In 1741, the German-born English composer George Frederick Handel finished his "Messiah" oratorio, after working on it non-stop for 23 days.

CNN: Monday,

When I was talking to non-musician friends and they said it takes too long to get to the part of Handel's "Messiah" where everyone stands up, I realized that "Messiah" was in dire need of an update.

NPR: An Updated 'Messiah' from Marin Alsop