Spanish Succession, a complicated war with shifting alliances; basically the British, Germans and Italians were allied against France and Spain as the Bourbon dynasty tried to take over the leadership of the vast Spanish Empire. In 1707 troops were being organized in Italy for an invasion of France; later in the year the British suffered a major defeat at Almanza in Spain.

4. Conclusion. This is a psalm about power. It explores the nature of leadership, temporal and spiritual. It exults in the moment of the assumption of authority. It seems the right psalm for Handel at this time, as he is trying to find his voice, to out-do the musical splendors of the Italians, to defeat his enemies, to stretch out his power, and to find his authentic musical voice. In a time of war, the music he chooses for this psalm acclaims a God who is sovereign over the chaotic nations and voices a confidence that right will triumph through Christ. Exulting over the defeat of enemies does not feel right to us these days, but Handel asks us to do it. It might help to think of the enemies among whom we as human beings are set as not other humans but as either personal ills– disease, financial disaster, and the like—or as societal systems of oppression, greed and injustice and the destruction of the environment. If we imagine those as the enemies, perhaps we too can exult at the promise that Justice, despite all appearances, will be enthroned in power at last in our world. Righteousness will return to the land. We will be who we were meant to be. We will be refreshed and lift up our head.

Anyone who would like to connect this psalm—and the feelings of relief, hope, and thrilling victory to which Handel's music gives brilliant voice—to the present political situation and the inauguration not of a king but of a new president, and a new era of justice and good leadership, is welcome to do so. HE SAID WHAT? BEING AN INTRODUCTION TO THE TEXT OF DIXIT DOMINUS FOR THE ACADIA CHORAL SOCIETY by JENNY REECE, ALTO March 3, 2009

Dixit Dominus is the Latin () translation of the poetic verses appearing in most modern Bibles as Psalm 110. ( in the Vulgate). In the Western tradition of Christianity, this psalm was one of the most frequently used in worship: for centuries it was the first in a series of sung at every Sunday (Evening) service of the year. That's why there are so many famous settings of it. But the psalm itself presents many challenges to the modern reader, listener—or singer!

I want to address these challenges by briefly looking at four things: 1. The Hebrew psalm and its context; 2. The use and interpretation of the psalm in Christian history; 3. The context of Handel's setting of the psalm; and 4. The emotional, spiritual, and human realities that can be part of our communication of the psalm as set by Handel.

1. Psalm 110 (109) is a brief, poetic lyric probably made to be sung during the coronation service of the Kings of ancient Israel. The first words of the psalm announce that this is a prophetic utterance: that is, the Word of God is being uttered through human language. The first 3 verses contain the Word of God to the King: God's seal of approval is on this monarch, whose enemies will be utterly defeated, and who will rule with authority even in the face of opposition. The next verses acclaim the king not only as the temporal power but as the pre-eminent spiritual leader of his people. Melchizedech was a semi-mythic priest-King of pre-Davidic Jerusalem; his name means "Righteous King." The unbreakable promise of God is that the King will establish an unbroken line of spiritual authority over the people. The next verse asserts God's ascendance over all kings: God makes and breaks all systems of human authority. In the final verses God and the King act as one: the King does God's will in judging not only his own nation but other nations: the images are of the complete conquest of other lands. Finally, after the battle, there is refreshment. The King, having received the holy water, ascends the throne to universal acclaim.

2. After the fall of the ancient monarchy, this psalm began to be interpreted as a promise that the Davidic kingship would be restored through a coming ("anointed one"). Those who accepted of Nazareth as this Messiah (Christ) saw in this psalm the affirmation of a relationship of God ("The Lord") and the Messiah, God's Son ("my Lord"). Christians read this psalm as one of the prime texts pointing to Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King not only of his people but of "all the nations". The triumphalist, warlike, violent images of the psalm were understood joyfully as the victory of Christ over all enemies– those of flesh and blood, but more importantly, spiritual enemies, the devil's temptations to sin. This psalm was also used in the ordination services of priests: "You are a priest for ever in the order of " was seen as God's unbreakable promise to Christ and through him to the Church, and to the individual priest. The Christianization of this Psalm becomes complete with the addition of the Doxology.

3. Handel wrote this setting for Dixit Dominus as a young Protestant German in Catholic Italy in the year 1707. At the same time, Europe was in the throes of the War of the