Part I is also known loosely as the "Christmas" portion of Messiah. It contains all that is Handelian in nature, with an engaging overture, solo recitatives and arias, and choruses requiring both sensitivity and powerful agility! The pace at which Handel composed the three-part oratorio was almost unheard of, taking him only two weeks to write the 259 pages of music! The segment we perform here only took six days for him to compose. We will close our concert with the Hallelujah Chorus, which certainly is in great part responsible for the popularity of this magnificent work.  Even though I have conducted Messiah many times throughout my career, it never ceases to inspire me to new levels of creativity--I try each time to approach the piece at a slightly different angle of musical thought. Although the choruses are fiercely difficult and demand a great deal of repetitive work, singers are thrilled to be a part of such performances!