I was glad
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I was glad is an anthem traditionally sung at the coronation of English monarchs. Its most famous setting was written in 1902 by Hubert Parry.
The anthem consists of verses from Psalm 122 (1-3, 6-7), and its title comes from the opening verse of the psalm in the Authorized Version (King James Version):
- I was glad when they said unto me: we will go into the house of the Lord
Most of the content of the psalm is 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, as William Blake had in his poem Jerusalem (which Parry set to music later, in 1916).
Settings for earlier coronations were composed by Henry Purcell and William Boyce, among others. Parry's version was written for the coronation of King Edward VII and revised in 1911 for that of King George V, when the familiar introduction was added. This setting employs antiphonal choir effects and brass fanfares. Apart from the imperial splendour of the music, the chief innovation is the incorporation in the central section of the acclamations "Vivat Rex ... " or "Vivat Regina ... " ("Long live King/Queen ...") with which the King's Scholars of Westminster School traditionally greet the entrance of the monarch. This section, which has to be slightly rewritten every time a new monarch is crowned, is generally omitted when the anthem is performed on non-royal occasions.