Thou shalt bring them in is taken from the last part of Israel in Egypt. George Fredrick Handel (1685 1750) composed Israel in Egypt in 1738 (in one month's time), three years before the writing of Messiah. Israel in Egypt relates the story from the Book of Exodus of the Israelites' escape from bondage in Egypt. This is the basis of the Jewish festival of Passover. The early portion of the oratorio, Exodus, describes the ten plagues and the Jewish escape. The latter portion, Moses' Song, rejoices to the Lord for the deliverance out of slavery and looks forward to the return to Canaan or Palestine. This aria, sung by a solo voice with string orchestra near the end of the work, anticipates the return to the Promised Land.
Britten's pacifist masterwork, combining war poetry by Wilfred Owen with the Latin Requiem Mass, is included in the Masterworks Library of full scores, ideal for conductors, students and music lovers.
