Messiah (HWV 56) 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 the Book of Common Prayer. Messiah
was first performed in Dublin in 1742, and received its London premiere
the following year. After an initially modest public reception, the
oratorio gained in popularity, becoming one of the most frequently
performed choral works in Western music. Although its structure
resembles that of opera, it is not in dramatic form, but a reflection on
Jesus Christ as Messiah. Handel begins Part I with prophecies by Isaiah
and others, and moves to the annunciation to the shepherds, the only
"scene" taken from the Gospels. In Part II he concentrates on the
Passion and ends with the Hallelujah Chorus. In Part III he covers the
resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in heaven. Handel
wrote Messiah for modest vocal and instrumental forces; after his death,
the work was adapted for performance with much larger orchestras and
choirs. Its orchestration was revised and amplified by (among others)
Mozart. Since the late 20th century, the trend has been towards
authenticity.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_(Handel)>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1888:
Led by William McGregor (pictured), ten football clubs met in
London for the purpose of founding The Football League, the oldest
league competition in world football.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McGregor_(football)>
1908:
American diplomat Durham Stevens, an employee of Japan's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was assassinated in San Francisco by two
Korean immigrants unhappy with his recent support of the increasing
Japanese presence in Korea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_Stevens>
1940:
Pakistan Movement: During its three-day general session, the
Muslim League drafted the Lahore Resolution, calling for greater
autonomy in British India.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahore_Resolution>
1983:
The initial proposal to develop the Strategic Defense
Initiative, a ground-based and space-based system to protect the United
States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles, was
released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative>
1991:
The Sierra Leone Civil War began when the Revolutionary United
Front, with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor's National
Patriotic Front of Liberia, invaded Sierra Leone in an attempt to
overthrow Joseph Saidu Momoh.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone_Civil_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
escapade:
A daring or adventurous act; an undertaking which goes against
convention.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/escapade>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I believe that if an individual is not on the path to transcending his
society and seeing in what way it furthers or impedes the development of
human potential, he cannot enter into intimate contact with his
humanity.
--Erich Fromm
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Erich_Fromm>