George Frideric Handel ‘Lift Up Your Heads’: Psalm 24:7-10

George Frideric Handel: Lift Up Your Heads

Messiah Part II

Context

George Frideric Handel’s Messiah has remained one of the composer’s most beloved works. Incredibly, Handel completed this 260-page oratorio in just 24 days during the summer of 1741. The scriptural text was compiled by Charles Jennens, with the source being the King James Bible. The first performance of Messiah was on 13th April 1742, to celebrate Easter. 

Initially the oratorio garnered a lukewarm reception from audiences, however the work began to gain popularity over some years, with it now being the go-to work to perform during the Easter period. During this new Messiah exploration on Classicalexburns, blogs will be posted regularly to cover all of the pieces involved in making up this much-loved oratorio. 

The Lyrics

Lift up your heads, O ye gates,

and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors,

and the King of Glory shall come in!

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates,

and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors,

and the King of Glory shall come in!

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. 

(Psalm 24:7-10)

The Music

Lift Up Your Heads is a chorus piece that concludes the short third scene of the Messiah. Laden with questions, Handel divides the choir to create a call and answer situation that reflects the text effectively. The upper voices ask the questions, whilst the lower voices answer. This creates an interesting dialogue between the different sections of the chorus. The chirpy opening sets the tone for the whole piece, with the main theme being based around ‘God Save the Queen/King’. After repeating ‘He is the King of Glory’, Lift Up Your Heads concludes magnificently.

Ⓒ Alex Burns

Happy Reading!

Image Source

You might also enjoy… Project Messiah

Recommended Recordings: