Last month saw the coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey – over 70 years since the last time such an event happened on our shores. The music was fabulous, and got me thinking about coronation anthems, old and new. I decided to write a short series of articles about music to be crowned to.
“Zadok the Priest” was composed for the coronation of George II in 1727, and has been used at every coronation ever since. It is one of a set of four anthems, now known as Handel’s coronation anthems, written for that occasion, the others being “The King Shall Rejoice”, “My Heart is Inditing” and “Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened”.
In coronation terms, the text of “Zadok” goes back even further, to the coronation of King Edgar at Bath Abbey in 973. The words have been used at every English, and then British, coronation since then:
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king.
And all the people rejoiced and said:
God save the King! Long live the King! God save the King!
May the King live for ever. Amen. Hallelujah!
I have been singing and playing this anthem since my high school days, and it can sometimes be viewed as old hat, jaded, or overdone by those involved. Not so on 6 May 2023. From the comfort of my dad’s living room, I had the privilege of hearing this piece performed live and in context, at the most solemn part of a coronation service, as the king was anointed behind a screen. It was spine-tingling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm_PNbQebdA
There is a long and gentle introduction played by strings and oboe, during which the screens were put in place and the king’s outer vestments removed. The music slowly builds to the fortissimo entry of the full choir, with trumpets too. The screens were removed at ‘may the king live forever’, to show the newly anointed king on his knees before the high altar, simply dressed, and being prayed over by archbishops.
I belted out the first alto part, a friend in Tewkesbury was on first bass, others in Whitefield were on second alto and tenor, another in Devon conducted, and many other musical friends around the country enjoyed joining in from their living rooms, loudly.
Just the weekend prior to the coronation “Zadok the Priest” was the finale to a concert by the Manchester Chorale, Silk Brass Band and Macclesfield Youth Brass Band in St Michael’s and All Angels Church, Macclesfield: https://youtu.be/u43uHQFghXU
I’m fairly sure “Zadok” was included in the programme for the ‘Last Night of the Autumn Proms’ in October 2022 at the Bridgewater Hall, sung by the Manchester Chorale and accompanied by the Manchester Concert Orchestra. Prior to that all four of Handel’s coronation anthems were performed in the close of course concert at Sing for Pleasure summer school 2022, in the chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge. I played first violin in the orchestra, and my daughter Jennifer conducted “My Heart is Inditing”.
Carol P
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 