December 23, 2017 (Saturday)
George Friderick Handel composed and gave to the world the beautiful “Messiah.”
The “Hallelujah Chorus” in the magnificent oratorio is an especially exciting part of the music. It will require only 4 minutes for you to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir present this special music.
Ernest A. Francis shares a story about Queen Victoria. During the week of her coronation, when Victoria was still a young lady, she was sitting in the Royal Lodge while Handel’s “Messiah” was being performed. The lady-in-waiting came to her and said, “Everybody in the room with the exception of the Queen will rise and will remain standing for the Hallelujah Chorus. It is royal etiquette that the Queen should remain seated.” The music continued, sweeter and fuller, it seemed to be sweet enough for heaven. When the “Hallelujah Chorus” began, the people rose and stood with their heads bowed. It was obvious that the Queen was deeply moved. Her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears, her body shook until the melody sounded, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” In spite of the royal etiquette the young Queen rose and remained standing with her head bowed till the music ended. She had never done anything more noble and more royal.
Years later, when Canon (later Dean) Farrar served the Queen as chaplain, he visited her when she was sick. She had been reading a leaflet on the return of Christ and said, “Chaplain, what do you think about the return of Christ?”
It is not known what the chaplain answered, but when he left he said, “Your Majesty, why have you asked me that?”
“Oh,” she said, “I wish that He returns while I am still alive, because nothing would give me more joy than to pass on the crown of Great Britain and India to Him with my own hands.” In her youth, with most of her life still ahead of her, she crowned Jesus KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS; and then much later, in her latter years, with grey hair and with the many sorrows that she had borne, she wanted to give Him every crown that God had given her. When you grow older you may have less strength, but you have more that makes you happy and more that you can share.