"Why do the nations so furiously rage together" from Messiah by George Frederic Handel

Nathaniel McDonald, baritone
Dr. Allison Hsieh, piano
Performed November 16th, 2024
George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) was a German-born composer who became a key figure in British music during the Baroque period. He was known for his operas, oratorios, and concertos. His most famous work, Messiah, is an oratorio that tells a profound reflection on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, making use of passages from the Bible as textual source material. The “Hallelujah Chorus,” one of the most recognizable pieces in this oratorio, has become famous in both secular and sacred spaces, particularly during Christmas and Easter. This aria, “Why do the Nations so Furiously Rage Together,” draws from Psalm 2:1-2. It appears in Part II of the work, which focuses on the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. This Psalm questions the defiance of earthly rulers and nations against God’s authority, asking why they plot against His will.
Why do the nations so furiously rage together,
Why do the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord,
and against His Anointed.