Astonishingly it took Handel only twenty-four days to write the orchestral music for the Messiah oratorio mdash today perhaps the world rsquo s most famous musical composition one performed thousands of times every year around the world The magnificent work reaches its climax nearly two hours after it begins with the most famous part of the oratorio the ldquo Hallelujah Chorus rdquo As the trumpets and timpani announce the beginning of the chorus voices layer on top of each other as the choir sings the words of Revelation ldquo And he shall reign for ever and ever rdquo It is [... more]