BOISE, IDAHO, USA:  The Boise Philharmonic featuring Soloists and the Boise Master Chorale

Handel's Messiah has been described by the early-music scholar Richard Luckett as "a commentary on Jesus Christ's Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension", beginning with God's promises as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ's glorification in heaven. In contrast with most of Handel's oratorios, the singers in Messiah do not assume dramatic roles; there is no single, dominant narrative voice; and very little use is made of quoted speech. In his libretto, his intention was not to dramatize the life and teachings of Jesus, but to acclaim the "Mystery of Godliness", using a compilation of extracts from the King James Version of the Bible, and from the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer.