- Merry Christmas and welcometo The Superbook Show.

- Abby, I want you to guess what

my very favorite Christmas music is.

- Maybe, Grandma GotRun Over by a Reindeer?

- Oh, come on, be serious.

Guess again.

And think classical.

- The William Tell Overture.

(fast-paced orchestral music)

- Wrong again, kemosabe.

Classical.

Christmas.

- I got it.

Handel's Messiah.

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

- It sure took you long enough.

- Well it just seems,kinda, highbrow for you.

- It, kinda, is or was.

Until I learned more about thecomposer and how he wrote it.

- Go ahead.

- George Frideric Handel wasborn in Germany the same year

as Johann Sebastian Bach.

1685.

(classical music)

- A good year for composers.

- And Beethoven.

(energetic opera music)

As I was about to say.

Beethoven, who was born a century later,

called Handel the greatestcomposer who ever lived.

- High praise!

Handel must've been a reallybig deal back in the day.

- Well, no.

Before he wrote the Messiahhe had pretty much failed.

He was in poor health, veryfew attended his performances

and then he went bankrupt.

- Really?

- Really.

As he actually came closeto going to debtors' prison.

He had a temper too.

- Anger management issues?

- He once fought anothercomposer over seating

in the orchestra pit thatended in a sword fight.

- Yikes!

- The other composer thrusthis sword into Handel's coat.

- Oh no!

- Fortunately, the swordstruck a metal button

and he survived.

- So Handel was poor,unpopular and had a bad temper.

How did someone like that write

an inspiring work such as the Messiah?

- God always uses peoplewho are willing in spite

of their faults.

One day a friend came toHandel with a libretto.

- A what-o?

- A libretto.

It's the text, the wordsfor a long musical work.

This one was about Christ and redemption

and it was all from Scripture.

- So I'm guessing the friend wanted Handel

to write the music for it.

- Right, Handel agreed

and figured it would takehim a year to write it.

He started composing in August, 1741.

- So he finished in 1742.

- No.

Handel wrote andorchestrated the whole work

in just 24

days.

260 pages of music.

They say that he was so focused

that he never left hishouse that whole time.

- Sounds like a God thing.

- Definitely.

After he wrote the Hallelujahchorus, Handel said,

"I did think I see all Heaven before me,

"and the great God Himself."

♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

(audience applauding)

- When he finished the Messiah

he signed it with three letters, S.D.G.

Soli Deo Gloria.

- Glory to God alone.

So what did audiences think?

- They were and still are awed by it.

There were 700 people at thefirst performance in Dublin.

So many people wanted ticketsthat women were told not

to wear hoop skirts and men were asked

to leave their swords at hometo make room for everyone.

- The church must've been packed.

- Actually it wasn't a church, in fact,

Handel directed only oneperformance in a church.

- So where did he perform then?

- Music theaters.

Also at London's FoundlingHospital for Orphans,

which was one of thecharities he supported.

- Did Handel's life improveafter he wrote the Messiah?

- He died a wealthy man

and left most of his money to charity.

- Sounds like a good guy after all.

- I think so.

After his death, a closefriend said that Handel was

a good Christian with a truesense of his duty to God

and to man and in perfectcharity with all the world.

- I love a happy ending.

His word is forever alive.

♪ And the government shallbe upon His shoulder ♪

♪ And his name shall be called ♪

♪ Wonderful ♪

♪ Counselor ♪

♪ The Mighty God ♪

♪ The Everlasting Father ♪

♪ The Prince of Peace ♪

(air whooshing)

- Why not take some time thisholiday season to listen to

a recording or attend

a live performance of Handel's Messiah.

- And tell us what youthink in the comments below.

- If you really wannaget a handle on things.

Why not like and subscribe?

- And check out our Facebook page

and The Superbook Bible app.

- See you next time!- See you next time!

- And tell us what you think.

Dang it!

Okay.

Sorry.

- To listen to a recordingor attend a live perform.

- I think I start.

Oh, just kidding.- No.

- I'm so sorry.

(giggling)

I'm your new co-star.