I
chose Handel’s Messiah Part I: ‘For Unto Us A Child Is Born’, as the Christian
Song of the month, as it is Christmas Day.
 |
|
Windberg abbey church (Lower Bavaria). Rococo
frescos (1755) at the ceiling by Franz Xaver Merz: Annunciation to the
shepherds. Slightly cropped and rotated version of file already at Commons
|
Christmas Prayer from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:Almighty God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
INTERNET SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_Part_I
For unto us a Child is
born
The
choir concludes the scene, telling the news of Christmas, the birth of a son,
"For unto us a Child is born", in Isaiah's words (Isaiah 9:6). Marked
piano, the sopranos enter a fugue first, singing a delicate theme with many
rests. Their countersubject to the tenors' entry is a shimmering coloratura for
more than three measures. The words "and the government shall be upon his
shoulders" appears in stately dotted rhythm, culminating in the names
"Won-derful", "Coun-selor", "The Mighty God",
"The Everlasting Father", "The Prince – of Peace",
with the shimmering coloratura in the strings. A second and third round of the
development from the tender "child is born" to the proclamation
"Prince of Peace" is crowned by the fourth round, with the theme in
the bass and the countersubject in soprano and alto in parallel thirds.
For
unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government
shall
be upon His shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah
9:6)
PLEASE
SEE THIS VIDEO TO HEAR THE SONG:
VIDEO SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61gjgy9GiE
No comments:
Post a Comment