When did Handel compose ‘Zadok The Priest’?

Zadok The Priest was composed by Handel for the coronation of George II in 1727, and it was carried out as the brand new king was anointed. It was one in every of 4 coronation anthems Handel composed for the event, with the opposite three being; ‘Let thy Hand be strengthened’, ‘The King shall rejoice’ and ‘My Coronary heart is inditing’, and has been carried out at each British coronation ever since.

Within the textual content the phrase king refers to Solomon, so it stays king regardless whether or not it’s a king or queen being anointed as the brand new monarch.

Do you know that composer Tony Britten used Zadok The Priest as the idea for the UEFA Champions League Anthem, which he composed in 1992?

What are lyrics to ‘Zadok The Priest’?

Zadok the priest
And Nathan the prophet
Anointed Solomon king
And all of the folks rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced
And all of the folks rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced
Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced
And all of the folks rejoiced, rejoiced,
Rejoiced and mentioned:
God save the king
Lengthy reside the king
God save the king
Might the king reside perpetually
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen
Amen, amen, alleluia, amen
ㅤ
God save the king
Lengthy reside the king
Might the king reside perpetually
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen
Might the king reside
Might the king reside
Without end, perpetually, perpetually
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen
Alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, amen
ㅤ
God save the king
God save the king
Lengthy reside the king
Might the king reside
Might the king reside
Without end, perpetually, perpetually
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen, amen,
Amen, amen, amen, alleluia, amen
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Amen, alleluia!

When is Zadok the Priest sung?

Because it was first used on the coronation of King George II, ‘Zadok the Priest’ has been sung on the coronation of each British monarch. It’s all the time sung on the identical second throughout the ceremony: simply earlier than the anointing of the brand new monarch.

As such, ‘Zadok the Priest’ has come to be recognised as one thing of a British patriotic anthem.

Who was Zadok the Priest?

Zadok was a priest who options within the Outdated Testomony of the Bible – particularly, in 1 Kings 1:38-40, which narrates how the priest Zadok anointed Solomon as the brand new king of historical Israel. This Bible passage was then tailored into an antiphon (a brief chant in Christian ritual, frequent in Gregorian chant), known as ‘Unxerunt Salomonem’ (‘They anointed Solomon’.)

Though the music for Zadok the Priest dates from Handel’s composition for George II’s coronation, the phrases have been utilized in each English / British coronation since that of King Edgar, who was topped at Tub Abbey in 973.

What occurred at Zadok the Priest’s first efficiency?

At George II’s coronation, the Westminster Abbey choir sang ‘Zadok the Priest’ within the improper a part of the service. There have been a number of incidents like this: the choir had earlier completely forgotten to sing one anthem, whereas one other completed ‘in confusion’.

Are ‘Zadok the Priest’ and ‘God Save the King’ related?

Sure, they’re related – however they differ in a single key side. The lyrics to ‘Zadok the Priest’, taken from the Bible’s 1 Kings 1:34-45, do reference ‘God Save the King’:

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king.
And all of the folks rejoiced and mentioned:
God save the King! Lengthy reside the King! God save the King!
Might the King reside for ever. Amen. Hallelujah.^[10]

So, the 2 anthems are drawn from the identical Bible passage. Nonetheless, the lyrics to ‘God Save the King / Queen’ change, based mostly on the gender of the sovereign. The lyrics of ‘Zadok the Priest’ don’t change on this means. That is as a result of it comes immediately from scripture, and since the king referred to within the lyrics is Solomon – so the phrases stay ‘God Save the King’ even when the brand new monarch is feminine.

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