The Chapel Royal did not originally refer to a building but an establishment in the Royal Household. It is a body of priests and singers to serve the spiritual needs of the Sovereign. Over time the term has become associated with a number of chapels used by monarchs for worship over the centuries. Today the two main Chapels Royal are located at St James's Palace in London: The Chapel Royal and The Queen's Chapel. In all the medieval monarchies of western Europe the general system of government sprang from, and centred in, the royal household. ... The adjective sovereign is used to refer to a state of sovereignty. ... Main entrance of St Jamess Palace, London St Jamess Palace is one of Londons oldest and most historic palaces. ...

Emerging as a distinct body in the late 13th century, it formerly had no official base, but travelled, like the rest of the court, with the monarch and held services wherever he or she was residing at the time. In the 17th century the chapel had its own building in Whitehall, which burned down in 1698; since 1702 it has been based in St. James's Palace. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ... Events January 4 - Palace of Whitehall in London is destroyed by fire. ... Events March 8 - William III died; Princess Anne Stuart becomes Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Main entrance of St. ...

The Chapel possesses an important choir. This achieved its greatest eminence during the reign of Elizabeth I, when William Byrd and Thomas Tallis were joint organists. The "Master of the Children" had until at least 1684 the power to press-gang promising boy trebles from provincial choirs for service in the chapel; the boy choristers were also used until 1626 as actors in productions of plays at court and in the 18th century to sing the soprano parts in performances of Handel's oratorios and other works. Under Charles II the choir was often augmented by violinists from the royal band; at various times the chapel has also employed composers, lutenists and viol players. A choir or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. ... Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603 ) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... William Byrd William Byrd (1540? – July 4, 1623) was one of the most celebrated English composers in the Renaissance. ... Thomas Tallis Thomas Tallis (ca. ... The Casavant pipe organ at Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Montreal The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the western musical tradition, with a rich history connected with the Christian religion and civic ceremony. ... Events France under Louis XIV makes Truce of Ratisbon separately with the Empire and Spain. ... Treble is a term applied in music to the high or acute part of the musical system, as opposed to the bass, the lower or grave part. ... Events September 30 - Nurhaci, chieftain of the Jurchens and founder of the Qing Dynasty dies and is succeeded by his son Hong Taiji. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A play is a common form of literature, usually consisting chiefly of dialog between characters, and usually intended for performance rather than reading. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... George Frideric Handel (German Georg Friedrich Händel), (February 23, 1685 – April 14, 1759) was a German-born British Baroque music composer. ... An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. ... Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... The lute is a plucked string instrument with a fretted neck and a deep round back. ... Various sizes of viol The viol or viola da gamba family of musical instruments is related to the vihuela, rebec, etc. ...

See also

• Religion in the United Kingdom
• Anglican church music

St Pauls Cathedral The United Kingdom is traditionally a Christian country, with two of the Home nations having official faiths: Anglicanism, in the form of the Church of England, is the established church in England. ... Anglican church music is music written for performance in Anglican church services, primarily in England. ...

External link

• Chapels Royal - From the Official site of the British Monarchy

Reference

"London (i), §II, 1: Music at court: The Chapel Royal", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 16 Sept. 2004) http://www.grovemusic.com