What are lyrics to Handel's 'Zadok The Priest’?

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 performed as the new king was anointed. It was one of four coronation anthems Handel composed for the occasion, with the other three being; ‘Let thy Hand be strengthened’, ‘The King shall rejoice’ and ‘My Heart is inditing’, and has been performed at every British coronation ever since. In the text the word king refers to Solomon, so it stays king regardless whether it is a king or queen being anointed as the new monarch.

Did you know that composer Tony Britten used Zodok The Priest as the basis 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 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
ㅤ
God save the king
Long live the king
May the king live forever
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen
May the king live
May the king live
Forever, forever, forever
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
Long live the king
May the king live
May the king live
Forever, forever, forever
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen, amen,
Amen, amen, amen, alleluia, amen
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Amen, alleluia!

When is Zadok the Priest sung?

Since it was first used at the coronation of King George II, 'Zadok the Priest' has been sung at the coronation of every British monarch. It is always sung at the same moment during the ceremony: just before the anointing of the new monarch.

As such, 'Zadok the Priest' has come to be recognised as something of a British patriotic anthem.

Who was Zadok the Priest?

Zadok was a priest who features in the Old Testament of the Bible - specifically, in 1 Kings 1:38-40, which narrates how the priest Zadok anointed Solomon as the new king of ancient Israel. This Bible passage was then adapted into an antiphon (a short chant in Christian ritual, common in Gregorian chant), called 'Unxerunt Salomonem' ('They anointed Solomon'.)

Although the music for Zadok the Priest dates from Handel's composition for George II's coronation, the words have been used in every English / British coronation since that of King Edgar, who was crowned at Bath Abbey in 973.

What happened at Zadok the Priest's first performance?

At George II's coronation, the Westminster Abbey choir sang 'Zadok the Priest' in the wrong part of the service. There were a few incidents like this: the choir had earlier entirely forgotten to sing one anthem, while another finished 'in confusion'.

Are 'Zadok the Priest' and 'God Save the King' similar?

Yes, they are similar - but they differ in one key aspect. 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 the people rejoiced and said:
God save the King! Long live the King! God save the King!
May the King live for ever. Amen. Hallelujah.^[10]

So, the two anthems are drawn from the same Bible passage. However, the lyrics to 'God Save the King / Queen' change, based on the gender of the sovereign. The lyrics of 'Zadok the Priest' do not change in this way. That's because it comes directly from scripture, and because the king referred to in the lyrics is Solomon - so the words remain 'God Save the King' even if the new monarch is female.

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