{+} Listening Journal

This lesson requires a good bit more listening than earlier lessons, so the journal assignment is designed to support your viewing of the performances of Handel’s Messiah. Here are some ways to keep the journal as you listen:

• Simply make observations as you watch the performance, i.e., “When the entire choir enters at the 7 minute mark, it gives the piece a huge amount of energy”;
• Periodically make note of instruments you can identify by name;
• Note the passages where the lyrics (or captions) demonstrate an excellent combination of verbal meaning and musical artistry, i.e., “When the bass sings this part alone, it matches the loneliness of the character in the text”.