If the monarch stands, then everybody else would be expected to do the same as no-one could risk sitting down when the king was standing. Alas, this is a well-known story and one I often repeat when talking about the Georgian period but there is no evidence that King George the Second ever saw a performance of the Messiah — or that he stood up during it This does not stop Blue Badge Tourist Guides repeating the story, however, and it certainly does not stop audience members continuing to stand as the climax of the greatest work by our adopted composer George Frederick Handel approaches.
I specialise in tours themed on cars,…. Your email address will not be published. Did you know that Kew Gardens was home to one of the very first decorated Christmas trees in England? It was Queen Charlotte in the s who dressed branches in one of the largest rooms at Kew Palace, and when the tree was lit and all aglitter, the whole court gathered round.
Would you like to receive our newsletter? Follow Guide London! When Handel moved from opera into oratorio dealing with religious subject matter, many critics objected to the idea of mixing the sacred and secular worlds where the same theater might host religious subject matter one day and suggestive comedy the next.
But only the first third of the work was about the birth of Jesus. The second act covers the death of Jesus and the third focused on his resurrection. As such, the piece was originally conceived as a work for Easter and was premiered in the spring during the Lent season.
By the 19th century, Messiah became a regular December staple particularly in the United States. Laurence Cummings, conductor of the London Handel Orchestra, told Smithsonian Magazine that the Christmas performance custom may have partly come out of necessity. Matthew Passion, most especially — and so little great sacral music written for Christmas," he said.
And as was and remains the custom, when the king or queen stands, everybody in their presence stands. Nobody remains seated when the monarch stands up. That is the origin of the audience standing when the Hallelujah Chorus begins.
Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to content. When the music for this biblical passage began, King George, I believe, made a statement about royal authority and honor: The Christian King of England is not the Supreme Authority, but he is one under authority and must show honor and respect to his Supreme Lord, the King of Kings.
A few simple observations undermine this thin explanation: Kings are hardly ones to emote in public spontaneously a review of English kings and queens over the centuries will reveal precious few instances of spontaneity or public displays of exuberance ; Standing in the middle of a performance of a major orchestral and choral work today or in yesteryear is never encouraged—in fact, it would be considered rude and not something a King would likely do without a very compelling reason even jazz musicians today only receive polite applause at the end of a praiseworthy set—rarely do audiences jump out of their seats during a formal performance ; Kings sit enthroned , subjects stand.
The King was not stretching his legs, getting ready to walk out, etc. The answer as to why the King stood there and then is rooted, I believe, in the political implications of the very specific lyrics of the chorus, particularly the words from Revelation 19, highlighted in bold, and their immediate context see the updated note below : Hallelujah! All rise! Roy Atwood Dr. Comments Enlightening…. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Lewis on Distorted Love. Your Shopping Cart will be saved and you'll be given a link.
You, or anyone with the link, can use it to retrieve your Cart at any time. Messiah has been going strong for years and remains among the most-performed works in the classical repertoire.
But what makes it so special is hard to define. As music director of the Buffalo Master Chorale and artistic director of the Chicago Chamber Choir, Rao has been involved in her share of Messiahs , and no two are the same. Messiah is an oratorio, a large-scale work based on sacred text, but without sets, costumes, or action. Although religious, its message remains universal, and Handel intended it for the concert hall, not the church.
Handel also wrote Messiah in English, rather than German or Italian, which appealed to the middle class in England and Ireland, where the work first appeared back in the mids.
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