MUSIC AND WORSHIP“Music has such spiritual qualities that we should not be surprised at discovering the strong faith many composers possessed.” (From the Introduction to The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers, by Patrick Kavanaugh, Sparrow Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1992.) All of the information about the following great composers is taken from this book.

George Fridric Handel (1685-1759)
If Handel’s father had his way, the “Hallelujah Chorus” would never have been written. His father was a “surgeon/barber”—a no-nonsense practical man who was determined to send his son to law school. Even though young Handel showed extraordinary musical talent as a child, his father refused for several years to permit him to take lessons. Although Handel who was born in 1685 was a contemporary of J. S. Bach, and a fellow Lutheran, they never met. Like Bach, Handel was a renowned virtuoso organist. In 1712, he moved to London where he stayed the rest of his life. Audiences for Handel’s compositions were unpredictable and even the Church of England attacked him for what they considered his notorious practice of writing Biblical dramas such as Esther and Israel in Egypt to be performed in secular theaters. He found himself swimming in debt and finally his health began to fail. On April 8, 1741 he gave what he considered his farewell concert at the age of 56. It was then that two unforeseen events took place to change his life. First, a wealthy friend, Charles Jennings gave Handel a libretto based on the life of Christ, taken entirely from the Bible. And second, he received a commission from a Dublin charity to compose a work for a benefit performance. The result was the writing of Messiah. A few days before he died, he expressed his desire to die on Good Friday in the hopes of meeting his good God, his sweet Lord and Savior, on the day of his Resurrection. He died on Good Saturday, April 14, 1759, and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Three thousand mourners attended his funeral. The religious beliefs of Handel have puzzled many musicologists. He was a confirmed bachelor and a devout follower of Christ, widely known for his concern for others.

Next month: J. S. Bach
Dennis Bucher