Handel's Messiah for kids: the Hallelujah chorus and why people stand

Messiah is a long piece for choir, solo singers, and orchestra by George Frideric Handel. He wrote it in 1741, in about 24 days. Its best-known part is the Hallelujah chorus, which lasts about four minutes. Choirs around the world sing Messiah every December, and in many halls the audience stands up for that one chorus.

Quick facts

• Composer: George Frideric Handel, born in Germany, working in London
• Written: 1741
• First performed: April 1742, in Dublin, Ireland
• Kind of piece: an oratorio
• Language: English
• Length: about two and a half hours in full
• Best part to play first: the Hallelujah chorus

What an oratorio is

An oratorio is a large piece for singers and orchestra that tells a sacred story. It has no costumes, no scenery, and no acting. The singers stand and sing.

Messiah has three parts. The first is about the coming of Jesus and his birth. The second is about his death and rising. The third is about life after death. All the words come from the Bible. A friend of Handel’s, Charles Jennens, chose them and put them in order.

Messiah has more than 50 short pieces. Some are for the full choir, and they are called choruses. Some are songs for one singer, and they are called arias.

How it began

Handel had written Italian operas in London for years. When audiences tired of them, he turned to oratorios in English.

He was invited to give concerts in Dublin, and he brought his new piece with him. The first performance raised money for people in prison for debt and for two hospitals. So many people wanted seats that the organizers asked ladies to come without hoops in their skirts, and gentlemen to leave their swords at home. That made room for more people.

Back in London, Handel later performed Messiah each year to raise money for the Foundling Hospital, a home for children with no family to care for them.

Messiah was first sung in spring, near Easter. It became a December tradition much later.

What to hear in the Hallelujah chorus

One word, many times. The choir sings “Hallelujah” again and again in a short, bouncing rhythm. It is a Hebrew word that means “praise the Lord.”

The plain line. Soon after the start, the whole choir sings one line together on slow, even notes. It stands out against the quick Hallelujahs.

Trumpets and drums. They are silent at first. Listen for the moment they come in. The sound grows brighter when they do.

The climb. Near the end, the high voices hold long notes that step up, one at a time. Each step is higher than the last.

The silence. Just before the final Hallelujah, everyone stops. Count the beats of silence. Then comes the last, slow Hallelujah.

Why people stand

In many concerts, the audience rises to its feet when the Hallelujah chorus begins. The custom is more than 250 years old.

People say that King George II stood up at an early London performance, and that everyone else had to stand because the king was standing. It is a good story. Nobody has found proof that the king was there.

Standing is a custom and not a rule. At a concert, do what the people around you do.

Five more parts to play

“For unto us a child is born.” A bright chorus with fast, running notes. It comes from the Christmas part of the piece.

“Ev’ry valley shall be exalted.” A song for a tenor. On the word “exalted,” the tune climbs. On “low,” it drops. On “crooked,” it wiggles.

The Pastoral Symphony. A short, gentle piece for strings alone. It sets the scene for the shepherds in the fields.

“Glory to God.” The angels’ chorus. The trumpets play here for the first time.

“The trumpet shall sound.” A song for a bass singer and a solo trumpet, from the third part.

Things to do together

Stand for Hallelujah. Tell the story of the king. Then stand up at home when the chorus starts.

Count the Hallelujahs. Make a tally mark for each one. Compare your counts at the end.

Draw the words. Play “Ev’ry valley” and draw a line that goes up, down, and crooked with the tune.

Try a sing-along. Many towns hold a sing-along Messiah in December, where the audience is the choir. Older children who read music can join in.

Print and play

Draw or write about the chorus on a listening journal page. Read about the composer in Handel for kids, and hear his outdoor music with the Water Music listening guide.

For more December listening, see Christmas classical music for kids. For more guides, see classical music listening guides for kids.