The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/25 at 10:00 EST

Episode Date: December 25, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/25 at 10:00 EST

This ascent isn't for everyone. You need grit to climb this high this often. You've got to be an underdog that always over-delivers. You've got to be 6,500 hospital staff, 1,000 doctors, all doing so much with so little. You've got to be Scarborough. Defined by our uphill battle and always striving towards new heights. And you can help us keep climbing.

Donate at lovescarbro.cairbo. I'm Frederica Petitum, keeping you company with festive music this Christmas morning here on CBC Radio. And after today's broadcast of Handel's Messiah, stay tuned for the King's annual Christmas message. I'll have part two of Messiah for you in just a few minutes, but first, a touching story from the work's early history. Handel was a governor and longtime benefactor of London's Foundling Hospital. an orphanage established for the education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children. In 1750, he organized a benefit performance of Messiah in its newly built chapel, with the soprano section of the choir comprising boy trebles from the orphanage.

This became an annual tradition, in addition to the performances that took place each year at Covent Garden. As a final gesture, Handel bequeathed the Messiah score in part to the Foundling Hospital in his will. This enabled the charity to continue staging the benefit concerts. They were delivered to the hospital three weeks after Handel's death, and they can still be seen today on display in the Foundling Museum alongside his will. Part two of Messiah, which you'll hear now, begins with descriptions of the persecution of Jesus. He was despised. The Aldo Soloist sings in the oratorio's longest aria, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. The mood changes with three brilliant choruses.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and with his tribes we are healed, and all we like sheep have gone astray. They're show-stopping displays of coral splendor. The events of the crucifixion are detailed by the tenor soloist. Behold and see if there be any sorrow, like unto my sorrow. Then a celebration of the resurrection. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and the King of Glory shall come in.

Part two ends with what's undoubtedly the work's most famous passage, the Hallelujah Chorus. For this performance, Yvars Torrens leads the Tafel Music Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. The soloists are Soprano Karina Govain, Counter-Tenor Robin Blaze, tenor Rufus Mulla, and baritone Brett Pallegado. Part two of Messiah by George Frederick Handel. A good man. A good, ma'an, a good, a lamb, a good, a lot, a word, along.

A good, my love, a lot, a good la. We go to the land And on the land That's making The way You see the On the world We hope a land

We go and go We go and go We want the land We won't Ory Hope your land or die The tale of hell who are the king, the seed of the world.