The unique text of the Messiah makes it new every year because it brings back the same Christian message that Easter stands for: life after death; Christ is Risen. It's new in our hearts every year.  --Elmer Copley, Messiah Festival director from 1960-1988

The Swedish settlers who founded the community of Lindsborg and Bethany College displayed tremendous foresight in choosing Handel's "Messiah" as the foundation of this festival, as it is probably the best-known and loved piece of art music in western culture. "Messiah" is a wonderful marriage of text and music that has been described as a "moral autobiography of a man." The story of the nativity, Christ's passion and resurrection, and the promise of redemption unfolds in a masterful intertwining of solo voices, chorus and orchestra.

While “Messiah” encompasses the entire spectrum of the Christian experience, Johann Sebastian Bach's “St. Matthew Passion” is a literal account of the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. In “Messiah” all the events are implied. The “St. Matthew Passion” is ripe with drama, as the listener experiences the events leading to Christ's crucifixion through the words of the people who were there. Performed annually by the Bethany Oratorio Society since 1929, this masterpiece and its message has become, to many of the musicians and concert-goers, the essence of the Messiah Festival of Music and Art.

“Messiah” (1741) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. The name of the oratorio is taken from Judaism and Christianity's concept of the Messiah ('the anointed one'). In Christianity, the Messiah is Jesus. Handel himself was a devout Christian, and the work is a presentation of Jesus' life and its significance according to Christian doctrine, with the text of the oratorio taken from the Bible. Messiah is Handel's most famous work and it remains immensely popular among concert-goers. The most famous movement is the 'Hallelujah Chorus', which concludes the second of the three parts. The text is drawn from three passages in the New Testament book of Revelation. In many parts of the world, it is the accepted practice for the audience to stand for the section during a performance. Tradition has it that on first hearing the chorus, King George II rose to his feet, but the reason for this is still open to debate (some even doubting that the King was ever there). With him, the entire audience stood up.

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote “St. Matthew Passion” in the 1720s. The passion is a retelling of the story of Christ's crucifixion set to music. “St. Matthew Passion” is a remarkable piece of music for many reasons. It is not only rich in music, but in drama as well. The music's complexity ranges from difficult arias and recitatives to simple chorales, not to mention the double choir and orchestra.

The text of “St. Mathew Passion” is taken from three different sources. The main text is from the book of Matthew in the Bible and the others from German poetry and hymns, which Bach entwines into the score. Together, with the texts and Bach's somber meditative music, “St. Matthew Passion” is an appropriate work to be performed on Good Friday.