Händel, G.F.: 15 Choruses from Messiah - arr. Morten Schuldt-Jensen (SAM)

For over 250 years, Messiah has been synonymous with choral performance. Now, with hundreds of performances worldwide every year, this versatile oratorio feels equally at home in the hands of a small, professional chamber group tackling the whole as it does with a festive throng of thousands performing Part 1 with a concluding Hallelujah chorus.

This collection features 15 choruses that form the backbone of the three parts, 16 scenes and 53 movements.

Handel’s most celebrated oratorio, composed in 1741, takes texts from the Holy Scriptures as chosen by Charles Jennens, an English landowner, patron of the arts and Handel’s frequent collaborator.

The name SAM-Klang takes the three voice parts from the arrangements – Soprano, Alto and Men – and combines it with the Scandinavian and German words for ‘sound’ to create the portmanteau word ‘sound together’ or ‘harmony’. The SAM-Klang series offers basic and advanced choral repertoire arranged for soprano, alto and one male voice- part. In addition to new repertoire and new arrangements, you will also find essential parts of the classical German, Scandinavian, French and English SATB repertoire, carefully and considerately reworked for SAM. The arrangements retain the characteristic features of the original movements and have almost the same richness of timbre, resulting in works which sound nearly unchanged to an audience. Piano reductions of all choral movements facilitate rehearsal preparation. The arrangements offer development opportunities for all voice sections, bringing new life and new quality to SAM choir work. SAM-Klang enables youth choirs to gain access to classical choral literature and ensures that mixed choirs who face challenges in finding singers for all male voice parts continue to have access to well-loved repertoire. 

Content:
1. And the glory of the Lord [Georg Friederich Händel]
2. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion [Georg Friederich Händel]
3. For unto us a Child is born [Georg Friederich Händel]
4. Glory to God in the highest [Georg Friederich Händel]
5. Behold the Lamb of God [Georg Friederich Händel]
6. Surely he hath borne our griefs [Georg Friederich Händel]
7. And with his stripes we are healed [Georg Friederich Händel]
8. All we like sheep have gone astray [Georg Friederich Händel]
9. Lift up your heads, O ye gates [Georg Friederich Händel]
10. Hallelujah! [Georg Friederich Händel]
11. Since by man came death [Georg Friederich Händel]
12. But thanks be to God [Georg Friederich Händel]
13. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain [Georg Friederich Händel]
14. Blessing and honour and glory and power [Georg Friederich Händel]
15. Amen [Georg Friederich Händel]