This edition was prepared by Michael Gibson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, HWV 264
Staff Notation • Sacred, Oratorios
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Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, HWV 264 by George Fredrick Handel — Lyrics
The ways of Zion do mourn and she is in bitterness;
all her people sigh and hang down their heads to the ground.
How are the mighty fall’n.
She that was great among the nations,
and princess of the provinces!
She put on righteousness, and it cloathed her;
her judgment was a robe and a diadem.
When the ear heard her, then it blessed her,
and when the eye saw her, it gave witness of her.
She delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless,
and him that had none to help him.
Kindness, meekness, and comfort were her tongue;
if there was any virtue,
and if there was any praise, she thought on those things.
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About Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, HWV 264
Handel's Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline opens with a profound sense of mourning, the SATB voices expressing the sorrow of a nation. The music moves with dignity and pathos, reflecting the solemnity of the occasion. The text, drawn from Scripture, vividly portrays the late Queen's virtues and the deep loss felt by her people. It speaks of her righteousness, her commitment to justice, and her compassion for the poor and fatherless. The composer captures the essence of these words, from the initial lamentation to the final affirmation of everlasting remembrance. This anthem is a powerful testament to a life of service and virtue, rendered with Handel's characteristic grandeur and emotional depth.
