Debussy at the Jubilee

[Nick Armstrong]

Looking at the music to be played before the Jubilee service in St Paul's on Tuesday, the name Debussy jumped out rather. Mendelssohn was obviously an honorary Brit, Handel we know about, Beethoven holds the flag for universal brotherhood &c. &c., and of course as we have learnt over on the AA thread, Saint Saens has a ceremonial toe-hold in Blighty having composed his Marche du Couronnement, Op.117 for the Coronation of Edward VII...

But Debussy?

Music before the Service

Simon Hogan, Organ Scholar, plays

Toccata and Fugue (The Wanderer) … … … … C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918)
Organ Sonata in E flat … … … … … … … … Edward Bairstow (1874-1946)
Rhosymedre … … … … … … … … … Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Adagio in E from Three Pieces for Organ … … … … Frank Bridge (1879-1941)

The Band of the Welsh Guards plays

Lascia ch’io pianga from Rinaldo (1711) George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)
Ave ver um corpus (Op. 1, No 2) … … … … … … … Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Die Himmel rühmen des Ewigen Ehre from
Gellert Leider (Op. 48, No 4) … … … … … Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Let us rejoice … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Anon
arr. Philip Sparke (b.1951)
Wachet auf from St Paul (Op. 36) … … … … … Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47)
Rêverie (1890)… … … … … … … … … … … Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Timothy Wakerell, Sub-Organist, plays

Toccata and Fugue in F (BWV 540) … … Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Fantaisie in E flat (1857) … … … … … … Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Overture to St Paul (Op. 36) … … … … … … … Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47)
arr. W. T. Best (1826-97)
Chorale Prelude on ‘Dundee’ … … … … … … C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918)

One would have thought something dreamy for brass could have been found among British composers.

Not complaining - nothing wrong with Debussy - just interested in the choice for this occasion.

[Bryn]

Would we have La Mer in its finished form without his stay in Eastbourne?

[Nick Armstrong]

Would we have La Mer in its finished form without his stay in Eastbourne?

Ah....! Eastbourne!

(I included a quip in my OP but deleted it. Don't want to be duffed up by the pro-Eastbourne lobby )

[Serial_Apologist]

Looking at the music to be played before the Jubilee service in St Paul's on Tuesday, the name Debussy jumped out rather. Mendelssohn was obviously an honorary Brit, Handel we know about, Beethoven holds the flag for universal brotherhood &c. &c., and of course as we have learnt over on the AA thread, Saint Saens has a ceremonial toe-hold in Blighty having composed his Marche du Couronnement, Op.117 for the Coronation of Edward VII...

But Debussy?



One would have thought something dreamy for brass could have been found among British composers.

Not complaining - nothing wrong with Debussy - just interested in the choice for this occasion.

Debussy did of course spend a number of holidays on the Sussex coast, where he composed, or was inspired to compose "La Mer" - but as as far as I am aware he had not visited Britain in or before 1890, the date of composition of "Reverie".

Perhaps an arrangement of "Gigues Tristes", with its mists-enveloped setting of "The Keel Row" could have been included? Or perhaps it would have been somewhat outwith the clearly solemn programming remit of this occasion?

S-A

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Don't want to be duffed up by the pro-Eastbourne lobby

Vicious, with their Zimmers, they are: VICIOUS!

[cloughie]

Ah....! Eastbourne!

(I included a quip in my OP but deleted it. Don't want to be duffed up by the pro-Eastbourne lobby )

Reverie - what a beautiful work - band arrangement could be very pleasant - I notice they are also doing Lascha ch'io pianga - our choir does quite a decent job of that, I guess will be singing it that very evening - again a band arrangement could sound good!

[VodkaDilc]

On Tuesday!!
How many days does she need us to celebrate? I thought the big day was Sunday.

[MrGongGong]

Aaaah it's a concert of "homeopathic" (note NOT homoerotic though that might be more interesting ) English music

[Nick Armstrong]

Vicious, with their Zimmers, they are: VICIOUS!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[Dave2002]

Reverie - what a beautiful work - band arrangement could be very pleasant - I notice they are also doing Lascha ch'io pianga - our choir does quite a decent job of that, I guess will be singing it that very evening - again a band arrangement could sound good!

Lascia ch'io pianga? Handel, Rinaldo.

My pedant mode kicking in, I fear.

[Flosshilde]

Aaaah it's a concert of "homeopathic" (note NOT homoerotic though that might be more interesting ) English music

What's 'homeopathic' music? A semi demi quaver is enough for a whole symphony? (oh, no - that's minimalism).

[cloughie]

Lascia ch'io pianga? Handel, Rinaldo.

My pedant mode kicking in, I fear.

Yes but you wouldn't have needed to be if cali's concert programme hadn't been banned! Anyway, pedantry apart, suitable or not in band arrangement?

[umslopogaas]

Homoeopathic music? Not quite, Flosshilde. Its homoeopathic if yesterday I played a demi-semi quaver in the hall, went away with the instrument, then sold tickets. The audience would sit quietly in the hall the following evening and soak up the musical experience (which would be undetectable to the sane, which presumably should be all the audience, though if they all bought tickets for a homoeopathic concert, I have my doubts). Re homoerotic music, that's not my field, though if it was I'd kindly ask you two to save it for later, I dont want complaints from the tourists, or you giving ideas to the tractor driver.

Really, I've heard of romantic duets, but that's not what I thought they involved ...

[Nick Armstrong]

...if cali's concert programme hadn't been banned!

Sabotage! I shall rectify!