'I was glad' () is an English text drawn from selected verses of Psalm 122. It has been used at Westminster Abbey in the coronation ceremonies of British monarchs since those of King Charles I in 1626.MacLeane, Douglas (1911), The Great Solemnity of the Coronation of the King and Queen of England According to the Use of the Church of England, George Allen & Company, London. (p. 69)
Text The text accompanies the monarch's entrance into Westminster Abbey and was formalised in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. I was glad when they said unto me : We will go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates : O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city : that is at unity in itself. For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord : to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. For there is the seat of judgement : even the seat of the house of David. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls : and plenteousness within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes : I will wish thee prosperity. Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God : I will seek to do thee good. The selected verses (verses 4, 5, 8 and 9 are omitted) form a prayer for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, and its use in the coronation service clearly draws a parallel between Jerusalem and the United Kingdom.
'Vivat" interpolation Since the coronation of King James II in 1685Tanner, Lawrence E (1934), Westminster School: A History, Country Life Ltd, London (p. 36) an additional non-biblical text is added to the psalm verses used in the Westminster Abbey ceremonies, i.e. the acclamation "Vivat Rex ... " or "Vivat Regina ... " ("Long live King/Queen ..."). By tradition this acclamation is made by King's or Queen's Scholars of Westminster School as the Sovereign passes through the Quire of Westminster Abbey.Hall. John (2012), Queen Elizabeth II and Her Church: Royal Service at Westminster Abbey, Bloomsbury Publishing, ] (p. 11)
"Vivat" pronunciation The acclamation uses a variant of standard Latin pronunciation known as Anglicised Latin. Scholars of Classical Latin would pronounce the Vivat Regina as ; those of Ecclesiastical Latin would pronounce it . The traditional English pronunciation when referring to the British monarch is . At the coronation of both a king and a queen, the vivat for the queen precedes that for the king.
Musical settings at British coronations
1626: King Charles I, no details 1661: King Charles II, William Child and Thomas TomkinsRange, Matthias (2012), , Cambridge University Press, () 1685: King James II, Henry Purcell and John Blow
Pigott 1702: Queen Anne, Francis Pigott 1714: King George I, Francis Pigott 1727: King George II, Francis Pigott
Boyce 1761: King George III, William Boyce
Attwood 1821: King George IV, Thomas AttwoodGatens, William J (1987), Victorian Cathedral Music in Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press, (p. 84) 1831: King William IV, Thomas Attwood 1838: Queen Victoria, Thomas Attwood
Parry
1902: King Edward VII, Hubert Parry Parry indicated in the score a space for an improvisatory fanfare between the King's and the Queen's "Vivat" acclamations At the first performance of Parry's setting at the 1902 coronation the director of music Sir Frederick Bridge misjudged the timing and had finished the anthem before the King had arrived, having to repeat it when the right moment came. Bridge was saved by the organist, Walter Alcock, who improvised in the interim.Cowgill, Rachel and Rushton, Julian (2006) Europe, Empire, and Spectacle in Nineteenth-century British Music, Ashgate Publishing, (pp. 124–125) 1911: King George V, Hubert Parry Parry revised his 1902 version by adding an introduction, antiphonal choir effects and brass fanfares 1937: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Hubert Parry At the coronation of George VI and Elizabeth in 1937, the acclamation took the form of "Vivat Regina Elizabetha" and "Vivat Rex Georgius". 1953: Queen Elizabeth II, Hubert Parry At the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, the acclamation took the form of "Vivat Regina Elizabetha" 2023: King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Hubert Parry At the coronation of Charles III and Camilla in 2023 the acclamation took the form of "Vivat Regina Camilla!" and "Vivat Rex Carolus!"
Use at other British royal events Setting by Hubert Parry: 1945: National service of thanksgiving for VE Day at St Paul's Cathedral 1977: Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, national service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral 1981: Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral 2002: Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, national service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral 2011: Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. 2022: Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, national service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral
Other complete or partial settings in English (n.d.): Richard Woodward (n.d.): Leo Sowerby 1879: John Goss 1902: Henry Marcellus Higgs. This setting was distributed by the Church of England in an order of service for that year's Coronation Day to be used in its churches throughout His Majesty's Empire.The form and order of service recommended for use ... throughout His Majesty's Empire, on ... the Coronation day of their Majesties King Edward and Queen Alexandra. (London: Church of England, 1902) pp.3–9. Online resource: archive.org, accessed 14 June 2023. 1933: Herbert Howells. 1955: S. Drummond Wolff 1957: Robin Orr 1962: Healey Willan 1971: Peter Hallock
See also
Laetare Sunday, which uses a similar introit Other settings of Psalm 122 in various languages.
References
External links
. This contains Parry's holograph, with two pages apparently inserted for the 1911 coronation. , Choir of St Paul's Cathedral at the 2002 Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II