Hallelujah from Messiah
George Frideric Handel
Alternative embedded performance: Handel — Hallelujah Chorus, performed by the Royal Choral Society. The preferred recording remains linked on YouTube.
First listen
Listen once without writing. What do you notice?
Listen closely
1 TEXTUREDo the voices sing together or in separate parts?
Sentence stemThe voices sing ___.
Vocabulary
- together
- separately
- in layers
- one at a time
2 PITCHWhich voices sound highest and lowest?
Sentence stemThe ___ voices sound highest.
Vocabulary
- high
- middle
- low
3 DYNAMICSHow does the music change in volume?
Sentence stemThe music changes from ___ to ___.
Vocabulary
- quiet
- medium
- loud
- very loud
4 PULSEHow does the steady pulse help the choir stay together?
Sentence stemThe pulse helps the choir to ___.
Vocabulary
- enter together
- keep moving
- repeat clearly
- build excitement
5 ARTICULATIONDo the repeated words sound smooth, detached or strongly accented?
Sentence stemThe repeated words sound ___ because ___.
Vocabulary
- smooth
- detached
- clear
- accented
How does this piece make you feel?
There is no right or wrong answer. Which words match your response?
calmexcitedhopefulcuriousjoyfulpowerfulpeacefultensedreamybravethoughtfulenergeticmysteriouscomfortedrestlessproudsadsurprisedupliftedfocused
Music through time
1741 · Baroque oratorio
- Medieval500–1400
- Baroque1600–1750
- Classical1750–1820
- Romantic1820–1900
- 20th century1900–2000
- Contemporary2000–present