I have sung the choruses of Part I of Handel’s Messiah several times over the years. This is the section that is associated with “the prophecy of the Messiah and his virgin birth… rendered in words by Isaiah,” and of course is generally performed in that period before Christmas called Advent.
Part II, which I have performed far less often, except for the last movement, deals with the events leading to the death of Jesus, culminating with the triumphant resurrection.
The first movement of Part II is a chorus piece from the Gospel according to John, chapter 1, verse 29: “Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.”
Here are performances by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and by the Emek Hefer Chamber Choir.
An album I own and enjoy is called Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, with this piece being reinterpreted as a jazz instrumental by a group called the Yellowjackets. I can’t find that online, but I did discover a cover version featuring Rich Christie on bass, Dave Sylvester on sax, Chris Williams on Drums, and Kenneth Reese on keyboards.
