The King & the Lamb
The Whole Biblical Story in Handel’s Messiah, Oftentimes Missed
Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah. . . .And I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. (Rev. 5:5–6)
I have often been asked to write program notes or give pre-concert lectures. Doing so for Handel’s Messiah presented a unique problem. What can one tell an audience consisting of newcomers to the work as well as some (usually the vast majority) who have heard the work live or recorded many times, sometimes in more-or-less complete concert performances, sometimes as individual, stand-alone pieces in recitals or worship services? At the risk of sounding overly simple, I suggest that the first thing the newcomer needs to know is something that the veteran needs to be reminded of—namely, that Messiah is a story. It tells the story that is the foundation of all Christian theology and worship. It tells the greatest of all stories, the true story that seems too good to be true.
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Calvin Stapert is Professor of Music Emeritus at Calvin College (now university). He holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Chicago and has published five books, the latest being Playing Before the Lord: The Life and Work of Joseph Haydn (Eerdmans, 2014). He and his wife live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are members of the Church of the Servant (Christian Reformed). They have five children and thirteen grandchildren.
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