and deeply expressive songs ever written, in which the very
key-note of sorrow is struck. Two choruses--"Surely He hath borne our
Griefs," rather intricate in harmony, and "With His Stripes we are
healed," a fugued chorus written _a capella_ upon an admirable
subject--lead to the spirited and thoroughly interesting chorus, "All we
like Sheep have gone astray," closing with an adagio of great beauty
("And the Lord hath laid on Him the Iniquity of us all"). This is
followed by several short numbers,--a choral fugue ("He trusted in God"),
the accompanied recitative ("Thy Rebuke hath broken His Heart"), a short
but very pathetic aria for tenor ("Behold and see if there be any
Sorrow"), and an aria for soprano ("But Thou didst not leave His Soul in
Hell"),--all of which are remarkable instances of the musical expression
of sorrow and pity. These numbers lead to a triumphal shout in the chorus
and semi-choruses, "Lift up your Heads, O ye Gates," which reach a climax
of magnificent power and strongly contrasted effects. After the chorus,
"Let all the Angels of God worship Him," a fugue constructed upon two
subjects, the aria, "Thou art gone up on high," and the chorus, "The Lord
gave the Word," we reach another pastoral aria of great beauty, "How
beautiful are the Feet." This is followed by a powerfully descriptive
chorus ("Their Sound is gone out into all Lands"), a massive aria for
bass ("Why do the Nations"), the chorus, "Let us break their Bonds
asunder," and the aria, "Thou shalt break them," leading directly to the
great Hallelujah Chorus, which is the triumph of the work and its real
climax. It opens with exultant shouts of "Hallelujah." Then ensue three
simple phrases, the middle one in plain counterpoint, which form the
groundwork for the "Hallelujah." These phrases, seemingly growing out of
each other, and reiterated with constantly increasing power, interweaving
with and sustaining the "Hallelujah" with wonderful harmonic effects,
make up a chorus that has never been excelled, not only in musical
skill, but also in grandeur and sublimity. After listening to its
performance, one can understand Handel's words: "I did think I did see
all heaven before me, and the great God himself." This number closes the
second part. It is worthy of note in this connection that when the
oratorio was first performed at Covent Garden, London, in 1743, the whole
audience, with the King at its head, arose during the singing of the
"Halle