‘How beautiful are the feet’ is one of the most beautiful songs in Handel’s Messiah, and is usually sung by a soprano (high voice, either female or a young male chorister). This song features in Part 2 of Messiah, which tells of Christ redeeming mankind through his crucifixion, then through subsequent arias and choruses telling of the spreading of the ‘gospel’ through which the gentiles are told of this redemption.
What is the story behind ‘How beautiful are the feet’?
‘How beautiful are the feet’ is a setting of a verse from the apostle St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (that is, the Christian churches established in Rome). The text of ‘How beautiful’ is not exactly self-explanatory, so briefly: St Paul was partly using ‘feet’ as shorthand for those messengers who in his time, more often than not, had to travel from place to place by foot to bring their message to people far and wide. Paul was also alluding to the Book of Isaiah (chapter 52, verse 7) in which the prophet proclaims (to use the King James translation Handel would have known): ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!’.
Handel sets the verse from St Paul to a gently lilting rhythm, giving the music the tempo marking ‘Larghetto’ (meaning somewhat slow and perhaps stately). Particular emphasis is given at first to the word ‘beautiful’, each subsequent phrase higher than before; but then, at the second phrase, even greater emphasis is given to the words ‘bring glad tidings’, so highlighting the heart of the verse.
What are the lyrics to ‘How beautiful are the feet’?
How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace,
How beautiful are the feet,
How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace.
How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings,
and bring glad tidings,
Glad tidings of good things,
and bring glad tidings,
Glad tidings of good things,
and bring glad tidings,
Glad tidings of good things!
Glad tidings of good things!