Messiah is an oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741. The oratorio focuses on the narrative of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and is structured in three parts: the prophecy and birth of Christ, the Passion, and the redemption and resurrection. The well-known "Hallelujah chorus" is an excerpt from Messiah. 

"All we like sheep have gone astray" is a chorus within the oratorio, which describes humanity's wandering nature and its longing for spiritual guidance. 

• What is the initial mood conveyed by the music?

• Does this change at all? If so, how?

• Describe the texture and duration in bars 1-4.

• What happens in the voices at A (bar 11)? How is this an example of word painting?

• Find two more examples of word painting in the score. In your answer, give bar numbers or rehearsal markings, part names and explain how the music depicts the meaning of the words.

• Now turn to rehearsal marking G. Identify the cadence at G (bars 75-76).

• What differences are there between the material beginning at ‘G’ and the material in bars 1-4? List as many as you can.

• Chorus

• Doubling/unison

• Four-part harmony

• Imitation

• Melisma

• Oratorio

• Perfect cadence

• Reduction

• Rhythmic drive

• Rhythmic unison

• Word painting

Test your knowledge of Handel's 'All we like sheep have gone astray' with this short quiz. Once you have finished, click the Submit button, then the View score button to see which questions were answered correctly and incorrectly.