Friday, December 15, 2006

Messiah! God's Salvation In Songs of Praise

Handel's Messiah is a well-loved full-length concert of songs in praise of the Messiah. But that style of music is not for every age or every culture. I started by planning to make a set list for a concert of Messiah with songs that were more familiar. I finished by making three separate set lists in different styles. Some of these are more complete than others, and as always my own song preferences are showing:

Traditional Hymns
Holiness of God: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Nativity: What Child Is This?
Nativity: Joy to the World
Passion: Go to Dark Gethsemane
Resurrection: Jesus Christ is Risen Today
In Praise of Redemption: At the Lamb's High Feast
Holy Communion: Bread of the World in Mercy Broken
Holy Communion: This is the Feast of Victory for Our God
Holy Communion: Just As I Am (Lamb of God, I Come)
Christ the King: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
Christ the King: Crown Him With Many Crowns
Praise and Faith: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
Ascension: A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
Father, Son, and Spirit: Holy, Holy, Holy

African-American Spirituals
Praise and Faith: He's Got the Whole World In His Hands
Nativity: Go, Tell it on the Mountain!
Ministry: Man from Galilee (Put your hand in the hand ...)
Passion: Were You There? (When they Crucified My Lord)
In Praise of Redemption: O Happy Day
Great Commission: Children, Go Where I Send Thee!
Holy Communion: Let us Break Bread Together On Our Knees
Christian Walk: Day by Day (Three Things I Pray)

Contemporary Spiritual Songs
Praise and Faith: This is My Father's World
Praise the Name: Jesus, Name Above All Names
Praise for Deliverance: El Shaddai
Holy Spirit: Breath of the Living God (Soplo de Dios)
Christ the King: King of Kings
Christ the King: Majesty
Christian Walk: They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love

My "Contemporary Spiritual Songs" list is short on songs about Christ's earthly life, death, and resurrection, and about Holy Communion. I'm not sure whether that's my own limited familiarity with this set of songs, or whether there's a genuine lack of songs there. The African-American Spirituals list is better-rounded but I'm sure I'm missing some good ones. Write-in suggestions are welcome!

(I did leave out one of my favorite African-American Spirituals -- Ezekiel Cried, "Them Dry Bones!" -- because it didn't fit very well with the overall set list.)

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