Advent and Christmas (41): "Pifa" (of "Messiah")

In the first part of Händel’s oratorio 'Messiah' (HV 56), which tells about the incarnation of Christ, the lovely well known 'Pifa' (piper’s music) describes the rural idyll of the shepherds in Bethlehem.

The only three-part pastorale has a doubled melody line, played of two violins at an octave distance over a sustained bass sound. The transcription for organ was done by the British Edward Tambling (* 1988).