113th Concert Season l 2023–24
Peter Bay, Music Director

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / 8 p.m.
Riverbend Church at Riverbend Centre

Cristina Jones, soprano
Veronica Williams, mezzo-soprano
Steve Brennfleck, tenor
Austin Siebert, bass

Ryan Heller, conductor / Chorus Austin

          Concert Sponsor   

Handel's Messiah

INTERMISSION

1. Sinfonia (Overture)

2. Recitative (Isaiah 40:1–3)
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplish’d, that her iniquity is pardon’d. 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.

3. Air (Isaiah 40:4)
Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low: the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

4. Chorus (Isaiah 40:5)
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.

5. Recitative (Haggai 2:6–7; Malachi 3:1)
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.

6. Air (Malachi 3:2)
But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire.

7. Chorus (Malachi 3:3)
And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

8. Recitative (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, GOD WITH US.

9. Air and Chorus (Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 60:1) 
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! O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, arise, shine, for thy Light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 

10. Recitative (Isaiah 60:2–3) 
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. 

11. Air (Isaiah 9:2) 
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 

12. Chorus (Isaiah 9:6) 
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. 

13. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony) 

14. Recitative (Luke 2:8–9) 
There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks 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. 

15. Recitative (Luke 2:10–11) 
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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

16. Recitative (Luke 2:13) 
And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heav’nly host, praising God, and saying, 

17. Chorus (Luke 2:14) 
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men. 

18. Air (Zechariah 9:9–10) 
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. 

19. Recitative (Isaiah 35:5–6) 
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. 

20. Aria (Isaiah 40:11, Matthew 11:28–29) 
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. Come unto Him, all ye that labor, come unto Him that 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. 

21. Chorus (Matthew 11:30) 
His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. 

22. Chorus (John 1:29) 
Behold the Lamb of God. 

23. Air (Isaiah 53:3; Isaiah 50:6)
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. 

24. Chorus (Isaiah 53: 4–5)
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.

25. Chorus (Isaiah 53:5)
And with his stripes we are healed.

26. Chorus (Isaiah 53:6)
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. 

38. Air (Romans 10:15)
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 

40. Air (Psalm 2: 1-2)
Why do the nations so furiously rage together: and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed. 

42. Recitative (Psalm 2:4) 
He that dwelleth in Heav’n shall laugh them to scorn; The Lord shall have them in derision. 

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

44. Chorus (Revelations 19:6; 11:15; 19:16) 
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. Hallelujah! 

46. Chorus (I Corinthians 15:21–22) 
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. 

47. Recitative (I Corinthians 15:51–52) 
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be chang’d, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: 

48. Air (I Corinthians 15:51–54) 
The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

53. Chorus (Revelations 5:12–13) 
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 honour, glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever. Amen.