In 1840, the King of Prussia invited Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) to accept a lofty musical appointment in the French Academie Royale.  A few years later, Wilhelm IV commissioned the composer to write incidental music to a religious drama by Jean Racine, ATHALIE, based on the queen of Judah during Jehoram’s reign.  It was intended for a private performance on December 1, 1845 and saw its first public performance on January 8th of the following year.  WAR MARCH OF THE PRIESTS, a brief excerpt taken from the work, is sometimes heard during graduation ceremonies. Reprint edition. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 2.2.3.1: Timp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).