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"Handel is the greatest composer who ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel down at his tomb." - Ludwig van Beethoven in 1824

Handel’s Zadok the Priest was composed for the coronation of George II in Westminster Abbey in 1727 and has been performed in every British coronation since that date. The first performance was something of a disaster: having forgotten to sing another piece, the choir sang the anthem at the wrong point in the service, and another performance during the service was described as ending “in confusion”.

The reason for Zadok the Priest’s enduring popularity probably has something to do with its marvelous blend of musical elements: the unexpected hush of the opening, the stately tread of the music, its style derived from keyboard improvisation, with its softly expressive string arpeggios, taking the listener on a journey of inexorable but slightly unexpected harmonic shifts, building in intensity until the choir and trumpets finally burst out in regal splendor. The music that follows (rather like monarchy itself) is glittering and festive but less interesting than the build-up to its arrival.

The tiny recorded excerpts of Zadok the Priest used in this video come from a spectacular live performance that took place in 2009 (in the Market church in Halle, where Handel was baptized in 1685). The English Concert and the Händelfestspielorchester Halle were conducted by Howard Arman. You can hear the complete performance on YouTube here: [ Ссылка ]

You may also be interested to see Handel's music enhancing the ritual theatre of the coronation service in this footage of King Charles III's coronation in Westminster Abbey on 6th May, 2023:
[ Ссылка ]

A more sedate version of the anthem, with a larger choir and orchestra, more in line with the performance practice of the early 1950s, can be heard in this famous footage of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (also in Westminster Abbey) in 1953: [ Ссылка ]

Edited by Ian Coulter ( [ Ссылка ] )
Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King

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