Magnificent Messiah

George Frideric Handel

Tonight Randy and I attended a local church choir event.  The culmination of the evening was a few pieces from Handel's Messiah.  We, of course, had the opportunity to  try our hand (or our vocal chords) at singing some of the chorus parts in between a few solos.  One of my favorite and cherished Christmas traditions is to take whoever will come with me (this year it was Bethany, Kip and I) and attend the Messiah Sing-In at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake Thanksgiving weekend.  The symphony hall is filled with several thousand other Messiah lovers like myself.  There are enough decent voices (I'm not one of them) in the audience to make the sing-in participation quite thrilling.  The Utah Symphony is there and a Salt Lake City choral group along with four always-fabulous soloists.   It's not just the holiday experience that I love.  Handel's Messiah stirs my soul to the core.  It lifts me to heavenly realms.  I love the music and the scriptural text from book of Isaiah.  The entire composition rejoices in the Savior of the world.  I've attended the Messiah Sing-In for years now.  I can imagine Handel himself conducting a magnificent celestial version of Messiah in the spirit world.  I certainly intend on being front and center at that performance when my time comes to relocate.