Zadok the Priest is an English anthem which was composed by George Frideric Handel for the coronation of King George II in 1727. Alongside The King Shall Rejoice, My Heart is Inditing and Let thy Hand be Strengthened, Zadok the Priest is one of Handel's Coronation Anthems. Zadok the Priest has been sung during the anointing of the sovereign at the coronation of every British monarch since its composition and has become recognised as a British patriotic anthem.
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Text
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 in 1685. The text is a translation of the traditional antiphon, Unxerunt Salomonem, itself derived from the biblical account of the anointing of Solomon. These words have been used in every English, and later British, coronation since that of King Edgar at Bath Abbey in 973. An earlier setting had been written by Henry Lawes for the coronation of King Charles II.
At the coronation itself on 11 October 1727, the choir of Westminster Abbey sang Zadok the Priest in the wrong part of the service; they had earlier entirely forgotten to sing one anthem and another ended "in confusion".
Full text
After 1 Kings 1:38–40
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! May the King live for ever, Amen, Allelujah.Structure
Zadok the Priest is written for SS-AA-T-BB chorus and orchestra (two oboes, two bassoons, three trumpets, timpani, strings (with three violin parts rather than the usual two, continuo). The music prepares a surprise in its orchestral introduction through the use of static layering of soft string textures followed by a sudden rousing forte tutti entrance, augmented by three trumpets.
The middle section "And all the people rejoic'd, and said" is an imitatory dance in 3
4 time, with the choir singing chordally and a dotted rhythm in the strings.
The final section "God save the King", etc. is a return to common time (4
4), with the "God save the King" section heard chordally, interspersed with the Amens incorporating long semiquaver runs, 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 cadence on "Allelujah".