(from Part I of Messiah, Isaiah 40:5, King James Version)
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Placement in Messiah
This chorus is the first large choral movement in
Messiah and follows the tenor
recitative “Comfort Ye, My People” and aria “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted.” It
marks the shift from personal prophecy to communal proclamation, with the full
chorus joining in to announce the revelation of God’s glory.
Structure and Musical Material
The chorus is built from four main
melodic ideas, each associated with a distinct line of text:
“And the glory of the Lord” – a graceful, flowing melody in the altos, soon imitated by the other voices.
“Shall be revealed” – stepwise rising line, conveying a sense of unveiling.
“And all flesh shall see it together” – faster, dance-like rhythms suggesting joy and movement.
“For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” – a more solemn, homophonic statement, giving weight and finality.
Handel interweaves these themes using imitation, layering, and repetition, allowing each phrase to be heard clearly before being combined in counterpoint.
Scoring and Word Painting
Strings provide a bright, uplifting rhythmic underpinning, often in a steady triple meter that gives the music a gentle buoyancy.
The lyrical opening theme for “glory of the Lord” uses a smooth contour to convey beauty and majesty.
“For the mouth of the Lord” is set in block chords with longer note values, creating a sense of authority and divine decree.
Interpretive Impact
The movement’s blend of flowing counterpoint and joyful dance rhythms captures
both the majesty and the communal celebration of God’s revelation. Handel’s
clarity in text setting makes each phrase distinct, while the interplay of
voices builds a sense of unity—mirroring the scriptural promise that
“all flesh shall see it together.”