Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-19
The Hallelujah Chorus
BY DIR. FRANK CRANE.


Once a year at least, and preferably at the
Christmas season, hear the Halleujah Chorus.
1t is the greatest sound creation ever put forth
by man.
compositions more ingenious, more complex;
none is magnificent. 1t is great, not as dell
cate work of art is great, but rather suggests the
majestic smplicties of nature. The haileluJan
Chorus is brother to Niagara, to Mont Blanc to
the ocean and the thunderstorm.
1t is of pure originality. 1t is like nothing else
1t is stamped with those marks of inspiration tnat
characterize the handiwork of masters 1t belongs
in the class with Mchaelangelo's Moses, Homers
Iiad, and the Cologne cathedral 1t is the kind OF
work humanity produces when at its best, ana once
in ten centuries.
1t is universal in its appeal One does not have
to be musician in order to enjoy 1t. Like the
parallels of Jesus the commandments or Moses, or
the common sense of Lincoln, while it excites the
admiration of the cultured, it yet touches all men
everywhere. At its highest point art and WISDOM
democratic and come again to the level OF the
commons.
1t utters the very gist of religion, which is won
der and passionate alteration.
Its movement is regal imperial, interpreting
all of mans joy in the splendid, vast and imposing
It's tempo is strict, it advances as II great
army marching, there is suggestion or the
measured tramp of innumerable feet, we get the
thrill we feel when We see thousand SOL
diers moving as one man.
There is in it also the lightness and dignity or
a dance, such David might have done before the
Lord not the sensual trivial step, but the JOY
may figures in the vastly sky, the dance or wnlrnng
atoms in primeval chaos, the dance OF the Gree6
gods on Olympus. 1t is the universe keen with
ecstasy. 1t is the soul of earth vibrant with JOY
1t is essentially, too a shout. 1t is the exulting
cry of host. 1t is all in major key, clear, broad
untroubled as white sunlight. No word was ever
framed more fit for the cry in unison or great
crowd than this word that is here repeated over and
over. with unending variations, now high, loud
and long and again curvetting and glancng-
"HaIlelujah! Halelujah! Hallelujah!'
The device of the gradual rise in pitch of the
theme king of kings and Lord of lords, in the
middle of the chorus, is of immense effect. The
soul mounts with it.
The chorus of human voices is the most impress
sve form of musical expression. 1t takes hold OF
as other sound does The HalleluJaL Chorus
is all chorus nothing but chorus the cnorus ralseu
to it's highest power.
heaven We do not wonder that the composer said
that he saw heaven opened and heard the angels
of God. And to the hearer today it is as If he
stood among the congregation of the blessed DEAD
when "the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall
be raised incorruptible when life shall have burst
into the bloom of immortality, and the great multi
tude which man number of all nations and
kindreds and tongues bursts into conflagration OF
song a white storm of JOY, pillar of fire and
glory which, with a sound like the voice of many
waters and of mighty drumming thunders, rolls up
ward in celestial harmony, pouring into the bosom
of the Eternal Father it's exulting shout, Halle
luiah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth
and He shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah!
Copyright, 1916, by Frank Crane.)