The Queen's Jubilee

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

To change the subject a little, for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 10 years ago, I composed a jubilee march for performance by a youth band. I then sent it to Buckingham Palace to request permission to dedicate it to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. With the deaths of her mother and sister following my submission, it was some time before I received a reply, which was that the Queen did not normally accept dedications, but would make an exception for "this special year".
Elgar managed it (Caractacus was dedicated to Queen Victoria).

Apart from actual royal commissions, I wonder how many other works have had royal dedications.

[salymap]

To change the subject a little, for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 10 years ago, I composed a jubilee march for performance by a youth band. I then sent it to Buckingham Palace to request permission to dedicate it to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. With the deaths of her mother and sister following my submission, it was some time before I received a reply, which was that the Queen did not normally accept dedications, but would make an exception for "this special year".
Elgar managed it (Caractacus was dedicated to Queen Victoria).

Apart from actual royal commissions, I wonder how many other works have had royal dedications.

Well Eine Alp,congratulations are in order,I reckon, saly

Iam old enough to remember the birth of Prince Charles, when Gordon Jacob, Michael Tippett and someone else [was it Herbert Howells?] collectively presented a Birthday Suite to the Queen.
Over the years it fell apart and is never performed complete, although bits surface now and then.

[scottycelt]

To change the subject a little, for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 10 years ago, I composed a jubilee march for performance by a youth band. I then sent it to Buckingham Palace to request permission to dedicate it to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. With the deaths of her mother and sister following my submission, it was some time before I received a reply, which was that the Queen did not normally accept dedications, but would make an exception for "this special year".
Elgar managed it (Caractacus was dedicated to Queen Victoria).

Apart from actual royal commissions, I wonder how many other works have had royal dedications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._8_(Bruckner)

It's not my avatar that is the obsession ...

[Serial_Apologist]

Well Eine Alp,congratulations are in order,I reckon, saly

Iam old enough to remember the birth of Prince Charles, when Gordon Jacob, Michael Tippett and someone else [was it Herbert Howells?] collectively presented a Birthday Suite to the Queen.
Over the years it fell apart and is never performed complete, although bits surface now and then.

Prince Charles? In his Birthday Suit?

[amateur51]

Prince Charles? In his Birthday Suit?

[ahinton]

To change the subject a little, for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 10 years ago, I composed a jubilee march for performance by a youth band. I then sent it to Buckingham Palace to request permission to dedicate it to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. With the deaths of her mother and sister following my submission, it was some time before I received a reply, which was that the Queen did not normally accept dedications, but would make an exception for "this special year".

Well, good for you - and at leat HM the Queen did respond to you and that response was, exceptionally, positive !

Apart from actual royal commissions, I wonder how many other works have had royal dedications.

Well, Bethoven's Eroica Symphony aside (and we know what happened to the originally intended dedication on that!), there is - since you mention Elgar - the dedication on his second symphony that reads "Dedicated to the memory of His late Majesty King Edward VII; this symphony, designed early in 1910 to be a loyal tribute, bears its present dedication with the gracious approval of His Majesty the King".

I'm sure that there must be others, although I cannot immediately recollect any; Bruckner went one better than that in his Ninth Symphony, however...

[scottycelt]

... Bruckner went one better than that in his Ninth Symphony, howevedr...

He certainly didr, ahinton ... !

[ahinton]

He certainly did, ahinton ... !

Actually, on reflection, I'm not so sure that he did after all; he may well have done so for those who believe in the dedicatee of that symphony but not, one assumes, for those who don't...

[scottycelt]

Actually, on reflection, I'm not so sure that he did after all; he may well have done so for those who believe in the dedicatee of that symphony but not, one assumes, for those who don't...

He certainly did, ahinton ... in the real world, that is, and whatever your subsequent reflections ... who cares what others think or believe, the only thing that truly matters in this particular context is the officially recorded dedication of the composer!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Apart from actual royal commissions, I wonder how many other works have had royal dedications.

Sullivan's Ivanhoe is dedicated to Queen Victoria, who is said to have suggested that he write a "serious" Grand Opera because he "would be do it so well". Not quite a "royal commission". The dedication page is of its gushing type:

Dedicated
by special permission
to
Her most Gracious Majesty
The Queen
at whose suggestion this work was written,
in grateful acknowledgement
of Her Majesty's kindly encouragement,
by
her humble and devoted Subject
and Servant

Arthur Sullivan.

But then crawling to royalty was once part of the territory; witness the dedication page of Bach's glorious Musical Offering:

In deepest humility I dedicate herewith to Your Majesty a musical offering, the noblest part of which derives from Your Majesty's own August Hand. With awesome pleasure I still remember the very special Royal Grace when, some time ago, during my visit in Potsdam, Your Majesty’s Self deigned to play to me a theme for a fugue upon the clavier, and at the same time charged me most graciously to carry it out in Your Majesty’s Most August Presence. To obey Your Majesty’s command was my most humble duty. I noticed very soon, however, that, for lack of necessary preparation, the execution of the task did not fare as well as such an excellent theme demanded. I resolved therefore and promptly pledged myself to work out this right Royal theme more fully and then make it known to the world. This resolve has now been carried out as well as possible, and it has none other that this irreproachable intent, to glorify, if only in a small point, the fame of a Monarch whose greatness and power, as in all the sciences of war and peace, so especially in music, everyone must admire and revere. I make bold to add this most humble request: may Your Majesty deign to dignify the present modest labor with a gracious acceptance, and continue to grant Your Majesty’s Most August Royal Grace to

Your Majesty’s most humble and obedient servant

Leipzig, July 7, 1747 The Author

Where's Spike Milligan when you need him!

[Flosshilde]

Well, quite. At a time when most composers were employed by court or church I would think that dedications to princes of one or the other were commonplace.

[scottycelt]

Well, quite. At a time when most composers were employed by court or church I would think that dedications to princes of one or the other were commonplace.

Absolutely, Floss ... as common as muck ... and where would music be now if it hadn't been for court or church?

[amateur51]

Absolutely, Floss ... as common as muck ... and where would music be now if it hadn't been for court or church?

You can see why scotty kowtows to both with a mindset like that

[MrGongGong]

Absolutely, Floss ... as common as muck ... and where would music be now if it hadn't been for court or church?

In Tuva there is no tradition of court music (no court) and the traditional religion has no buildings so no church or temple music. The music is extraordinary and beautiful.It was only when the country became part of the Soviet Union that the concept of "pieces" became part of the traditional music, before that , given that people were nomadic, there was no sense of music needing to have defined boundaries in terms of duration.

So one doesn't need either to have a rich and vibrant tradition !

(The B Minor Mass is also quite good , just in case you think that i'm suggesting that it isn't !............ but the current Royal Family are to culture what Brendel is to bricklaying)

[amateur51]

In Tuva there is no tradition of court music (no court) and the traditional religion has no buildings so no church or temple music. The music is extraordinary and beautiful.It was only when the country became part of the Soviet Union that the concept of "pieces" became part of the traditional music, before that , given that people were nomadic, there was no sense of music needing to have defined boundaries in terms of duration.

So one doesn't need either to have a rich and vibrant tradition !

(The B Minor Mass is also quite good , just in case you think that i'm suggesting that it isn't !............ but the current Royal Family are to culture what Brendel is to bricklaying)

Thanks Mr GG - I didn't know about Tuva but I felt deep down in me Ugg boots that things would have developed productively if differently

Loved Brendel & bricklaying