The unique keyboard of Billy Kitson writes:

>Isn't this One of those 'awful things" for ULTRA Nationalism - the
>Coronation would have been a for the KING & EMPEROR on whose Empire the
>Sun never Dared to Set?? "Send a Gunboat!!"; Plus:- "Sah, the natives are
>Revolting"!!  "I know, Aren't they just Horrid"?? BUT, dear olde English
>"Gentleman" Georg Frederic Handel wrote a Large piece to Celebrate the
>C18th MASSACRE @ Culloden!!!  Why the same person was paying him = English
>KING!!  When in Rome do as the Romans do"?? I'll bet Lunnon to a Brick the
>Westminster Abbey "lot" fully concurred with ALL the sentiments of the
>Libretto??

The Coronation Ode was composed for the coronation (1904?) of Edward VII.
It contains the famous setting of LaZnd of Hope and Glory to the melody
from the trio of the first Pomp and Circumstance march.  The text was by
A.C.  Benson, brother of E.F.  the creater of the Mapp & Lucia novels.

Handel's air See the Conquering Hero Comes, (from whichever oratorio) did
indeed celebrate the bloody exploits of William, Duke of Cumberland, whose
armies defeated the Highlanders at Culloden and thus finished the Jacobite
Rebellion.  Cumberland had the unique distinction of having both a flower
(Sweet William) and a weed (Stinking Billy) named after him by the English
and the (Highland) Scotch.  BTW, Culloden was a disaster for the
Highlanders and a totally fiasco tactically, buyt not a massacre in the
sense of Lidice or My Lai.

Deryk Barker
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