Handel's Messiah and The Book of Common Prayer
"For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive."Â

April 13 is the anniversary of the premiere performance of Messiah. George Frideric Handel might have been testing the waters when he introduced his new oratorio off-season -- not at Christmas, when it most frequently is performed, nor on Easter, which in 2024 we celebrate today, March 31, but at noon on April 13, 1742 in Dublin, rather than London. Two of his previous works had received lukewarm receptions by London audiences, reason enough for his caution in staging an out-of-town opening.
Dubliners eagerly awaited the performance, and they were not disappointed. By opening day, word of the successful dress rehearsal had spread, fueled by ecstatic newspaper reviews. Women were instructed to wear their skirts without hoops and men were told to leave their swords at home, so that an audience of 700 could be crammed into Dublin's new Great Musick Hall, capacity 600.
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Messiah tells the story of Christ's life, beginning with Old Testament prophesies of his coming and culminating in his Resurrection and glorious Ascension. Handel's great work is performed by orchestra, choir, and soloists - soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. The music is full of beauty and power, as are the words, taken directly from the King James Version of the Bible and The Book of Common Prayer, the same liturgy we use today in the 1928 edition.Â
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Handel's friend Charles Jennens wrote the libretto, the text that accompanies the music. Jennens approached his task with reverence, noting that "The subject excels every other Subject. The Subject is Messiah.Â
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Jennens was a Shakespearean scholar and patron of the arts. He drew about 60 percent of the libretto from the Old Testament, and much of the text from Psalms in the Book of Common Prayer, 1662 edition, still in use today throughout the Anglican Communion, and practically identical to our American BCP, 1928 edition.
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If you know the traditional prayer book you'll recognize in Messiah passages you've heard in a traditional Episcopal or Anglican church. If you're familiar with the music, you'll discern its echo behind words voiced in worship services.
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Jennens, an Anglican and believer in the authority of scripture, used Psalms 22, 69, 16, 24, 68, 19, and 2 (the order in which they are performed). Many of the Bible verses in Messiah also come to us through the 1928 BCP, which is based entirely on holy scripture. For example, the Chorus from 1 Corinthians is part of the Easter Day reading on page 163 of the 1928 BCP:
"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Â
Inspirational words coupled with soaring music: The traditional Book of Common Prayer, the King James Version of the Bible, and Messiah
reinforce our common experience as Anglicans, and define our American culture.
Hallelujah!
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 -Jan Mahood, Editor.Â

1928 Book of Common PrayerÂ
Ancient, Beautiful, and True
Worship as you believe with the classic 1928 Book of Common Prayer.
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