Major funding for Handels Messiah was provided by contributions to The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestras Orchestra concert video iniative.

Hi, I am Kyu-Young Kim, Artistic and Principal Violin of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Thank you for joining us for this 2018 performance of George Frideric Handels “Messiah ”.

Messiah was performed for the first time during Easter of 1742 at Musik Hall in Dublin, Ireland.

To create this grand oratorio, Handel collaborated with poet Charles Jennens, who adapted biblical text to create the lyrics youre about hear.

At the time, many critics felt the project was blasphemous, to use scripture as entertainment.

Despite this controversy, Messiah premiere was a stunning success.

700 people attended the event.

Women were encouraged to wear dresses “without hoops ” to make room for more people in the venue.

Within a few years, Messiah was an annual holiday staple in London, and it continued to grow in both popularity and scope.

In the nineteenth century, the work was performed at Londons Crystal Palace with chorus of nearly 3,000 singers and an orchestra of 500 musicians.

Our performance with a chamber orchestra and and chorus of 45 is closer to what Handel first envisioned for the work.

We hope you enjoy the grandeur a emotional intensity kintensity of this spe of this spectacular work, performed by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the singers, and conductor Jeanette Sorrell, in our beloved musical home the Ordway Concert Hall.

Applause.

♪ Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, comfort ye comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her, that her warfare her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned that her iniquity is pardoned The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Ev'ry valley, ev'ry valley shall be exalted, shall be exhalted shall be exhalted shall be exhalted and ev'ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain.

the crooked straight the crooked straight and the rough places plain.

and the rough places plain.

Ev'ry valley Ev'ry valley shall be exalted, Ev'ry valley Ev'ry valley shall be exalted, and ev'ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain.

and the rough places plain.

the crooked straight and the rough places plain.

And the glory, the glory, of the Lord shall be revealed, And the glory, the glory, of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

And the glory, the glory, of the Lord and all flesh shall see it together the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts: Yet once a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

And I will shake and I will shake all nations I'll shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, the dry land, all nations I'll shake and the desire of all nations shall come.

The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom you delight in; behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth?

who shall stand when He appeareth?

but who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when He appeareth?

and who shall stand when He appeareth?

when He appeareth For He is like a refiner's fire.

Who shall stand when He appeareth?

For He is like a refiner's fire.

But who may abide the day of His coming?

And who shall stand when He appeareth?

when He appeareth For He is like a refiner's fire.

And who shall stand when He appeareth?

For He is like a refiner's fire.

For He is like a refiner's fire.

And he shall purify the sons of Levi And he shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

And he shall purify And he shall purify the sons of Levi And he shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain.

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain.

get thee up into the high mountain.

O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God!

Behold your God!

say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, arise, shine, for thy light is come, arise arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord the glory of the Lord is risen is risen upon thee.

the glory of the Lord is risen O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, Arise!

Arise!

say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God!

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, say unto the cities of Judah, Behold.

Behold.

The glory of the Lord.

of the Lord.

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.

and His glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

The people that walked in darkness the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; the people that walked in darkness the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; A great light have seen a great light and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

upon them hath the light shined.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, For unto us a child is born, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

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, Counselor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

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, Counselor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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, Counselor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them: "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

” For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, Glory to God Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men.

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion O daughter of Zion, rejoice; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is the righteous Savior, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.

He is the righteous Savior, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion!

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, thy King cometh unto thee!

His yoke is easy, His burthen is light.

His yoke is easy, His burthen is light.

His yoke is easy, His burthen is light.

His yoke is easy, His burthen is light.

His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.

Applause.

Hi again, Im Kyu-Young Kim, Art Director and Principal Violin of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

I hope you take a moment to pause, stretch and reset and reset during this 10-minute intermisssion intermission from Handels Messiah.

During this time, Id like to share another another of our audience-favorite works with you: Johann Sebastian Brandenburg Concerto No.

3, written in 1721.

The Brandenburg Concertos were written for the Margrave of Brandenburg, the ruler of a land which is now a part of Germany.

In his dedication to the Margrave Bach wrote “As I had the good fortune a few years ago to be heard by Your Royal Highness, at Your Highness's commands, and as I noticed then that that Your Highness took some pleasure in the little talents which Heaven has given me for music, Your Highness deigned to honour me with the command to send Your Highness some piece of my composition.

” Bach was essentially applying fora job at the Margraves court and the amazing thing is that he never even got a reply!

These concerti are now widely regarded as some of the most interesting and compelling instramental writing of the Baroque period.

This performance of Brandenburg concerto No.

3 was performed in May of 2021.

Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows!

Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows!

He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

And with His stripes we are healed.

And with His stripes we are healed.

And with His stripes we are healed.

And with His stripes we are healed.

And with His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned All we like sheep have gone astray; All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.

we have turned every one to his own way.

we have turned every one to his own way.

And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was despised despised and rejected rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

He was despised rejected.

He was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

He was despised rejected a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off His hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.

He hid not His face from shame and spitting.

He was despised despised and rejected rejected of men He was despised rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

He was despised rejected a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying: He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.

He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.

He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.

Thy rebuke hath broken His heart: He is full of heaviness.

He is full of heaviness.

Thy rebuke hath broken His heart.

He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort him.

He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort him.

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.

He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken.

Why do the nations so furiously rage together?

Why do the people imagine a vain thing?

Why do the nations rage so furiously together?

Why do the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and His anointed.

Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.

and cast away their yokes from us.

Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.

Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.

and cast away their yokes from us.

He that dwelleth in Heav'n shall laugh them to scorn; The Lord shall have them in derision.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them like a potter's vessel.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Hallelujah Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

and He shall reign for ever and ever.

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

And He shall reign for ever and ever.

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Hallelujah Hallelujah Applause.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

upon the earth.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

upon the earth.

And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

yet in my flesh shall I see God.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

yet in my flesh shall I see God.

shall I see God.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.

of them that sleep.

the first fruits of them that sleep.

For now is Christ risen the first fruits of them that sleep.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised be raised incorruptable and we shall be changed.

and we shall be changed.

The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised be raised incorruptable and we shall be changed.

and we shall be changed and we shall be changed and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on in corruption and this mortal must put on immortality, The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised be raised incorruptable and we shall be changed.

we shall be changed and we shall be changed we shall be changed Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

Blessing and honor, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.

Blessing and honor, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Applause.