CORONATION SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1125, 12 May 1911, Page 2

CORONATION SERVICE.

>■■[:. ■' ■ THE MUSIC. .-•" The King lias approved tho following list of music, prepared by Sir Frederick Bridge, for the Coronation service in Westminster Abbey:— Anthem, "I Was Glad"...Sir Hubert Parry Litany »' Tallis Introit,- "Lot My Prayer"...Henry Purcell. Creed Mcrbecke ..(Arranged, for. Organ and Brass by Sir .George Martin.) Hymn, "Voni Creator" Ancient Plainsong Ant]iem, "Zadok the Priest" .' Handel Confortare, "Be Strong" • Sir Walter Parratt Homage Anthem, "Beioice in the Lord" Sir Frederick Bridge Offertorium, "0 hearken thou" Sir Edward Elgar "Sanctus" Dr. W. G. Alcook Amen Sir John Stainer "Gloria in Excelsis" Sir Charles Stanford Concluding Amen Orlando Gibbons "Te Deum" Sir Hubert Parry It will be seen' that all the music is by British composers, if we may include Handel, . whose well-known Coronation Anthem has been sung at every Coronation since that of George II and Queen Caroline. Sir Frederick Bridge, the Official Director of the Music, has arranged a comprehensive scheme covering four centuries and the present time. The sixteenth century is represented by Mcrbecke and Tallis, the seventeenth by Gibbons and Purcell, the eighteenth by Handel, the nineteenth by Sir John Stainer, and the present day by Dr. Alccck, Sir Frederick Bridge, Sir Edward Elgar, Sir George Martin, Sir Walter Parratt, Sir Hubert Parry, and Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. For this year's ceremony five of the works in. the foregoing list have been specially written. The' first alteration as compared with 1902, is in the Introit. On the former ocdaHon it was "0 hearken thou" from the late Sir Arthur Sullivan's oratorio, "The Light of the World," being the concluding bars of the chorus, "Men and brethren." This year it will bo Purcell's "Let my prayer," sung in 1902 as the Offertorium. The Creed in 1902 was sung to S. S. Wesley in E; this year it will be Mcrbecke, with special 'accompaniment by organ and brass instruments arranged by Sir George Martin. The next alteration is in the homage anthem, which, however, is again written, by Sir Frederick Bridge. On the last occasion it was set to words beginning "Kings shall see and arise" (Tsaiah xlix T, 9-12), but this year's anthem will be Psalm xxxiii, "Rejoice in the Lord" (1, 1246, juut IS-22). The Offertorium this year will ha by Sir Edward Elgar, "O hearken thou." In 1902 the "Sanctus" and "Gloria in Exce'sis" were by Sir John Stainer-(from his Service in A), but this year these will be sung respectively to compositions bv Dr. Alcock and Sir Charles Villiers- Stanford. In 1902 the music-ofr-tho "Te Deum" was that.of Sir C. Villiers Stanford in B flat, but this year the setting will be by Sir Hubert Parrv.. Orchestral music to bo used before and after the. Coronation will also play an important part in the Abbe,v ceremony, and, Sir. Edward.Elgar and Sir Alexander Mackenzie have been asked (o- compose it. At the last Coronation the orchestra comprised nearly eighty performers, and it is exoectcd that, the same number will be employed at the Coronation of King George. The body of the orchestra is formed of th« King's private band, of which Sir Walter Parratt is Master, and will be supplemented hv Sir Frederick Bridge's orchestra from the Royal Choral Society. . , ' The choir is expected to number between 400 and 5"/). but until the seating arrangements in the Abbev have been finished tho actual number cannot be decided unon. The voices will bo those of men and hovs only, who will, be selected from the Cathedrals arj. principal London churches.