Coronation anthem

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A coronation anthem is a piece of choral music to accompany the crowning of a monarch. Many composers have written such works. Being anthems, they are not hymns but textured motets requiring a trained choir.

Four familiar coronation anthems are those by George Frideric Handel composed in 1727 for the crowning of George II of Great Britain. They use texts from the King James Bible. In the sequence for the service, they are:

• Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened — for the recognition of the king as the rightful ruler
• Zadok the Priest — for the anointing, i.e. recognition by God and the Church
• The King Shall Rejoice — for the crowning itself
• My Heart is Inditing — for the anointing and coronation of the queen