Was this Coronation a beginning or an end? As I watched its mostly ancient ceremonies, a briefly-opened door into the astonishing past, I was often moved. It was full of glory, though rather melancholy glory. The settings by William Byrd of the prayer ���Prevent us, O Lord��� and of the Gloria are among the greatest music ever written. Likewise, Handel���s ���Zadok the Priest��� seems for a few moments to have discovered the actual heartbeat of the universe. But I was repeatedl...
Published on May 07, 2023 01:58