THE HALLELUIAH CHORUS
And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15 NKJV) I was at a birthday celebration service of a lady who turned 70 last week. It was a joyful occasion which ended with a rendition of the Halleluiah Chorus presented by the choir the best way they knew to. Although some in the congregation stood up during the presentation, I did not as I nearly always do, perhaps due to the not too impressive manner of presentation, which again could be due to prejudice on my part. The Halleluiah Chorus is an oratorio (musical composition for voices and orchestra, telling a sacred story) composed by George Frederick Handel in 1741. Handel composed his masterpiece under divine inspiration (see the full album "MESSIAH"). It is reported that when his assistants brought him his meals during the period of composing this work, they were often left uneaten. They