dual personalities

It is that time of year when I listen to Christmas music in my car. Don’t you? Recently I have been listening to Handel’s Messiah in the car on my daily round-trip to work. This, as you probably know, is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel

with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and from the Psalms included in the Book of Common Prayer.

So you know it is right up my alley.

It was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

Anyway, I highly recommend listening to it in the car. It’ll get you going in the morning!