“Sie schallt die Posaune.” (The Trumpet shall sound.)

I was asked to perform part of Handel’s “Messiah” for Easter service at a local church, including the very challenging Bass Aria referenced above. Preparing for this performance gave me a chance to reflect on how much the role of the trumpet has changed since Handel composed this work back in 1741. The valved trumpet was still nearly a hundred years away, yet Handel gives the trumpet a very exposed, lyrical role. This Oratorio is a beautiful work, and I encourage you to give the entire composition a listen. There is a fantastic recording by the London Symphony that you can listen to here.