The Messiah
Narrative
assembled by D. A. Sharpe
We know of the hand of God touching over human history, particularly in
the few thousand years that a written word exists in what we know as the Holy
Bible. We study its words by which to
learn of Him and we see his Word in the form of music, particularly in the
Psalms, many of which are intended to be sung in our worship of Him.
We are blessed by many words and pieces of music that have shown on the
horizons of human history since the days of the Holy Bible’s composition. We have learned from preaching, from
teaching, from prophecy, from published written materials and from the music of
worship over those many years.
On April 13,
1742, there was the debut in Dublin, Ireland of The Messiah,
an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, a German musician, born
February 23, 1685, who became an English citizen about 1712. What is unique about The Messiah is that it
is 100% quotations from the Holy Bible. This
is the reason such spiritual significance is attributed in this marvelous work
of music, a praise of honor and glory to Jesus Christ.
Undocumented history says that at this
debut, George Augustus, King George II
of England, was in attendance.
Whether his attendance at that first performance is true of not, what is
attributed to the action of the King at some performance is what is important.
The Messiah is an oratorio which takes well over two hours to
perform. About 2/3’s of the way through
it, the orchestral choir sings what is known as the “Hallelujah” chorus. As
that chorus burst upon the scene, its majesty was so all-encompassing that King
George arose to stand in blessed admiration and awe at the inspiration of it
all.
The tradition in England was that any time the Monarch (King or Queen)
stood, all the other people present in that place would stand in acknowledgement
of the King’s gesture and in honor of him.
That is why there is a world-wide expectation of people everywhere to
stand when the “Hallelujah” chorus is sung.
There is a Norwegian Viking named Eystein
Glumra Ivarsson, born in 788 A.D., who is
the 25th great grandfather of King George II.
That Viking also is my 32nd
great grandfather. That makes
King George II and myself 26th cousins, seven times removed. Eystein Glumra Ivarsson is the ancestor in common between our
daughter, Tiffany Lenn Sharpe Westmoreland and her
husband, Steven O. Westmoreland. They are related to each other as 34th cousins,
four times removed, as well as by husband and wife status.
George Frideric Handel, was born in somewhat modest
cultural and economic settings. Handel’s
father died at age 75, but Handel was only age 12 at the time. Handel was “on his own” pretty much after
that, serving as an apprentice to a barber.
He married at age 20, the widow of the official barber-surgeon of a
suburb of Halle, inheriting his practice.
He did not have access to
quality education. His musical abilities
developed on their own, being God-given.
His movements in life took him from Germany to Italy, then finally to
England in 1712 at about age 27.
God’s Providence enabled his musical produce to prosper greatly in
England. A coronation anthem, Zadok
the Priest (1727), was composed for the coronation of English King
George II. The majesty of that
composition has endured so famously that it has been used in the coronation of
every English Monarch since then!
Handel’s musical success enabled him to become a wealthy man before the
time he graduated to Heaven at age 74 on April 14, 1759. He is a wonderful example of God’s prosperity
for one who genuinely is blessed by God, and who strives to serve God’s Hand in
his life, and in the belief of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. His Christianity practiced was that of the
Protestant tradition. His renown in
England and service to the Kings along the way of his life was so significant
that his body was interred in Westminster Abbey,
a cathedral reserved, for the most part, for Kings and Queens of England.
It is an honor and privilege to know that the King that started such a
vibrant reverence and recognition of our Lord Jesus Christ displayed in music
of such majesty is related to our family, distant though the relationship
is. Praise be to God!
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