Mark Padmore, Christopher Purves, Iestyn Davies, The English Concert – Handel – Oratorio Samson 54 – 56 Go, baffled coward, go, …

Samson – Händel

Susan Gritton – Dalila
Iestyn Davies – Micah
Mark Padmore – Samson
Neal Davies – Manoa
Christopher Purves – Harapha
Lucy Crowe – Israelite woman / Philsitine woman / Virgin
Ben Johnson – Israelite man / Philistine man / Messenger

The Choir of The English Concert
The New Company
The English Concert
Harry Bicket conductor

BBC Prom – Royal Albert Hall
20 August 2009

Händel: Go baffled coward & Hear Jacob’s God (from SAMSON)

54. Duet

Samson
Go, baffled coward, go,
Lest vengeance lay thee low,
In safety fly my wrath with speed!

Harapha
Presume not on thy God,
Who under foot has trod
Thy strength and thee, at greatest need.

55. Recitative – Micah

Here lies the proof: — if Dagon be thy God,
With high devotion invocate his aid,
His glory is concern’d. Let him dissolve
Those magic spells that gave our hero strength;
Then know whose God is God, Dagon, of mortal make,
Or that Great One whom Abra’m’s sons adore.

56. Chorus of Israelites

Hear, Jacob’s God, Jehovah, hear!
Oh, save us, prostrate at thy throne!
Israel depends on thee alone,
Save us, and show that thou art near!