During our annual Christmas trip, we heard the choir of St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Fifth Ave) sing The Messiah, as arranged by Mozart.

  I had never heard it with treble voices before. The voices were delicate but clear. It was possible to hear all the lines of music distinctly. Because boys voices do not have great power, the conductor refrained from blasting the audience out of its seats, and kept things gentle except at the highest moments of the Hallelujah and Worthy Is The Lamb.  The Messiah has entered into the popular consciousness probably more than nay other pice of religious music – and it was not even written for church, but for the concert hall. 

When a culture is Christian, it reminds all its members, even unbelievers, of the story of Christianity. Some think it fact, some think it myth, some dislike it, but no one can escape it. Even the unbelievers in the audience for months will have the words and music For unto us a child is born, He was despised and rejected of man, The LORD GOD omnipotent reigneth, running through their heads –  a message that they might not want to hear, but cannot ignore it completely, because the music is too great to give up.

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