Messiah and Holiday Favorites Program Notes

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  • Messiah and Holiday Favorites Program Notes

Christmas Carol Lyrics

O come all ye faithful

  1. O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant; O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem!
    Come and behold Him, born the King of Israel.
    REFRAIN
    O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the
    Lord!
  2. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; O sing, all ye bright hosts of heav’n above!
    Glory to God, all glory in the highest!
    REFRAIN

The First Noel

  1. The first Noel the angel did say, Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
    In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, On a cold winter’s nigh that was so deep.
    REFRAIN
    Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.
  2. They look-ed up and saw a star Shining in the East beyond them far;
    And to the earth it gave great light, And so it continued both day and night.
    REFRAIN
  3. And by the light of that same star, There came three Wise Men from countries far;
    To seek for a King was their intent, And to follow the star wheresoever it went.
    REFRAIN
  4. This star drew nigh to the northwest And at Bethlehem it took up its rest;
    And there it did both stop and stay, Right over the house where Jesus did lay.
    REFRAIN
  5. Then did they know assuredly Within that house the King did lie;
    Then entered in one for to see, And found the Babe in poverty.
    REFRAIN
  6. The entered in these Wise Men three, Most reverently upon their knee,
    And offered there in His presence, Both gold and myrrh, and frankincense.
    REFRAIN
  7. Now let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
    The which hath made Heav’n and Earth of naught, And by His blood mankind hath bought.
    REFRAIN

SOURCE: “Some Ancient Christmas Carols”. 2 nd edition. London: John Nichols and Son, 1823.

Messiah Libretto

PART I – The Prophecy and Ministry of MESSIAH

  1. Overture (orchestra)

2./3. Reading: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, 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. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low: the crooked straight, and the rough places plain. (Isaiah 40)

  1. CHORUS: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
    (Isaiah 40)

5./6. Bass solos: Thus saith 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 all nations, 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 ye 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? For He is like a refiner’s fire.
(Haggai 2 and Malachi 3)

8./9. Reading & Chorus: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a
son, and shall call His name Immanuel, “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 Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
(Isaiah 7, Isaiah 40, and Isaiah 60)

10./11. Bass solos: For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise 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 the darkness have seen a great light: and they that
dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
(Isaiah 60 and Isaiah 9)

  1. Reading: 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.
    (Isaiah 9)
  2. Pastoral Symphony (Orchestra strings)

14-16. Soprano recitatives (Katrina Chandler): There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock 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:
(Luke 2)

  1. CHORUS: Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men. (Luke 2)
  2. Reading: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen. (Zechariah 9)

19./20. Reading: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
(Isaiah 35 and Isaiah 40)

Come unto Him, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
(Matthew 11: 28-29)

  1. Reading: His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.
    (Matthew 11:30)

PART II – Passion, Death, Resurrection, andvAscension of Jesus (Messiah)

22-36. Reading: Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.
(John 1:29)

He was despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; He hid not His face from shame and spitting.
(Isaiah 53:3; 1:6)

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.
(Isaiah 53:4-5)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53:6)

All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn, they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying
(Psalm 22:7)

He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.
(Psalm 22:8)

Thy rebuke hath broken his heart; He is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man; neither found He any to comfort him. He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of Thy people was He stricken. But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
(Psalm 69:20; Lamentations 1:12; Isaiah 53:8; Psalm 16:10)

  1. Reading: Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and
    mighty, the Lord might in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory.
    (Psalm 24:7-10)
  2. Lift Up Your Heads (orchestra)
  3. Reading: Thou art gone up on High, Thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men; yea, even for Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among
    them.
    (Psalm 68:18)
  4. Soprano aria (Rebekkah Nordan Crose): How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. (Romans 10:15)

42-43. Reading: He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.
(Psalm 2:4)

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
(Psalm 2:9)

PART III – The Second Coming of the Messiah

45-46. Soprano solo (Ruth Nguyen): I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.
(Job 19:25-26; I Corinthians 15:20)

Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(I Cor. 15:21)

47./48. Bass solos: 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(I Corinthians 15:51-53)

  1. Reading: If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is
    Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.
    (Romans 8:31, 33-34)
  2. CHORUS: 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.
    (Revelation 5:12-13)
  3. CHORUS: Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 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.
    (Revelation 19 & 11)
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