Music for the Coronation

[smittims]

What would you like to hear on the big day (next summer perhaps) ?

I'm partly (I hope unecessarily) fearing a lot of politically-correct stuff where the quality of the music as music is not a criterion.

The last time a king was crowned the best piece, in my opinion, was Vaughan Williams' 'A Flourish for a Coronation' a 12 minute choral and orchestral work . I don't know if it was played at the actual service, but according to Kennedy it was first performed at Queens Hall on 1 April that year, in an astonishingly intense performance which has fortunately survived on disc. The conductor was Sir Thomas Beecham, often unfairly criticised for not liking VW's music, which he performed more often than many think.

[makropulos]

The conductor was Sir Thomas Beecham, often unfairly criticised for not liking VW's music, which he performed more often than many think.

I don't think it's 'unfair' criticism of Beecham to assert that he didn't much care for RVW's music. As far as I am aware, he only conducted two of the symphonies (London and Pastoral), the Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1, In the Fen Country, Wasps Overture and the Flourish for a Coronation (which I agree is rather a terrific piece). But TB made no secret of his lack of serious interest in RVW's music, was sometimes disparaging about it with orchestras (see John Lucas's biography) and they were never on friendly terms with each other. RVW was extremely well served by several conductors, but surely it's no criticism of TB to say that he by and large had other fish to fry. No conductor can like everything, after all, and Beecham was quite honest about it.

[smittims]

Fair enough, makropoulos, but I'd say yours was 'fair' criticism. You acknowledge that he did conduct some VW. Others have gone to extremes and implied that he loathed it and avoided it altogether.

Yes, Tommy was choosy in his repertoire , hardly any Ravel, for instance, despite his fame as an interpreter of French music. But I think some commentators take too seriously his humorous asides as being credal statements; I've read, for instance that he loathed Beethoven and avoided it, when in fact he performed at least six of the symphonies and left fine recordings of five of them .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Edward VII - Elgar: Coronation Ode
George V - Elgar: Coronation March
George VI - Walton: Crown Imperial
Elizabeth II - Walton: Orb and Sceptre
Charles III - ???

King Charles has decent taste, so I doubt whether we’ll be subjected to Sweet Caroline.

[smittims]

Yes, I gather he likes Parry, so there'll perhaps be some of his celebratory music .

[cat]

I'm sure there will be plenty for most tastes. The order of service is:

1. The Procession
2. The Entrance
3. The Recognition
4. Veni Creator
5. The Litany
6. The Anointing
7. The Crowning
8. The Homage
9. The Queen's Crowning
10. Te Deum
11. Introit
12. Gradual
13. Creed
14. Offertory
15. Sanctus
16. Communion
17. Gloria

The items from this list that have been sung or spoken has varied from one coronation to the next.

The last two times there were five anthems just for The Homage, including Gibbons (O clap your hands) and Wesley (Thou wilt keep him) as well as one from a contemporary composer (Dyson for George VI and Healey Wilan for Elizabeth II). In 1685 for James II it was just Blow's God spake sometime in visions, which is what I want to hear but it's unlikely to return as it would knock an opportunity for a handful of other anthems out of the order.

I wonder how long the commissioned composer(s) will have to complete their pieces this time...

[Serial_Apologist]

What would you like to hear on the big day (next summer perhaps) ?

I'm partly (I hope unecessarily) fearing a lot of politically-correct stuff where the quality of the music as music is not a criterion.

The last time a king was crowned the best piece, in my opinion, was Vaughan Williams' 'A Flourish for a Coronation' a 12 minute choral and orchestral work . I don't know if it was played at the actual service, but according to Kennedy it was first performed at Queens Hall on 1 April that year, in an astonishingly intense performance which has fortunately survived on disc. The conductor was Sir Thomas Beecham, often unfairly criticised for not liking VW's music, which he performed more often than many think.

What constituted the "true" lineage of English music in the first half of the 20th century was a matter of considerable controversy and sides-taking at the time, not least among critics but composers as well. Beecham was very much a "Delius man"; as far as I know Delius didn't think much of Vaughan Williams's music, rhetorically claiming there to be no such thing as English music, and so I would assume some connection or cross-loyalty there.

[smittims]

According to VW, Delius was politely complimentary when he heard VW play 'A Sea Symphony' to him on the piano. He did have some English composer friends. But I don't think Delius 'thought much ' of many composers including Mozart , Bach and Beethoven.

[Dave2002]

I'm sure there will be plenty for most tastes. The order of service is:

1. The Procession
2. The Entrance
3. The Recognition
4. Veni Creator
5. The Litany
6. The Anointing
7. The Crowning
8. The Homage
9. The Queen's Crowning
10. Te Deum
11. Introit
12. Gradual
13. Creed
14. Offertory
15. Sanctus
16. Communion
17. Gloria

The items from this list that have been sung or spoken has varied from one coronation to the next.

The last two times there were five anthems just for The Homage, including Gibbons (O clap your hands) and Wesley (Thou wilt keep him) as well as one from a contemporary composer (Dyson for George VI and Healey Wilan for Elizabeth II). In 1685 for James II it was just Blow's God spake sometime in visions, which is what I want to hear but it's unlikely to return as it would knock an opportunity for a handful of other anthems out of the order.

I wonder how long the commissioned composer(s) will have to complete their pieces this time...

I guess this is an old list, unless King Charles has become gender fluid.

[mopsus]

I guess this is an old list, unless King Charles has become gender fluid.

I thought so too for a moment, then realised the Queen referred to is the Queen Consort.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I thought so too for a moment, then realised the Queen referred to is the Queen Consort.

Is that like the King Singers?

[cat]

Some details on the music:

https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-news/buckingham-palace-announces-music-for-the-coronation

[Pulcinella]

The Sunday Times take:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/king-charles-coronation-will-have-cornish-choristers-and-orthodox-chants-tcnj3vfqc?shareToken=593ac4b5c167bd348fe19b0f1ea16029

Maybe the Truro girls pictured here are familiar to a couple of forumites from those parts.

[smittims]

Thanks for the news.

Like many people, I suppose, I was planning to record the TV broadcast and make a DVD-R to keep. I was expecting to cut it down in length and exclude all the predictable chit-chat I won't want to see again, so I can now see those deletions will include the music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Judith Weir, Debbie Wiseman and mabye more.

Oh dear. I feel a bit disappointed. I suppose the King is in an awkward position. He may feel he is expected to make popular and politically-correct choices, but I do wonder if he really likes all this music and how often he will listen to it.

[Benjamin]

Music for The King's Coronation

It isn't quite an order of service, but the Royal Household released several details of the music to be sung/played before and during The King's Coronation this May.

More information available here.