Music at the Coronation
of English and British
Kings and Queens

Music has played an important part at coronations. Beginning with the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902, a music edition of the Order of Service has been published, with full settings of all the choral parts.

Psalm 122: “I Was Glad”

As a first step to making these documents available, this page has copies of the opening psalm, Psalm 122, as set by Sir Hubert Parry for the 1902 Coronation, revised by him for 1911, and used in 1937 and 1953 with minor revision.

This setting is of particular interest as it incorporates the acclamation by the Scholars of Westminster School into the musical setting. As the acclamation includes the name in Latin of the monarch, and where appropriate of their Queen Consort, the setting must be revised for each coronation. Parry himself made more significant changes for 1911, and – with the necessary changes to the acclamations – that version has been used at subsequent coronations.

• 1902: the original Parry version, with “Vivat Regina Alexandra” and “Vivat Rex Edwardus”
• 1911: Parry’s revised version, with “Vivat Regina Maria” and “Vivat Rex Georgius”
• 1937: the acclamation, with “Vivat Regina Elizabetha” and “Vivat Rex Georgius”
• 1953: the acclamation, with “Vivat Regina Elizabetha”
• 2023: the acclamation, with “Vivat Regina Camilla” and “Vivat Rex Carolus” (this setting is identical to Parry’s 1911 version.

A traditional English pronunciation of the Latin acclamation is used. “V” is pronounced as in English; “G” is soft in Regina and Georgius, as in English “gin”; “I” in Vivat, Regina and Maria is a diphthong, as in English “like”:

Simon Kershaw
September 2022

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