THE STUDENT VAGABOND

With the approach of Christmas there comes what, for the Student Vagabond an least has become a habit, a sine quanon of the season. This is the performance of Handel's Messiah. Without an afternoon or evening spent under the majestically beautiful power of this great work Christmas would seem to be lacking in some particular. Under its spell everything else is forgotten and from the mighty strength of the "Hallelujah Chorus," and the clear burning faith of the aria. "I knew that my Redeemer liveth," from the entire work as a whole there comes over into the listener something of the peace the fresh purpose, the idealism which is Christmas. What is music that it can distill and epitomize thoughts which almost lie too deep for thought words for which there are no words!

This, the greatest of Handel's works, probably the greatest and certainly the best loved of all oratorios, will be given Sunday afternoon at 3.30 o'clock, and Monday night at 3.15 in Symphony Hall, by the Handel and Haydn Society under the direction of Emil Mollenhauer. No Vagabond who has ever heard it will miss it, and no vagabond who has not, should.