Coronation anthem
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A coronation anthem is a piece of
Many composers have written coronation
Handel's coronation anthems
Although part of the traditional content of British coronations, the texts for all four anthems were picked by Handel—a personal selection from the most accessible account of an earlier coronation, that of James II of England in 1685.[1] One of George I of Great Britain's last acts before his death in 1727 was to sign an "Act of naturalisation of George Frideric Händel and others". Handel's first commission as a newly naturalised British subject was to write the music for the coronation of George II of Great Britain and Queen Caroline which took place on 11 October the same year. Within the coronation ceremonies Let thy hand be strengthened was played first, then Zadok, then The King shall rejoice, and finally My heart is inditing at the coronation of the Queen. (In modern coronations the order is Zadok, Let thy hand be strengthened, The King shall rejoice and My heart is inditing, with the order of Let thy hand be strengthened and The King shall rejoice sometimes reversed.)
Right from their composition the four anthems have been popular and regularly played in concerts and festivals even during Handel's own lifetime. He re-used substantial extracts from them in many of his oratorios without many changes (other than to the text), notably
The means he had at his disposal were the most important of the era—the choir of the Chapel Royal was augmented by 47 singers, with an orchestra which reached perhaps 160 people. The chorus was divided into 6 or 7 groups (with the tenors kept together) and a large string section, made up of three groups of violins (rather than the two which were usual).
Zadok the Priest
Zadok the Priest (
The text of Zadok the Priest is derived from the
The middle section "And all the people rejoic'd, and said" is an imitative dance in 3
4 time, mainly with the choir singing in a homophonic texture and a dotted rhythm in the strings.
The final section "God save the King, ..." is a return to common time (4
4), with the "God save the King" section in homophony, interspersed with the "Amens" incorporating long semiquaver runs which are taken in turn through the six voice parts (SAATBB) with the other parts singing quaver chords accompanying it. The chorus ends with a largo plagal
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened (HWV 259) is thought to have been composed between 9 September 1727 and 11 October 1727.
The text of the second hymn is from Psalm 89 (verses 13–14). It is divided into three parts: a cheerful light beginning in G major, a melancholy, slow middle section in E minor and a closing Alleluia part again in G major.
The King Shall Rejoice
The King Shall Rejoice (HWV 260) is thought to have been composed between 9 September 1727 and 11 October 1727.
Taking a text from Psalm 21 (verses 1–3, 5), Handel splits this work into separate sections. The first movement is in D major, on the king's joy in God's power. This is full of festive pomp and fanfares, with a long ritornello of the introduction, using the full force of the choir and orchestra. The second is in A major and gentler, using no trumpets and drums. It is played on a three-time cadence and uses the highest and lowest string sections in a playful conversation, resulting in a triplet. It then enjoys long chains of suspensions on the phrase "thy salvation". The third movement begins with a radiant D major chord by the chorus and is a brief outburst of triumphalism with an extraordinary harmonic surprise, telling of the king's coronation with a crown of pure gold and ending in a B minor fugue. This links it directly to the fourth movement, which is again in three-time but this time counterpointed with a fugue. Handel builds the passion by adding instruments one by one—first the strings, then the oboes and finally the trumpets and drums. The final movement is an exuberant D major double fugue (a fugue with two melodies simultaneously played against each other right from the start), ending in a closing 'Alleluia' that was to be played at the precise moment the king was crowned.
My Heart is Inditing
My Heart is Inditing (HWV 261) is thought to have been composed between 9 September 1727 and 11 October 1727.
This piece sets a text developed by Henry Purcell for the 1685 coronation, consisting of a shortened adaptation of verses from Psalm 45 (verses 1, 10, 12) and Book of Isaiah (chapter 49, verse 23). In 1727, it was sung at the end of the coronation of Queen Caroline, with adaptations by Handel to make its words more appropriate for a queen. The music is in four sections and characterised by a more refined and distinguished air than the other anthems.
The overture to its first movement is not a flamboyant trumpet fanfare but a three-time
Coronation anthems by other composers
The genre of coronation anthems was not exclusive to Handel. Coronations included up to twelve anthems and used formulaic coronation texts —starting with the anthem for the procession at the beginning of the coronation ceremonies (usually "Oh Lord, grant the King a long life"). Other composers to have produced anthems used during the coronation service include:
- Thomas Tomkins who wrote anthems for the 1626 coronation of Charles I, including a setting of Zadok the Priest.
- Henry Lawes who wrote a setting of Zadok the Priest for the 1661 coronation of Charles II.[3]
- John Blow, may have set I was glad (the sources are ambiguous whether this was by Blow or Purcell).
- Henry Purcell, who produced I was glad (unless it was by Blow) and My Heart is Inditing, among others.
- Queen Anne in 1702.[4]
- William Croft, wrote The Lord is a Sun and a Shield for George I.
- William Boyce, commissioned by George III to write all the music for his coronation, but asked for (and was granted) permission to reuse Handel's setting of Zadok the Priest, as he felt it couldn't be improved upon.
- Thomas Attwood, who contributed I was glad for the coronation of George IV in 1821, Oh grant the King a long life for the coronation of William IV in 1830 and finally began a third anthem for Queen Victoria's coronation in 1838 but he died three months beforehand and it was never completed.
- William Knyvett wrote This is the Day that the Lord hath made for the 1838 coronation of Queen Victoria.
- Sir Hubert Parry, whose setting of I was glad was composed for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902.
- Sir Frederick Bridge, who wrote Kings shall see and arise for the 1902 coronation.
- Sir Edward Elgar, who wrote O Hearken Thou for the 1911 coronation of George V.
- Sir coronation of George VI.
- Ralph Vaughan Williams, who composed a Festal Te Deum for the coronation of George VI and the brief meditative O taste and see for the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953.
- Herbert Howells, who wrote Behold, O God our Defender for the 1953 coronation.
- Sir William Walton, who wrote a Coronation Te Deum for the 1953 coronation.
- Healey Willan, who wrote O Lord our Governour for the 1953 coronation.[5]
- Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote Make a Joyful Noise for the coronation of Charles III in 2023.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Coronation Anthems, HWV258-261". Classical Archives. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ "Guide to the Coronation Service". Royals & the Abbey – History. Westminster Abbey. 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
- ^ Range, Matthias (2012), Music and Ceremonial at British Coronations: From James I to Elizabeth II, Cambridge University Press, 978-1-107-02344-4 (p. 282)
- ^ Range p. 281
- ^ Range p. 287
- ^ "New Music Commissions for the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey, 17 April 2023". The Royal Family. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
External links
- Coronation Anthems: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Coronation Anthems: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Zadok the Priest: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- The Coronation of King George II: sleeve notes from Hyperion recording (login required)