Zadok the Priest at British Coronations

Yesterday in 1727, George II was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Composer George Frideric Handel was commissioned to write four new anthems for the service. One of these anthems was Zadok the Priest, which has been played at every British coronation since, including our present Queen's. I have no doubt it will one day be played at Charles'.

It is based on 1 Kings 1:32ff

And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

Listen to the iconic piece of music here: http://bit.ly/1px5SeG . Fast forward to 1:20 if you wish to go straight to the crescendo.