Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer (which are worded slightly differently from their King James counterparts).

It is first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, and will receive its London premiere nearly a year later.

After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio will gain in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music