G. F. Handel: "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" from Messiah, Organ Arrangement by W. T. Best

Grant Smith plays the Sonus Paradisi sample set of the Marcussen main organ from the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam. The transcription by Best was not strictly followed; some simplifications and additions were made.
Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

[@allanmoore4353]

I love Handel, much of his music is filled with joy. It makes me smile and tear up at the same time.

[@kentbloxham3826]

You did this piece supreme justice, despite it’s obvious difficulties, you played it flawlessly. Congratulations and God Bless 🙏🕊✝️🕊🛐🕊🙏

[@philharmony-nn3mc]

God bless you.. I was looking for an organ piece to start a funeral..you offered it ! And I will advertise your performance!

[@johnsilverton639]

This is ferociously difficult as I found to my cost having put it down once thinking that it was easy.

[@corujao15]

The Best FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN for Organ in KZbin! Congratulations!!!

[@jeffochs6713]

"....some simplifications and additions were made." Great job letting go of unnecessary notes and adding your own!!! Perfect!!!

[@fresnomac]

I love everything about this video - The registration choices are incredible. This makes my heart happy.

[@MusicSmith2]

Thanks for the kind words, Tim! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@AmoClassic]

I can't stop playing this, it's so good😢

[@walterjones2665]

You are WONDERFUL!!! Thank you! Beautiful!!! Wally

[@Mikco7]

Wonderful, you are gifted ..i really want to learn

[@mwt3656]

Absolutely amazing! The best performance I've seen and heard.

[@BillGeurts2269]

I have only sung the Messiah in a choir. I have little to almost no keyboard skills. However, I know this is a wonderful and difficult piece. Wonderfully done!!

[@andreapandypetrapan]

OMGoddess this performance is playing ceaselessly in my heart, and throughout all my musical sensuous comprehension. I've repeated it 11 times already. Stunning technique, and rather an ingenious indeed "sexy" arrangement, my dearest GS! Thank you. Love andrea.

[@paulhoffman-music]

Wonderful! Your performance of this is sublime.

[@MicksFlics]

Absolutely brilliant. OMG, your Hauptwerk organ is beautiful. WOW! That must have cost quite a lot of money. Your playing & interp alone is astonishing & fantastic, but HUGE kudos playing it from memory. FUTU is perhaps my favorite Messiah chorus. I think the first time I heard it was as a child with Bernstein conducting it. It was one of the many wonderful selections of a volume the annual LP from Goodyear's GREAT SONGS of CHRISTMAS. I can't recall what year, but I've loved that chorus ever since that first hearing. Even the choral score reduction for accompanying a performance of Messiah with only organ (or piano) is fiendishly difficult. There is true genius in successfully playing orchestral reductions on organ for choral works. I am always amazed at the folks who are so adept & good at it. It's not just the ability to play these scores well, but to know how to register them well on the particular instrument one is playing. My late undergrad college organ professor was brilliant playing orchestral reductions & registering them. I will never forget his playing of the Verdi Requiem score & Bloch's Sacred Service & Brahm's Requiem on organ. He was a genius playing them & achieving the orchestral nuances & sounds of each score.

[@nickmiller4814]

I have played it over and over again.

[@thorkrber2562]

So wonderful! love this sound. The wonderful Marcussen Sound like all Marcussen organs. So great played Grant. Thanks to you!

[@skyguymandog]

BROOOO WHAT?! This is SO GOOD!!

[@hansmuller3924]

So brilliant!!! Great work!!

[@danieladediran7492]

This guy is a genius...he must be a prodigy when he was a baby😂

[@hannahs7315]

Wow! that's amazing to see you play this carol. God Bless You!!

[@deusflutist3178]

Wow wow bravooo💯💯💯👏👏👏

[@youtube_user]

Clever arrangement, nicely registered and played. Thanks for sharing!

[@erichkusterer6339]

Yes, a clever arrangement.

[@stephenkroh1705]

Beautiful! Soul lifting! Thank you!

[@abelivanhoepereira9355]

Excelente 🤩

[@chenierderrick]

Well this was a nice surprise! Good job!

[@MusicSmith2]

Thanks Chenier!

[@newzcutter]

🙌

[@deew6625]

Best performance to date

[@avinashgrubb4552]

Just discovered this arrangement! Love it. Precise and brilliant combination of stops and amazing technique! Thank you and God bless you 😇

[@HowardTse]

Great job. This is so good performance! I subscribbed! Well done!

[@adrianazamfir222]

Wow!

[@barryispuzzled]

Beautifully played and well constructed. Well done!

[@ssenkaalireagan9896]

How I wish u can teach organ the way I love its sounding

[@marialordeiro7365]

Fantastico!!!❤

[@attiliodalcavaliere999]

👍 Uno dei migliori brani che abbia mai sentito!! La considero una melodia "alta che incide nei sentimenti e nello spirito". Tutto questo, grazie anche all'organista molto esperto!! Grazie mille che ci hai scacciato un po' di pensieri preoccupanti!!!

[@allanmoore4353]

The reason I've always loved Handel his music is almost invariably uplifting.

[@eugens.8342]

Это лучшее исполнение этого произведения на органе, которое я слышал! Браво!

[@user-xg3nb7dh3c]

верно!

[@sauloabreudesouza4530]

Espetacular ! 👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

[@reahermoso7688]

greetings good day greetings thank you very much

[@marathonrunner2590]

This performance is ok, if you like hearing someone with talent. 🙂Congratulations on a VERY WELL-PLAYED performance. Your hard work, practice, tenacity, and dedication are all on full display. You're setting an excellent example for other organists to emulate.

[@deborasgomes2022]

Parabéns! 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@fernandalima6825]

👏👏👏

[@Leotheviolist]

Music available?

[@mateuszandrzejewski3616]

Very difficult. I highly apreciate your effort, because I know Handel's transcriptions by Best. How long did it take to learn this piece?

[@rowanlidbury]

They saw you coming with that monstrocity.! 🤣

[@drdylanman]

I was about to ask if this was the real organ you were playing on, and then I saw the cabinets and shelves behind you and realized it's just a very sweet setup you have in your home! haha That was a truly wonderful performance. Does the real organ look like the setup you have here, with the stop knobs and everything? :-)

[@MusicSmith2]

Haha yes this is a home setup. The real organ is spectacular, I recommend you look up some pictures of the Laurenskerk main organ in Rotterdam!

[@emiliopaez6759]

Just Superb!!! I'm an organist too (to as good as you...). Can I have that score?

[@MusicSmith2]

Thank you very much! I found the score on IMSLP: imslp.org/wiki/Handel%27s_Choruses_for_the_Organ_(Handel%2C_George_Frideric) . For Unto Us is no. 121.

[@jefferyabbott4546]

What console maker is this?

[@MusicSmith2]

Mixtuur organs in the Netherlands. A very nice console.

[@kevinklingner7712]

I do like the version but not as much as the original.

[@tomislavvukcevic2889]

20% slower would be much better...