Handel: Zadok the Priest | The English Concert & Händelfestspielorchester Halle

Exuberant and regal: Two of the world’s most noted Baroque orchestras, the English Concert and the Händelfestspielorchester Halle, played “Zadok the Priest” HWV 258 under the baton of Howard Arman as part of the Handel Celebration Concert on 14 April 2009. The performance took place in the spectacular Market Church of Halle, where Handel was baptized in 1685. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed “Zadok the Priest” for the coronation of the British monarch George II and queen consort Caroline of Ansbach, in 1727. At the time of composition, Handel had already lived in London for over a decade, and he would remain there until his death in 1759. In February 1727, mere months before the coronation of George II, the German born Handel became a British citizen – a highly complicated process at the time, which demonstrates Handel’s commitment to the country. “Zadok the Priest” is one of four anthems Handel composed for the coronation celebration in 1727. The work was first played for Geo