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This is the first of four anthems Handel wrote for the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline of England on October 11, 1727.
This task was one of the first of Handel's as the English court composer, as the previous King, George I, who had appointed him died a matter of months after the appointment.
At the coronation, this piece was sung by a choir of about 45 men and boys, and an orchestra of about 160 players, a ratio of almost 4:1 (interesting enough, the reverse is true in almost any modern Handel performance!).
This anthem is in three parts, the first of which the complete text is seen above, the second being "And the people rejoiced", and the third being "God save the King". Text: 1 Kings 1: 38-40