Astiterunt reges terras, ZWV 55:25

The kings of the earth have stood and the princes have gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ, crying out in their folly, 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?' Jan Dismas Zelenka sets this dramatic biblical text from Psalm 2, part of the traditional readings for Tenebrae services. His setting for SATB choir, sung in Latin, captures the monumental tension and divine opposition described. The music reflects the weighty pronouncements of worldly rulers set against the unshakeable authority of God. This is a powerful and moving excerpt, perfect for a reflective or dramatic moment in a sacred choral programme.