Spring Music Festival

Felix Mendelssohn: Elijah, Part II

Sunday, March 20, 2011

11:00 a.m. Worship

Join us at 11 a.m. worship on Sunday, March 20, for the Spring Music Festival where soloists and the Chancel Choir, under the direction of Norman Mackenzie, will present Mendelssohn's Elijah, Part II.

Following on the success of last year’s presentation of the first part of Mendelssohn’s monumental re-telling of events in the life of the Old Testament prophet, Norman Mackenzie, in the role of both conductor and organist, directs the Chancel Choir and superb soloists in the conclusion of this enduring masterpiece. The unique expression of the mature Mendelssohn’s astonishing compositional and dramatic talents, combined with idiomatic and exciting choral writing and a gift for melodic invention equaled only by Mozart make for an unforgettable musical experience. The privilege of hearing this work within the context of a worship service only enhances its power to communicate and transform. Premiered in 1846 at the Birmingham Festival in England, Elijah was an immediate critical and popular success. Mendelssohn and his librettist partner, The Rev. Julius Schubring, drew their texts from the Old Testament narrative, and included portions of the New Testament from Matthew and others. The result is a wonderfully rich portrait of the prophet as an inspired man of God, all too suceptable to human weaknesses.

Part II of Elijah begins with hymns of reassurance (“Hear ye, Israel!” and “Be not afraid”), but Elijah is soon embroiled in controversy. He confronts the High Priest Ahab, taking him to task for his idolatry (“The Lord hath exalted thee”) while Queen Jezebel stirs up the people against Elijah (“Woe to him.”) Obadiah advises him to flee (“Man of God”) and Elijah, alone in the desert, is in despair (“It is enough.”) Angels come and comfort him (“Lift thine eyes” and “He watching over Israel”) and Elijah makes his way to Mount Horeb to await the Lord. Here Mendelssohn uses some vividly descriptive music depicting the fury of the wind, the earthquake and the fire, contrasting that with the simplicity to which he sets the text “and in that still voice, onward came the Lord.” There follows another hymn of praise (“Holy is God the Lord”) and a choral recitative (“Go, return upon thy way”) as Elijah is sent back to Israel refreshed in spirit (“For the mountains shall depart.”) Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (“Then did Elijah”) and the choir breaks into a final hymn of praise (“And then shall your light break forth”), ending the oratorio with a majestic fugue.