The choir of Westminster Abbey and the choristers of the Chapel Royal sing G. F. Handel's coronation anthem Zadok The Priest during the Royal Maunday Service 2011. Information on Maunday Money. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_m...
I can assure Handel is always listening to the choir and organ as he is buried in the South Transept, a few feet away from the choir stalls and right next to the South organ case.
@@ianw1976 Sorry, I didn't know that the old Canadian flag was called the Red Ensign but I'm surprised to hear that a Canadian would want to bring it back, particularly as I suspect that Canada will choose not to have a King/Queen after Elizabeth II passes on.
Love the fact that now youtube has the replay statistics on the videos there is this massive peak at 0:55 just before the choir come in. It really does make the hair stand up on the back of the neck when "Zadok" get's belted out with enough force to push the soul right out through the lungs and larynx.
This rendition is a classic example of the magnificent choral tradition in the U.K and England in particular - may it continue to prosper. As a former parish church and college chorister I do hope so.
While Westminster certainly has a fine choir, they are only one of many in the UK, and even more in Europe. Many thanks to the boys, and the people who train them to continue this wonderful tradition. I, myself, was once a choir boy, many moons ago, with York Minster. You have no idea how much hard work these boys put into each and every performance.
Brian, it is thoughtful of you to remind us that these astounding performances don't just happen. The boys, as you did, commit many hours to learning and practice, supported equally by dedicated adults. The results are so inspiring and uplifting. Appreciation to all involved.
I think also, if we had asked him, that Brian Wood would attest that the little angels of the choir schools are just as rough-and-tumble as lads of similar ages in other classrooms.
I aggree!! I was listening to some of the Anglican hymns with my eleven year old yesterday and sharing with him the exact same thing..training to sing this way is not easy. But Don't forget the organist. Oh how I wish I could play like that!!! Especially the hym by John Rutter "The Lord bless you and keep you"🙂
It is obvious that so much hard work is put into each performance. These boys are little angels. And well for the English speaking world, Britain is Europe because I can only listen to the melody in the songs sung by the choir of Notre Dame cathedral for instance but not the words.
The Queen is a national treasure. What a remarkable woman & leader she is. I pray God continues to save & keep her well. This music was perfectly composed for people such as herself, I can’t help but get emotional hearing it & seeing her.
This is just how it should be sung,and why it sounds so great in this version.Handel wrote the anthem with the Choristers of Westminster Abbey,and the Chapels Royal of Hampton Court/St James in mind. These are all male choirs,which is what Handel's composition dynamics call for in this anthem. I don't say that modern choirs(including female voices) don't sound good too,only that this is how one would have heard it at the coronation of George II.
Nothing gives spectacle to an English cathedral service more than the boy sopranos, whose clear, silvery voices rise above all others in the choir. These performances are reliably the best of their kind in the world. The illusion the old choirmasters was seeking was "angels on high" and these schoolboys come wonderfully close to the ideal.
Unfortunately, in today's "progressive" world, boys choirs are in decline due to them being forced to accept girls. You cannot compare the two in any way! I am not saying girl's voices are bad, it's simply a biological fact if life that boy's voices are in a class of their own, and many of our class composers KNEW that and composed music strictly for boys. Personally, I cannot stand to listen to ANY female singers with the exception of a half dozen female opera singers who I enjoy very much. Sorry, girls, form your own choir, don't mess with something that has worked splendidly for centuries. Some church choirs in England have both boys and girls choirs. On those days the girls choir is in session, attendance plummets! When the boys are in session, then attendance shot back up again! In my own small parish church (established in 1205), the vicar decided to have a mixed choir. After two weeks, all the boy choristers quit. One week later, the girls quit too, probably because there were no boys around. Now, after all these centuries, there is NO choir! The vicar was literally run out of town by angry church goers. May God grant us some sanity during these days of multiculterism and ridiculous mandates that define boys and girls as one sex! There is a reason God created boys and girls. Deal with it!
Beautiful music, sung by a wonderful choir in a fantastically majestic, ancient, building for a great Monarch and some representatives of the best generation our country has ever known.
fantastique, fabuleux et merveilleux cette chanson de Zadok le prête composée par Haendel et chanté par cette belle chorale. Je suis de la côte d'Ivoire
When I have to subject myself to “modern” Christian music (praise and worship music) I just shake my head. It gives me comfort to know that real choral music is still alive and well.
@@sarahtobore2832 try going into a lot of retail outlets or restaurants in the south, especially ones privately owned. I'm subjected to it in those places. It all sounds alike. Nothing wrong with the message, but the music itself is terrible. All the men try to sing with a gruff whispered voice. They're all affected. If I want to hear a song with 68 refrains I will just play something I like on repeat. Christian "rock" makes me want to jump through a plate-glass window to escape.
windstorm1000 The International Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army should be heard if you enjoy good music, they take a lot of beating when it comes to their sixteen bar phrasing.
Hilarious@@gioojisba2758..., Catholic choirs are utterly wretched. Vatican II destroyed music and liturgy in the Roman church. A parish in England in easily out-sing the Papal choirs. In fact, many RC elements send their musicians to England for depth of training.
AnnaLaz... you have excellent taste. In UK we also love the work of your 'red priest', Vivaldi, who wrote for the all-girls choir he created. The UK needed another 200+ years to catch up to Italy on letting girls be trained to perform as choristers.
@@andreacorvaglia5373happily, you are too late and out of date. The Bishop of London is a woman. Married clergy have run English churches for 400 years. World keeps turning. Handel wrote for churches with married clergy and female voices. All good.
What an honor for these singers... a command performance! It's a beautiful occurrence, these talented musicians in this majestic cathedral performing for an appreciative audience and a grateful monarch.
I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing organist! He or she was phenomenal in this. I remember being in awe of the complicated setup of the organ and thinking it was cool that u rarely see the organist during the playing of a composition
Robert Quinney was the Organist here, He also played for the Wedding of Prince William & Katherine Middleton. He is now Director of Music & Organist at New College, Oxford, He is also Professor of Music at Oxford University
If you mean when was this music created? It was written by G.F. Handel for King George II coronation in 1727 and it was sung at every british coronation since.
One of Handel's greatest. A beautiful piece well chosen by the Queen. I watched the service on television and can only praise Her Majesty for choosing this. Most of the rest of the music was underwhelming and this made it so much better!
Fabulous interpretation of Handel and the anthem Zadok the Priest, heavenly and glorious organ. It's the great chorus westminster real. From: Enrique Millan G.profesor History of Music
Zadok the priest And Nathan the prophet Anointed Solomon king And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced and said: God save the king Long live the king God save the king May the king live forever Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen Amen, amen, alleluia, amen (4 measure rest) God save the king Long live the king May the king live forever Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen May the king live May the king live For ever, for ever, for ever, Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen Alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen, amen Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, amen Long live the king God save the king Long live the king May the king live May the king live For ever, for ever, for ever, Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen Alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen, amen Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, amen.
I hope to see a coronation in my life and with all the rites and ceremonies included in the broadcast. Media has come a long way since the Queen ascended the throne so I don't think anything would be considered "Too sacred" to be broadcast now. The various camera positions that were in the Abbey during Prince William's wedding if utilized again would only give greater honor and clarity to the historic event.
You will see king Charles or king William. We all will. Rhodesia and Zimbabwe are a result of the British crown, ambitious English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh people that developed our country. Yes the minority government was racist and cruel but we can't deny their excellence at running a country. Hopefully Zimbabwe will rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations
I admire Prince Charles in many ways and I'll possibly live to see his coronation, but I dread it! I'm afraid he'll make it a multicultural, rather than a Christian, occasion.
Of course there are some rituals and ceremonies that are too sacred! For example the anointment of a British monarch can not even be seen by the guest in the Abbey. The coronation is a crucial and religious moment in the life of the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and defender of the Scottish faith.
hermoglyph 22 Seeing as he is the head of the Church of England, and will be coronated in Westminster Abbey, I will be sorely disappointed if his coronation is made out to be anything different than what it is. The bestowing of divine rights upon the Sovereign.
This service was one week before the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and apart from the essential ceremony of the Maunday Monday was useful for the BBC to check their broadcast. The West door was covered with scaffolding fronted by a life sized photograph of the west end, so that in long shot you cannot see the difference. The scaffolding was used by cameras the following week. It is customary that when the Sovereign is standing, as in the presentations, everyone else stands and that includes the Duke of Edinburgh who then read the lesson and stood again during the second presentation. The rest of us could sit for the lesson but not the Duke who was 90 at the time. Truly they are both an inspiration.
Thank you for this. What a joy to sing- and sung so lively here by Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal choristers. Can't wait to hear what they've been preparing for the upcoming wedding.
Zadok the priest, And Nathan the prophet, Anointed Solomon, king, And all the people Rejoiced! Rejoice! And all the people rejoiced: God save the King! Long live the King! May the King live, May he live for ever! Hallelujah! Amen! Hallelujah!
Update!!! Long live King Charles the III. His coronation is set for May 2023, 70 years after his mother. What a wonderful occasion for all of us to behold.
Yes. I was 13 and sang it in the local church choir at Mill Hill CofE. and it was great to extend our soprano voices with this piece. Westminster Abbey has a sublime choir.
According to the Order of Service, www.westminster-abbey.org/media/4289/royal-maundy-2011-service.pdf, it was Robert Quinney, Sub-Organist, Westminster Abbey.
It might be difficult. It has nearly 7,000 pipes (currently the fourth largest in the UK) and has two full length 32 feet stops (bottom C on the Pedal board the pipes are thirty-two feet in length).
