"Zadok the Priest"

"Zadok the Priest" is the most celebrated of the four Coronation Anthems that GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL composed for the coronation of King George II in 1727. The work is set to a biblical text from the First Book of Kings, describing the anointing of King Solomon by the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan. The work opens with a long orchestral introduction that gradually builds tension and expectation before bursting into the triumphant proclamation "Zadok the Priest". The contrast between the tranquil opening and the choral apotheosis creates one of the most striking moments in Western European music. From the coronation of George II to the present day, "Zadok the Priest" has been performed at every coronation of a British monarch.