oriously; the Horse and his Rider hath He thrown into the
Sea"). It is followed by a duet for two sopranos ("The Lord is my
Strength and my Song") in the minor key,--an intricate but melodious
number, usually omitted. Once more the chorus resumes with a brief
announcement, "He is my God," followed by a fugued movement in the old
church style ("And I will exalt Him"). Next follows the great duet for
two basses, "The Lord is a Man of War,"--a piece of superb declamatory
effect, full of vigor and stately assertion. The triumphant announcement
in its closing measures, "His chosen Captains also are drowned in the Red
Sea," is answered by a brief chorus, "The Depths have covered them,"
which is followed by four choruses of triumph,--"Thy Right Hand, O Lord,"
an elaborate and brilliant number; "And in the Greatness of Thine
Excellency," a brief but powerful bit; "Thou sendest forth Thy Wrath;"
and the single chorus, "And with the Blast of Thy Nostrils," in the last
two of which Handel again returns to the imitative style with wonderful
effect, especially in the declaration of the basses, "The Floods stood
upright as an Heap, and the Depths were congealed." The only tenor aria
in the oratorio follows these choruses, a bravura song, "The Enemy said,
I will pursue," and this is followed by the only soprano aria, "Thou
didst blow with the Wind." Two short double choruses ("Who is like unto
Thee, O Lord," and "The Earth swallowed them") lead to the duet for
contralto and tenor, "Thou in Thy Mercy," which is in the minor, and very
pathetic in character. It is followed by the massive and extremely
difficult chorus, "The People shall hear and be afraid." Once more, after
this majestic display, comes the solo voice, this time the contralto, in
a simple, lovely song, "Thou shalt bring them in." A short double chorus
("The Lord shall reign for ever and ever"), a few bars of recitative
referring to the escape of Israel, the choral outburst once more
repeated, and then the solo voice declaring, "Miriam the prophetess took
a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels
and with dances; and Miriam answered them," lead to the final song of
triumph,--that grand, jubilant, overpowering expression of victory which,
beginning with the exultant strain of Miriam, "Sing ye to the Lord, for
He hath triumphed gloriously," is amplified by voice upon voice in the
great eight-part choir, and by instrument upon instrument, until it