School/Middle School Holiday Choir Concert you know that the evening concludes when the director (these days Mr. Elbin) invites members of the community to come forward and sing with the choir Handel's famed Hallelujah Chorus. It's a wonderful tradition that dates back a long ways in these parts.
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| She plays it splendidly |
As is customary, when the pianist begins to pound out the opening chords of the chorus, the audience, as on cue, stands out of respect to the Lord who is about to be rightly hailed as KING OF kings and LORD of lords. But the last few years I have attended something is amiss. Mrs. Elbin (the pianist) commences to play competently and powerfully and yet NO ONE stands but me. In a gym with several hundred parents, grandparents and loved ones gathered to hear their child sing the songs of the season no one thinks to stand despite the words that in my mind demand our awe and respect.
AND HE SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER! AND HE SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER!
Last
year I stood alone. This year when I stood the folks sitting next to
me whispered to me, "What's the deal? Are we supposed to
stand?" to wit I replied, "Would you sit during the singing
of the National Anthem?" And with that they stood with me even
though the rest of the audience with one or two exceptions remained
sitting. While the combined chorus sang beautifully my inner
monologue went something like, 'WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE???!!!
IF PRESIDENT BIDEN WERE TO WALK INTO THE ROOM WE WOULD STAND OUT
OF RESPECT FOR THE OFFICE (even if we didn't vote for the guy). How
much more should we stand in respect and honor for the King of
all the earth? It made me feel a bit preachy to be honest.
Regardless of our politics,
it's customary to stand when the Chief walks in
After
doing a little research I have discovered that the tradition of
standing for the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus reportedly goes
back to 1743 when King George II heard the music for the first time.
So enthralled by the majestic movement of the song he spontaneously
stood in appreciation. And in those days, if the king stood everyone
else did as well and thus the tradition began.
That's enough for me to keep on standing during the annual singing of this inspiring choral piece even if I'm the odd duck in the room. Listen again to some of the words:
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth
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| The man may not have stood but he was overcome with awe |
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
It's only my opinion but unless you're wheelchair bound or an invalid to blithely sit through the singing of these words just seems a little funny to me. At Camp Randall no one thinks its weird to jump around when House of Pain's song of the same name is played at the end of the third quarter. In fact, if you don't get up and move you might be the weird one. Same goes for the singing of Varsity during half time when 70,000 Badger faithful raise their hands in unison in honor of their alma mater. I've done it - and probably you have too - but did you ever think we're lifting our hands in praise of a man-made institution?
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| No one sits for Jump Around |
While the inspiration of standing for the singing of the Hallelujah chorus may be mythical what isn't is how it affected Handel himself. After completing it he apparently exclaimed, "I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the face of God." Handel's chorus reminds us that while Jesus was born in humility and squalor he will return one day in majesty and awe at which time "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11, NLT).
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