Masters of the Queen's/King's Music

[ardcarp]

Maybe it is fortuitous that this programme occurs at this time. Or maybe it's an appropriate repeat of a past episode.



As part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Hannah French explores the history of the role of the Master of the Queen's Music, which dates back to Charles I's appointment of Nicholas Lanier in 1625.

The job itself has changed a great deal in those four hundred years, as we'll hear from the current incumbent - Judith Weir - the first woman to hold the position.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017ty2

[smittims]

I believe many holders of the post in previous centuries were not considered by their contemporaries to be good composers; it was seen as a job for a crony. I think the government tried to abolish it about a hundred years ago, and it was ony when Elgar volunteered to do it they agreed to continue.

It seems to have carried a knighthood; I think Malcolm Williamson was the first non-knight. Maybe he declined . Sir Arthur Bliss I think took it more seriously than anyone else, and wrote quite a few pieces for royal occasions. More recently it was noteworthy that Max Davies, while holding the position wrote a work seen as a protest against the then government's actions.

[oddoneout]

Maybe it is fortuitous that this programme occurs at this time. Or maybe it's an appropriate repeat of a past episode.



As part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Hannah French explores the history of the role of the Master of the Queen's Music, which dates back to Charles I's appointment of Nicholas Lanier in 1625.

The job itself has changed a great deal in those four hundred years, as we'll hear from the current incumbent - Judith Weir - the first woman to hold the position.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017ty2

Broadcast in June, so probably an appropriate repeat. I seem to remember thinking it was one of those programmes that could have stood being a bit longer.

[Serial_Apologist]

I believe many holders of the post in previous centuries were not considered by their contemporaries to be good composers; it was seen as a job for a crony. I think the government tried to abolish it about a hundred years ago, and it was ony when Elgar volunteered to do it they agreed to continue.

It seems to have carried a knighthood; I think Malcolm Williamson was the first non-knight. Maybe he declined . Sir Arthur Bliss I think took it more seriously than anyone else, and wrote quite a few pieces for royal occasions. More recently it was noteworthy that Max Davies, while holding the position wrote a work seen as a protest against the then government's actions.

He composed a march and a ceremonial piece of choral music with orchestra while in the post, admitting that while under no obligations to write appropriate things for the role, he had become interested in the genre of military music, and had decided to have a go at it. Max could sometimes be more inscrutable than his outward manner suggested; despite the assembled treating the thing as in good faith I for one was unable to take the March seriously. I remember him at the time warmly sticking up for Her Maj and the Duke, saying they were far from being the philistines the media portrayed them as being!

[Master Jacques]

I think Malcolm Williamson was the first non-knight. Maybe he declined.

He was the first non-knight in modern times: the very first to be knighted was Sir William Cusins (Master from 1870 to 1893). Williamson didn't get the chance to decline it, because - scandalously - it wasn't offered him, for reasons which are too boring to repeat. I don't know whether Judith Weir has declined a damehood, though. Like Malcolm Williamson, she currently sticks at CBE level.

[Master Jacques]

As am envoi, we had a very effective contribution from Judith Weir at today's Royal Funeral - starting sweet and traditional, and building into something surprisingly daring and harmonically quirky - and a superb one from James Macmillan (surely the next Master??) whose deep Russian-style basses led us towards a wonderfully Brucknerian explosion of emotive sound. Well done both, in my opinion!