Hallelujah! Tubas!
Ah, Handel. We will never tire of his monumental work, Messiah. Originally written between 1741 and 1742, the oratorio premiered in Dublin in 1742, during the Easter season. Everyone was so excited about the premiere that there was a notice sent out to ladies to wear dresses "without hoops" so that there would be more room for audience members.
As early as the 19th century Handel's Messiah gained popularity not as an Easter work, but as a Christmas tradition. Since the text of the majority of the first part of Messiah is from the Bible about the birth of Jesus and there were already many other large works about the Passion of Jesus, many Americans, including the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble, include Handel's Messiah as an essential part of the holiday season. Their Christmas album from 2008 includes the iconic "Hallelujah Chorus."
Ah, Handel. We will never tire of his monumental work, Messiah. Originally written between 1741 and 1742, the oratorio premiered in Dublin in 1742, during the Easter season. Everyone was so excited about the premiere that there was a notice sent out to ladies to wear dresses "without hoops" so that there would be more room for audience members.
As early as the 19th century Handel's Messiah gained popularity not as an Easter work, but as a Christmas tradition. Since the text of the majority of the first part of Messiah is from the Bible about the birth of Jesus and there were already many other large works about the Passion of Jesus, many Americans, including the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble, include Handel's Messiah as an essential part of the holiday season. Their Christmas album from 2008 includes the iconic "Hallelujah Chorus."
The Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble was founded by R. Winston Morris in 1967, and is still making regular recordings and performing all around the country. This ensemble also commissions many new works for tuba ensemble. How incredible that a college ensemble can continue to produce such great work after all this time!
Certainly a fun way to celebrate Handel, but is the Hallelujah Chorus Better in Brass?
That's for you to decide.
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