messiah," Handel's oratorio, which will be performed New I Year's morn by the Tabernacle choir with soloists and symphony orchestra at the Alhambra theatre. The text of the oratorio was taken from the Bible. To the scriptural passages Han- ; I del joined immortal music 1 75 years ago and the great musical composition grows more: I popular each year. j Christmas day is a fitting day to publish the text of "The Messiah" as it will be sung, here New Year's morn The oft-read verses follow: I 1 (Tenor) Comfort ye, comfort yp. my people, peo-ple, oaith 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 thnt crleth In the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight In the desert a highway for our God II. AIR (Tenor) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain nnd hill made? low. the crooked straight, and the rough places plain. III. CHOItUS 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, IV. (Bass) Thus salth the Lord of Hosts Yet onco a little while and I will shake the heavens, m. I II arth. I the su. and the dry land: and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come. The Lord, whom yp seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in Behold. He shall come, salth the Lord of Hosts. AIR (Bass) But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when Ho apprircth? For He is like a refiner's fire. VI. (Alto) Behold, a virgin Shall COncelve, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us. VII. AIR (Alto) and CHORTS O thou that tellest good tidings to Zlon. pot thee up Into the high mountain: O thou thru ti lest good tidings to Jerusab-m, lift up thy -oice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto thr cities of.Jndah, Behold your God! Arise, shine ,for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord Is risen upon thee, VIII. CHORUS For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is giv-n, and the government gov-ernment shall be upon 1 1 If shoulder; shoul-der; and His name shall bo called call-ed Wonderful, Counsellor, th Mighty God. the Everlasting Father, (ho Princo of Peace. IX. (Soprano) Ther. were shepherds abiding in the flelcj keeping watch over their flocks by night X Accompanied. Soprano And lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round alout them, and they were soi" afraid XT. (Soprano) And the angfl said unto them, Fear not; for behold. I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall bo to all people. For unto you Is born this day in the city of Da lei i Saviour, which Is Christ the Lord. XII. (Soprano) And suddenly there wa ? with the angel a multitude of the heaven-lv heaven-lv host praising God and saying XI II. CHORUS. Glory to God In the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards nir-n. XIV AIR (Soprano) Rejoice greatly, Q daughter of Zlon Shout, O daughtCI of Jerusalem; Je-rusalem; behold, thy k.ng com-cth com-cth unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak pacc unto the heathen. XV. (Alto) Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the cars of the deaf unstopped, then shall the lame man leap ns an nart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. XVI (Alto) He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; and He shall gather tlv lambs in His arm, ::nd carry car-ry them In His bosom and srnt-ly srnt-ly lead those that are with y oung. AIR (Soprano) Come unto Him. all ye that labour la-bour and are heavy laden and He shall give you rnt. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him; for He is me-k and lowly of heart; and ye shall find jour souls. XVII. Accompanied (Tenor) 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 bj comfort Him. XVIII. AIR (Tenor) Behold, and see If there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted ac-quainted with grief. XX. AIR (Bass) Why do the nations so furiously ra,re together0 landi why do the people Imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up. and the rulers take counsel to- gether against the Iord, and M tinst Hi-: Anointed. XXL (Tenor) lie that dwelletb in heaven shall laugh them to ecorn, the Ixrd shall hae them In derision XX. AIR (Tenor) Thou sholt break them With a rod of iron; Thou irhalt dash them In pieces like a potter's vessel XXIII. CHORUS. Hallelujah for the Lord God oni- I n 1 1 it nt ' relr- ni I h 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: XXIV. AIR (Soprano) l know that mv Redeemer llveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; And though worms destroy thi'. body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-frultv. of them all be changeel in a moment, in the twlnklng of an eye, at the last trumpet, that sleep. Behold 1 tell you a Mystery, We shall not al! sleep, but we shall I AIR (Bass with trumpet) The trumpet shall sound. and the dead shall be raised Incorruptible, Incor-ruptible, and we shall be changed XXV. CHORUS. Worthy is the Larnb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, pow-er, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that slttetb upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. AMEN. -- 1 1 |