Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration

Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration
Studio album by Various Artists
Released	1992
Genre	Gospel, Contemporary Christian, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop
Length	75:42
Label	Alliance
Producer	Norman Miller Gail Hamilton Mervyn Warren (executive producers)

Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration is a gospel album by various artists, released in 1992 on Warner Alliance. Executive produced by Norman Miller, Gail Hamilton and Mervyn Warren, it is a reinterpretation of the 1741 oratorio Messiah by George Frideric Handel, and has been widely praised for its use of multiple genres of African-American music, including spirituals, blues, ragtime, big band, jazz fusion, R&B and hip hop.

The album received the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, as well as the 1992 Dove Award for Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year.^[1] In 1993, the various recording artists participating in the project were collectively nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Artist.^{[citation needed]}

Track listing

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]

#	Title	Length	Arranger(s)	Producer(s)	Performer(s)
1	"Overture: A Partial History of Black Music"	5:13	Mervyn Warren, Shelton Kilby, Dwayne Adell, Cedric Dent, Joe Hogue	Mervyn Warren	Mervyn Warren, Janice Chandler Eteme, Dwayne Adell, Cedric Dent, Joe Hogue
2	"Comfort Ye My People"	5:44	Mervyn Warren and Michael O. Jackson	Mervyn Warren	Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Daryl Coley
3	"Every Valley Shall Be Exalted"	3:42	Mervyn Warren and Mark Kibble	Mervyn Warren	Lizz Lee and Chris Willis (with Mike E.)
4	"And the Glory of the Lord"	3:57	Charles Mims	George Duke	Dianne Reeves
5	"But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming"	6:38	David Pack, Greg Phillinganes and Patti Austin	David Pack and Patti Austin	Patti Austin
6	"And He Shall Purify"	4:36	Michael O. Jackson and Mervyn Warren	Mervyn Warren	Tramaine Hawkins
7	"Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive"	3:56	George Duke	George Duke	Howard Hewett
8	"O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion"	3:52	Cedric Dent	Take 6	Stevie Wonder and Take 6
9	"For Unto Us a Child Is Born"	3:53	Gary Hines	Gary Hines	Core Cotton, Jamecia Bennett, James Wright, Carrie Harrington, Pat Lacy and Sounds of Blackness
10	"Glory to God"	4:51	Robert Sadin	Robert Sadin	The Boys Choir of Harlem, Leaders of the New School and Michelle Weeks
11	"Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion"	5:07	Richard Smallwood	Richard Smallwood	Richard Smallwood Singers
12	"Behold the Lamb of God"	4:32	The Yellowjackets	The Yellowjackets	The Yellowjackets
13	"Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates"	5:12	Fred Hammond	Fred Hammond	Commissioned and The Clark Sisters
14	"Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage?"	2:36	Mervyn Warren	Mervyn Warren	Al Jarreau
15	"I Know That My Redeemer Liveth"	6:00	Mervyn Warren and Michael O. Jackson	Mervyn Warren	Tevin Campbell
16	"Hallelujah!"	5:53	Mervyn Warren, Michael O. Jackson, and Mark Kibble	Mervyn Warren	Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Patti Austin, Bernie K., Daryl Coley (soloist), Commissioned, Andrae Crouch, Sandra Crouch, Clifton Davis, Charles S. Dutton, Kim Fields, Larnelle Harris, Edwin Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Linda Hopkins, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones (conductor), Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Lizz Lee, Dawnn Lewis, Babbie Mason, Johnny Mathis, Marilyn McCoo, Mike E., Stephanie Mills, Jeffrey Osborne, David Pack, Phylicia Rashād, Joe Sample, Richard Smallwood, Sounds of Blackness, Take 6, Darryl Tookes, Mervyn Warren, Thomas Whitfield, Vanessa Williams, Chris Willis

Chart positions

Album

Year	Chart	Peak
1992	The Billboard 200	#82
1992	Top Gospel Albums	#3
1992	Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	#11
1992	Top Contemporary Christian Albums	#13

References

1. "Awards Database". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
2. Staff, Rovi. "Handel's Messiah – A Soulful Celebration". AllMusic.