37- Chorus - The Lord Gave The Word (Messiah)

When a choir opens their folders to a chorus from Handel's Messiah, there is always a shift in the room—a sense of stepping into a grand, shared tradition. "The Lord Gave The Word" is a brilliant, driving piece that captures the urgency and explosive joy of spreading the Gospel. The text is brief, drawn directly from Psalm 68, but Handel turns those few words into a sweeping, energetic proclamation.

In our parishes, this chorus often finds its place during ordinations, Pentecost Sunday, or special choir concerts. The piece opens with a bold, unified declaration—"The Lord gave the word"—before breaking into a fast-paced, overlapping cascade of voices singing "Great was the company of the preachers." The moving parts perfectly mimic the feeling of a message catching fire and spreading outward to the ends of the earth.

For the singers, mastering the running solfa passages and tight vocal entries is a thrilling challenge during rehearsals. When the soprano line soars above the moving harmony parts, and the whole choir locks into that final, triumphant cadence, it leaves both the loft and the congregation energized. It is a piece that reminds us of the sheer power of the Word and the joy of those called to proclaim it.