I was glad

'I was glad' (Latin incipit: Laetatus sum) 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.[1]

This article is about British choral works of this name. For the psalm that begins with these words, see Psalm 122.

Text

The text accompanies the monarch's entrance into Westminster Abbey and was formalised in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.[1]

  1. I was glad when they said unto me : We will go into the house of the Lord.
  2. Our feet shall stand in thy gates : O Jerusalem.
  3. Jerusalem is built as a city : that is at unity in itself.
  4. 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.
  5. For there is the seat of judgement : even the seat of the house of David.
  6. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love thee.
  7. Peace be within thy walls : and plenteousness within thy palaces.
  8. For my brethren and companions' sakes : I will wish thee prosperity.
  9. 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 1685[2] 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.[3]

"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 [ˈwiːwat reːˈɡiːna]; those of Ecclesiastical Latin would pronounce it [ˈvivat reˈdʒina]. The traditional English pronunciation when referring to the British monarch is /ˈvaɪvæt rɪˈdʒaɪnə/ VY-vat rij-EYE-nə.[2] At the coronation of both a king and a queen, the vivat for the queen precedes that for the king.[3]

Musical settings at British coronations

Use at other British royal events

Other complete or partial settings in English

See also

References
  1. 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)
  2. >Tanner, Lawrence E (1934), Westminster School: A History, Country Life Ltd, London (p. 36)
  3. Hall. John (2012), Queen Elizabeth II and Her Church: Royal Service at Westminster Abbey, Bloomsbury Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4411-2072-4] (p. 11)
  4. Range, Matthias (2012), Music and Ceremonial at British Coronations: From James I to Elizabeth II, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-1-107-02344-4 (Appendix C, pp. 281–284)
  5. Gatens, William J (1987), Victorian Cathedral Music in Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-26808-7 (p. 84)
  6. Cowgill, Rachel and Rushton, Julian (2006) Europe, Empire, and Spectacle in Nineteenth-century British Music, Ashgate Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7546-5208-3 (pp. 124–125)
  7. "Abbey releases music for the Coronation Vivats". www.westminster-abbey.org. Dean and Chapter of Westminster. 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  8. "Balcony kisses seal royal wedding". BBC News. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  9. 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.
  10. Laster, James H (1996). Catalogue of Choral Music Arranged in Biblical Order. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. pp. 248–249. ISBN 0-8108-3071-X.
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