After a very brief recitative the chorus becomes the heavenly host of angels worshipping the Messiah with a glorious quasi-double fugue on the text from Hebrews 1:6 that follows the recitative. The theme Handel uses here is based on a famous chorale tune “Wachet auf, fuft uns die stimme” (Wake up, cries the voice of the Watchman) which is also used for the important motive in the Hallelujah chorus on the words “And He shall reign for ever and ever.” These two choruses are further related by Handel’s choice of the same “bright key of D major for both. This chorus has so often been omitted from performances that it is not widely known; but it is a strong, though brief, song of praise that is gratifying to the singers and listeners as well when performed with the energy and drive it demands.

You are the heavenly host of angels worshipping the Messiah.   “Double” fugue

 Theme 1  SOPRANO measures 1-4; sung with a broad, sustained f through measure 14, then mf

 Let all the angels of God worship Him.  Glottal stop after “Let”Omit the “r” in worship.

Emphasize consonants.

 L(EH)t  (AW)ll  th(EE)  (EH)(EE)n  j(oo)lz  (UH)v  G(AW)D  (OO)(oo)  SH(IH)P  H(IH)M

 Theme 2  TENOR measures 10-11;  sung marked and accented mf through measure 14, then f

 

 

                ALTOS sing G on beat 4 of measure 3, not E, and the upper note in measure 10

                                Help the tenors in measure 15 for a good secure high A

                TENORS sing high A  in measure 27.

                BASSES emphasized in measures 27-31

                BOTH THEMES f in measures 27-30

 

                Solid ritard in bar 36 but back to tempo in last measure.

 

SOPRANO – THEME 1 – 1-4, 5-6, 27-29   THEME 2 – 7-10, 11-14, 15-18, 22-27

ALTO     -     THEME 1 – 10-12, 15-16 (with tenors), 16-19,    THEME 2 – 5-7, 20-23,

TENOR -      THEME 1 – 15-17, 22-23      THEME 2 – 10-14, 19-21

BASSES -     THEME 1 – 7-9, 11-13,    THEME 2 – 16-17, 27-31