New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-11
NE CORONATION MUSIC
oehearsing Compositions Rang
:. ing Over 500 Years.
CHOIR OF 500 VOICES
description of Crowns TO Be
Worn and the Coronation
Paintings.
London. June 3.


oronation music is already In re-
=, O, the Church House, although
,,,o;, has not vet been recruited to
'l0 III strensth Of FIVE hundred voices.
~ main body of singers from the Alb
- and ROYAL ohapels is practising the
...,,ens. HYMNS and communion office.
.,e orchestra has been formed from
.ss Kings private band and the players
= the ROYAL Choral Society. AS Sir
r,sderick Bridge is a painstaking
.<,auctor. who drills his musicians and
.s-ors with scientific thoroughness, the
,oration music is we'll in hand three
.aps before the great day. II is not
s,#cplt music. but simple and stately.
4, ,s adapted 70 the ceremonial re-
.u,,ements Of the service. With the
,s,s,e exception OF Merbecke's Creed IL
=, english music. embracing in compost
.,,n q comprehensive range of FIVE cen
r.a,,ss and providing examples Of the
.,,,o-k Of six living musicians. AS heard
!, the preliminary practice al the Church
.Jouse. il seems dry and perfunctory,
~, probsbly il will be most impressive
when the orchestra is fully recruited and
,sinforced by the great organ at the Alb
hey.
The actual service will open with the
rrocessional anthem. Il was glad COM
rosed by Sir Hubert Parry for the last
coronation. and introducing with a
snirited setting the traditional shouts Of
the Westminster schoolboys. "Vivat
Rex, ''vivat Regina on that occa-
sim there was false start before the
royal professions were ready 70 move.
and the Westminster boys shouted lust
.,ly before il was time for them to inter
Sene. The conductor was not lacking in
presence Of mind. and the anthem with
the "Vivats" was repeated without
knowledge on the part Of the vast audi
ence that any mistake had been made
The anthem with the revival Of the
ancient school custom as one of the mo-
tives will be heard afresh. with it's joy
GUS greeting Of the King and the Queen.
A fanfare Of trumpets will follow the
recognition of the sovereign on each of
the four sides OF the theatre. and II will
be the stately accompaniment of the ac-
Carnations of the audience. The Litany,
which was omitted when Edward VII
was crowned, will he chanted 10 Tallis's
setting composed after the second prayer
book Of the reign Of Edward VI was in
use
The communion service will he opened
with an introit adapted by Sir Frederick
Bridge from one Of Prcelrs scores, in
place Of Sir Arthur Sullivan's 40
hearken Thou" and the creed will he not
Wesley's, but Merbecke's plain song YER
sion, partly modernized by Sir George
Martin for the organ and brasses of the
hand. After the sermon by the Arch
bishop Of York. which was omitted at the
hast coronation. the oaths will be adj
minlstered by the Archbishop of Canter-
bury. and the choir will sing "Veni Gre
ator Spirtus' while the King and the
Queen are kneehng on their faldstools
This is the ancient plain song melody
which has been hallowed by the tradi-
tons Of centuries. Soon afterward will
he heard the homage anthem, "Zadok
Inc Priest" which was composed by
Handel during the period Of the Georges.
win a splendid orchestral prelude sug-
costing the procession Of the twelve
Tribes at King Solomon's coronation. No
substitute has been found for this dra-
matte anthem since the coronation Of
Ieorge H. II was the most impressive
musical passage at the last coronation
ana Sir Frederick Bridge. by increasing
'he orchestra and improving the quality
OF the voices. Is striving to produce a
ersnder effect in the coming ceremony.
Ihere viii be no musical interludes
during the series Of symbolicaI investi-
lures which follow the amounting Of the
King. but when the supreme moment If
coronation comes and trumpets are
blown and the Abbey is resounding with
acclamations the orchestra and choir
Mi unite in Sir Walter Parrstts an
mem, BE strong and play the man"
MS was perhaps the most affecting
music AT the last coronation. owing 10
King Edwards recovery from sudden
Illness. After the King has been en-
hroned and homage has been received
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