Singing Handel's Messiah

On Saturday night I sang in the Bremerton Symphony Chorale as we performed Handel's Messiah with the Bremerton Symphony Orchestra. It seemed like all the rehearsals and hard work came together in an outstanding performance, and the audience was very appreciative.

I first heard the Messiah when I was a young teen, and I remember the power and inspiration of that performance to this day. I remember taking my sons to hear the Messiah when they were teens, and now for me to sing in the Messiah makes it even more meaningful.

The Messiah tells the story of Christ as the messiah of God, the anointed one who comes to redeem God's people from suffering. The music portrays the prophecy of Christ in the Old Testament, the birth of Christ, the passion and resurrection of Christ, and the eternal reign of Christ in heaven. It is uplifting and joyous.

That said, there are a few problems with the Messiah, namely its triumphalistic view of Christianity. The choice of biblical texts for the Messiah creates the impression that God's triumph at the end of time is also the triumph of Christianity as a religion over other religions, especially Judaism. I'm a little uncomfortable with a text that says, "Thou Shalt Break Them" when it implies that God will crush people of other faiths.

Regardless of that, I think I'll always love the faith and devotion that Handel's Messiah inspires. I'm glad I was able to sing in the chorus last Saturday.
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