The Baroque period is commonly referred to as the period containing the oldest examples of music still played today. The most popular choral work to arise from this period was written by Hanel- one of the most prominent composers at the time. Regarded as the greatest classical work ever, Handel’s Messiah is one of the most performed pieces- both in part and in whole- by professionals and amateurs alike. Its popularity nearly 300 years after its creation demonstrates its music power. Despite the entirety of Handel’s Messiah lasting approximately two hours- consisting of three acts, solo and choral works, and instrumental pieces- Handel composed this oratorio in approximately three weeks after taking a leave from music. After illness left him
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This song is both powerful and glorious, getting no quieter than mf the entire time and spending the vast majority of it at a solid ff. The sheer volume of a large mass of performers singing at this dynamic creates an impact that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat, ready to hear what comes next. This song is traditionally performed with the typical orchestration of Baroque music: string instruments, timpani, organ, winds, and harpsichord. These instruments tend to double the voiced part. However, many arrangements exist that call for no more instrumentation than a piano to accommodate performances of this pieces with limited resources. This song is written in traditional SATB choral arrangement, with a visible piano part for rehearsal needs. None of the four lines go higher than average choral music, and sit in a lower resonance with allows for added strength of sound. The individual melodic lines of each voice part tend to move in stepwise motion, creating smooths waves that overlap each other. These waves remain constant even in voice parts like the alto line- which is often stereotyped as only containing one note. The rhythm of this song is a constant one, steadily pulsing along without any frequent ritardandos or accelerandos. However, the ending of the piece slows down in its final moments to allow the tension and excitement to grow. Within each voice line, similar rhythmic motives are repeated due to the imitative counterpoint frequently used. While not that complex, sometimes the rhythm consists of dotted notes at a fast pace to mimic the feel of a melisma. Technically, the difficulty of the song is not high, as “And the Glory of the Lord” is a popular choral piece among amature groups. However, the main problem performers tend to face lies not within pitches or rhythm, but within memorizing the order of similar
This song is both powerful and glorious, getting no quieter than mf the entire time and spending the vast majority of it at a solid ff. The sheer volume of a large mass of performers singing at this dynamic creates an impact that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat, ready to hear what comes next. This song is traditionally performed with the typical orchestration of Baroque music: string instruments, timpani, organ, winds, and harpsichord. These instruments tend to double the voiced part. However, many arrangements exist that call for no more instrumentation than a piano to accommodate performances of this pieces with limited resources. This song is written in traditional SATB choral arrangement, with a visible piano part for rehearsal needs. None of the four lines go higher than average choral music, and sit in a lower resonance with allows for added strength of sound. The individual melodic lines of each voice part tend to move in stepwise motion, creating smooths waves that overlap each other. These waves remain constant even in voice parts like the alto line- which is often stereotyped as only containing one note. The rhythm of this song is a constant one, steadily pulsing along without any frequent ritardandos or accelerandos. However, the ending of the piece slows down in its final moments to allow the tension and excitement to grow. Within each voice line, similar rhythmic motives are repeated due to the imitative counterpoint frequently used. While not that complex, sometimes the rhythm consists of dotted notes at a fast pace to mimic the feel of a melisma. Technically, the difficulty of the song is not high, as “And the Glory of the Lord” is a popular choral piece among amature groups. However, the main problem performers tend to face lies not within pitches or rhythm, but within memorizing the order of similar