Coronation Anthems - George Frideric Handel

This year is the 250th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest composers, George Frideric Handel, who died on 14 April 1759. Handel composed a total of 18 organ concertos, 40 operas and 21 oratorios.

The four anthems Handel composed for the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline on 11 October 1727 have never lacked popular favor. They were repeatedly performed at concerts and festivals during his life and since. Rarely did a composer of the day have such an audience for his new works and Handel composed his four anthems to match the pomp and grandeur of the occasion and, of course, the venue – Westminster Abbey.

The success of the anthems may have contributed to the popular image of Handel as a grandiloquent composer demanding huge forces of voices and instruments. In fact, Handel always matched his music to the occasion and the building for which it was written, and no occasion could be grander than a coronation. The forces that he used were substantial for the period: an augmented Chapel Royal Choir of 47 and an orchestra that may have numbered as many as 160!

Zadok the Priest, the first anthem, was written with words adapted from the first chapter of the First Book of Kings:

Zadok, the Priest, and Nathan, the Prophet, anointed Solomon King;

And all the people rejoic'd, and said:

God save the King, long live the King, may the King live for ever!

The words of Zadok the Priest have been sung at every coronation since that of King Edgar in 973 AD, and Handel's setting has been sung at every one since 1727.

Let thy hand be strengthened, the second anthem, Psalm 89:

Let thy hand be strengthened and thy right hand be exalted.

Let justice and judgment be the preparation of thy seat!
Let mercy and truth go before thy face.
 
The King Shall Rejoice uses a text from Psalm 21 and Handel sets each of the four sentences and the final Allelujah as separate musical sections:

The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord.

Exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation.

Glory and great worship hast thou laid upon him.

Thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness and hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

The piece has a magnificently grand and elaborate conclusion which, as it was performed at the actual crowning section of the coronation service, matches the occasion perfectly.

 

My Heart is Inditing is an adapted and abridged text using verses from Psalms 45 and Isaiah 49. It was sung late in the service when Queen Caroline was crowned, and throughout Handel's setting are references in the words that are relevant to a queen:

My heart is inditing of a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made unto the King.Kings daughters were among thy honourable women.

Upon thy right hand did stand the Queen in vesture of gold and the King shall have pleasure in thy beauty.

Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and queens thy nursing mothers.

Queen Rania meets Michelle Obama

HM Queen Rania of Jordan visited the White House on Thursday and was hosted by the U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.

Queen Rania is accopmanying her husband HM King Abdullah II on a working visit to the United States. She was the keynote speaker at the 8th Annual Global Philanthropy Forum Conference in Washington D.C.

IN MEMORIAM

Stepa Stepanović
(12 March 1856 – April 27, 1929)

Today is the 80th anniversary of death of Stepa Stepanović (Serbian: Степа Степановић), a field marshal of the Serbian Army who distinguished himself in Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918.

„You've got nothing to write about. Everything that's been done, was done by the officers and soldiers of my army. They’re the ones who defeated the enemy and liberated our country. If you already want to write something for the French and British newspapers – there, you write that.“

Stepanović’s words to the correspondent of the Press bureau of the Supreme Command, who wanted to write his biography for the Allied press, on the occasion of the victory in the Battle of Cer.

Pourquoi le Roi?

WHY THE KING?

What are the advantages of the monarchy?

A king has a role of an arbitrator...

He is independent of the parties...

So, he really represents all the French.

First of all, he is self - legitimate

Because his legitimate dynasty ruled by the people and for the people.

He is the true guarantor of the institutions,

He guarantees a sound and real separation of powers.

Louis will crown France

And rid our country of the republican hypocrisy.

Let us dare to have the King!

Why I am a monarchist (10)

Dragiša Jocić

It is my opinion that parliamentary monarchy is the only way, and our genetic code, that will lead Serbia to a better future and prosperity. I believe now is the right moment to achieve this goal. After the WW2, Serbia lost a true head of state, and she is still without one – although we could easily have a true head of state – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II Karadjordjevic. I see no reason to keep having false heads of state, and one can see that a candidate for the position is not wasting time, we just can’t allow that to happen, I think today we have a unique chance that we mustn’t miss. Serbia today has no true political alternative and no hope for the future, which is very dangerous, for it can in no time erupt into anarchy or dictatorship, which is the reason why we must work very wisely to give hope and alternative to our citizens, and I mean honest and real hope and alternative – reestablishment of parliamentary monarchy. Our final goal is to establish a system of values, to promote democracy, without abusing it. People who should work on this goal must exemplify democratic values and importance of parliamentary monarchy in achieving this goal, which for sure leads to Serbia’s progress.

The Royal Family has done so much for Serbia and Serbian people, without fanfare. Having in mind our mentality, this sort of approach must be changed, and although I am aware that the Karadjordjevics wish to have a calm, unassuming and gradual approach, circumstances have changed, and it really does not depend so much on them anymore. Simply, it can very easily happen that they remain stuck in the status they currently have, and that the idea of the Kingdom of Serbia vanishes like a soap bubble. I am deeply convinced that we must enter the EU as a kingdom, for it is only the Kingdom of Serbia that will be able to retain political and economic independence, while becoming a member of the European Union.

Crown prince Willem-Alexander in Afghanistan

HRH Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands paid a secret visit to the Dutch troops stationed in the Afghan province of Uruzgan last week. The Prince, who was accompanied by Major General Peter van Uhm, commander of the Dutch armed forces, was on his third visit to Afghanistan, where he met civilians and aid workers as well as soldiers.


In a speech, the Crown Prince heaped praise on the heads of the Dutch soldiers: „What you have achieved is unbelievable, impressive. On behalf of all Dutch people, I say that I am proud of what you are doing and of your willingness to make great sacrifices.“ During his visit, the Prince of Orange repeatedly mingled with the Dutch soldiers. He ate his meals with them and slept on thin mattresses in steal bunk beds.


„Of course there are frustrations among those who came here with positive expectations and feel that change is taking too long,“ the Prince wrote in his online diary. „But despite all this, I still have a sense of hope for a lasting peace and development, primarily because of the conversations and experiences of all these brave men and women who I've had the honour to meet here. They believe in their mission, and so do I.“

In an exclusive interview with AD newspaper, Prince Willem-Alexander said: „The Netherlands is forever inextricably bound up with Uruzgan. We will always continue to follow this province. It is a beautiful land with an extraordinary, old history.“

CHRIST RESURRECTED!

Serbian Orthodox Church continues to use the Julian calendar. The starting point in determining the date of Orthodox Easter is also March 21, but according to the Julian reckoning, which corresponds to April 4th on the Gregorian calendar. In addition, the lunar tables of the Julian calendar are 4 days (sometimes 5 days) behind those of the Gregorian calendar. The 14th day of the lunar month according to the Gregorian system is only the 9th or 10th day according to the Julian. The result of this combination of solar and lunar discrepancies is divergence in the date of Easter in most years.