One of my favorite pieces of Christmas music is Handel’s Messiah. It took just over three weeks for Handel to complete this masterpiece. Handel purportedly said of his experience, “Whether I was in the body or out of the body when I wrote it, I know not,” and “I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God himself” (Myers, Robert Manson. Handel’s Messiah, A Touchstone of Taste. Octagon Books, 1971, p. 63.).

If you haven’t seen this video yet, you have to watch it! A choir (disguised as shoppers) does a surprise performance of Messiah at a food court.

If you are interested in the history of this amazing music, Christian Audio is offering a free (yes, FREE) download of Handel’s Messiah (by Calvin R. Stapert) during the month of December. It is the second slide on the home page slideshow, or you can find a link down near the bottom of the left hand navigation menu.

I love to listen to audiobooks while I am doing my Christmas tasks (decorating, baking, wrapping presents, etc.), and this is a perfect audio for the season!