George Frideric Handel was born in Halle, Germany in 1685. Handel’s crowning achievement, Messiah, was not an immediate success. In 1741, Handel was heavily in debt following a string of musical failures. He had previously worked with Charles Jennens and wrote a string of operas that celebrated the lives of biblical characters using the King James translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. The Church was not receptive. Handel was preached against, the promotional posters were torn down, and they soon became bankrupt. Living alone he had a minor stroke and was dogged with depression. After this, there were two events that coincided and miraculously changed his life. First, he got a letter from Jennens who suggested they compose an oratorio about the Divinity of Christ. He sent Handel a compilation of Old and New Testament texts. Second, Handel received a letter from a musical admirer in Dublin who asked him to compose a work to raise money to free men out of Dublin’s debtor’s prison, and to support two hospitals. Handel accepted both challenges and set out to produce a musical work that could be performed to raise money for charities. He buried himself in the Scriptures, prayed and composed. The exercise would be a spiritual epiphany for him. One day a friend who brought him his meals walked in on Handel and found him physically and emotionally exhausted. He had just completed the “Hallelujah Chorus.” The teary composer told him he had had a vision: “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself!” Like the Psalmist, like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and St John, Handel had had a vision of the throne room of God! And so he drenched the Chorus with praise. This is the accompaniment that Handel wrote for that piece. I started playing it when I was very young, but even without the voices, it gives the message. Many blessings to you all on this special day.