Why is the Champions League song being played at the coronation? How Zadok the Priest became a football anthem
Zadok the Priest #ZadokthePriest
Millions of people are watching the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla around the world.
The service at Westminster Abbey will feature all the tradition and pomp one might expect of the occasion, as well as a carefully curated selection of music.
But when the traditional coronation anthem “Zadok the Priest” plays at a crucial moment in the ceremony, football fans might get a shock – because it bears an uncanny similarity to the tune that plays before Champions League games.
What is ‘Zadok the Priest’?
“Zadok the Priest: The Coronation Anthem” – to give it its full title – was composed by George Frideric Handel for the coronation of King George II in 1727.
It is the most popular of four anthems he composed for the event, and has been used at the coronation of every British monarch since.
The song is always sung just before the monarch is anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Despite being born German, Handel predominantly spent his career in England, and became a British citizen the same year George II was crowned.
Encyclopedia Britannica explains how Handel was chosen to compose music for the coronation: “When England’s Queen Anne died without immediate heirs, the throne passed to her German cousin, the elector himself, who was crowned George I and was pleased to claim the attention of Handel.
“George I’s son, George II, also preferred the work of his father’s longtime favourite, and he requested that Handel write music for his coronation.”
The lyrics come from the Bible – specifically 1 Kings 1:38-40, a section about how a priest named Zadok anointed Solomon as the new king of ancient Israel:
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!
May the King live forever!
Amen! Amen! Alleluia!
British composer Tony Britten rearranged “Zadok the Priest” for Uefa in 1992 to become the anthem for the newly-created Champions League.
The anthem is performed by London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chorus in English, French, and German – Uefa’s three official languages:
Ce sont les meilleures équipes
Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften
The main event
Die Meister
Die Besten
Les grandes équipes
The champions
Une grande réunion
Eine große sportliche Veranstaltung
The main event
Ils sont les meilleurs
Sie sind die Besten
These are the champions
Die Meister
Die Besten
Les grandes équipes
The champions
What other music will feature in the coronation?
Music plays a pivotal role in nearly all royal events and ceremonies – and the King’s coronation will be no different.
From the procession to the service at Westminster Abbey, proceedings will feature a soundtrack tailored to the occasion.
Music has been composed for the event and will be intertwined with traditional hymns and historically significant pieces.
Andrew Nethsingha, organist and master of the choristers at the historic Abbey, is taking charge of the musical arrangements and will be directing the music during the main service.
Before the service
During the service
The coronation of King Charles III
You can follow the coronation as it happens with our live blog here, and this is a full timetable of the coronation, including when Charles will actually be crowned, and details of the concert.
The ceremony has taken an astonishing amount of preparation, with Operation Golden Orb – decades in the planning – bringing in snipers and police officers from across the country to aid security. The coronation will also feature the biggest military procession in 70 years, no small feat of logistics, but still intends to be the most sustainable ever.
This week, The i Podcast looks at whether King Charles III could be the last monarch of a Commonwealth realm which was born from the British Empire and funded by the proceeds of slavery. Listen here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Acast | Wherever you listen