Is the Hallelujah Chorus really Christmas music?

[Hardrada]

I think it should be reserved for Easter? What think ye?

[realisticphish]

1. you know

you're right. Looking at the entire layout of the Handel's Messiah, the Hallelujah Chorus is clearly intended for the resurrection.

http://www.worshipmap.com/lyrics/messiahtext.html

[AntiCoup2K4]

2. It is technically a Resurrection piece, but the lyric is similar to .....

...the message that the Angel gave to Mary. The "He shall reign forever and ever" part, that is.

[tjwmason]

3. If one's going to play Messiah as a whole

Then Christmas is as good a time as any, and more so than most.

If one's just playing that chorus, then it's about the consumation of Christ's work on earth - thus the Resurrection, thus Easter.

[kwassa]

4. Having performed "The Messiah" multiple times ....

once for Easter, three times for Christmas, including TWICE for Christmas this year ... I currently have most of it memorized.

Different performances leave various choruses and solos in and out, depending on the group, venue, time of year.

The "Hallelujah Chorus" is really a celebration of the life of Christ, and is by far the best known piece from "The Messiah". It is about the resurrection, but is basically a praise song for Christ.

"For Unto Us A Child is Born" is another very popular and appropriate song for the season from "The Messiah". There are so many great songs in it that it is very fun to sing, and "Hallelujah Chorus", to me, is the simplest and least interesting of the well-known pieces. Basically, the Part 1 is about the birth of Christ.

[VaYallaDawg]

5. "For Unto Us" is my very favorite piece of music in the whole world.

[UrbScotty]

9. My favorite is "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today"

Or "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today."

[Left Is Write]

10. That's my favorite hymn.

[WCGreen]

6. The Cleveland Orchestra sang the Chorus at the concert

I went to a few weeks ago.... It was great....

But I always get annoyed at the people who stand for the singing of the chorus...

It is a tradition rooted in the celebration of the divine rights of kings... For what ever reason it started, that is the justification for the tradition...

Didn't we fight a revolution to not let stand no man before another...

[Loonman]

7. King George II was so moved by the chorus that he stood

That's the legend. Handel was known to stand as well, during the climax, that's why the tradition of standing during the chorus exists. I don't get annoyed, I respect the views of others.

[Hardrada]

8. I read somewhere that George II actually stood up

to get a better view of one of his mistresses who had just sashayed in. That might be a legend too. But when the king stands, so does everyone else. Even at the Trooping of the Colours though the monarch is about half a mile away!!

[Loonman]

11. There's also the story that ...

...he had gas.

[Hardrada]

12. Not surprising if he had beer farts.

They drank beer and ale and wine in those days since the water was so consistently bad.