Traditional Tuesday: For Unto Us a Child is Born -Messiah

Handel's Messiah is the first piece of serious music that I listened to as a child (it is the only classical piece that I am more familiar with than my son and husband). Every Thanksgiving my sisters would pull out the Messiah Album box, sung by the Mormon Tabernacle choir, along with all the other Christmas Albums we weren't allowed to listen to except during the Christmas season. Honestly it was by far my least favorite for a long time and I groaned at the sight of it. I didn't get it. As most great things do, it grew on me. My sisters and parents would sing along at certain parts as we busied ourselves around the house with holiday decorating, wrapping, and cooking. I have always deeply enjoyed singing, so it didn't take too long for me to start joining them. Some time during my high school years my family found out that there was a Messiah Sing-In at the University of Virginia in our home town, at the time, of Charlottesville. It was usually about a week before Christmas each year. We met one night and used copies of the music/libretto generously donated for the evening by local choirs.We were hosted by a wonderful organist and conductor who led us through the highlights of this great work. The first couple of years I sang in the huge alto section. Then after a couple of years at college, where I had become serious about flute, I bravely went down to join the one night existing orchestra. I miss those days so much, in fact whenever I think of it I get teary with the joy and awe of it all. Thank you Handel, Charles Jennens, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, my family, and the prophets of the Bible for listening to God's call and writing, performing, recording, and listening to such beauty.

I am posting the London Symphony Orchestra today as I love the sound of the ensemble: