Crown Imperial (musical composition)
Encyclopedia
Crown Imperial is an orchestra
l march
by the English
composer
William Walton
. It was first performed at the coronation
of King George VI
in 1937, and substantially revised in 1953. Walton composed the march originally for performance at the coronation of King Edward VIII
, which was scheduled for 12 May 1937. However, Edward abdicated
in 1936. The coronation was held on the scheduled day, with Edward's brother George VI being crowned instead.
Crown Imperial was also performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, along with another Coronation March written by Walton, Orb and Sceptre
. Although there was contemporary criticism of the march as "unrepresentative of the composer" and "frankly a pastiche" of the "pomp and circumstance" style, Crown Imperial is now one of the most popular of Walton's orchestral compositions. It was performed again as a recessional piece to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
on 29th April 2011.
Walton derived the march's title from modernisation of a phrase from William Dunbar
's poem "In Honour of the City of London":
The march falls into an ABABC form: an exciting march in C major over Waltonesque long pedal points is followed by an Elgarian
trio section in A-flat major. Then both march and trio reappear in C again and come to a conclusion in a small heroic coda. It has been arranged for organ by Herbert Murrill
. It can be found as such in A Walton Organ Album, compiled by Robert Gower, published by Oxford University Press. In keeping with the description of this work as "Elgarian", one past nickname for the march was "Pomp and Circumstance March
No. 6".
Christopher Palmer prepared a version of Crown Imperial for solo organ, brass, timpani and percussion (with harp ad lib), specifically for the Laurence Olivier
Memorial Service in October 1989.
The composer's autograph manuscript score is located at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
, at Yale University (Frederick R. Koch Collection -- MS FRKF 595a, short score, 11 pp; and MS FRKF 595b, full score, 45 pp).
Also of note, this march is played by the Mighty Sound of Maryland during their pregame show prior to every football game at the University of Maryland.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l march
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
William Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
. It was first performed at the coronation
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
of King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
in 1937, and substantially revised in 1953. Walton composed the march originally for performance at the coronation of King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, which was scheduled for 12 May 1937. However, Edward abdicated
Edward VIII abdication crisis
In 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire was caused by King-Emperor Edward VIII's proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite....
in 1936. The coronation was held on the scheduled day, with Edward's brother George VI being crowned instead.
Crown Imperial was also performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, along with another Coronation March written by Walton, Orb and Sceptre
Orb and Sceptre
Orb and Sceptre is a march composed for orchestra by composer William Walton. It was written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953.-Structure:...
. Although there was contemporary criticism of the march as "unrepresentative of the composer" and "frankly a pastiche" of the "pomp and circumstance" style, Crown Imperial is now one of the most popular of Walton's orchestral compositions. It was performed again as a recessional piece to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their...
on 29th April 2011.
Walton derived the march's title from modernisation of a phrase from William Dunbar
William Dunbar
William Dunbar was a Scottish poet. He was probably a native of East Lothian, as assumed from a satirical reference in the Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedie , where, too, it is hinted that he was a member of the noble house of Dunbar....
's poem "In Honour of the City of London":
"In beawtie berying the crone imperiall"
The march falls into an ABABC form: an exciting march in C major over Waltonesque long pedal points is followed by an Elgarian
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
trio section in A-flat major. Then both march and trio reappear in C again and come to a conclusion in a small heroic coda. It has been arranged for organ by Herbert Murrill
Herbert Murrill
Herbert Murrill was an English musician, composer, and organist.-Biography:Murrill was born in London. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1925 to 1928 and thereafter was organ scholar at Worcester College, Oxford, from 1928 to 1931. In 1933 he married the concert pianist Alice Margaret...
. It can be found as such in A Walton Organ Album, compiled by Robert Gower, published by Oxford University Press. In keeping with the description of this work as "Elgarian", one past nickname for the march was "Pomp and Circumstance March
Pomp and Circumstance Marches
The "Pomp and Circumstance Marches" , Op. 39 are a series of marches for orchestra composed by Sir Edward Elgar....
No. 6".
Christopher Palmer prepared a version of Crown Imperial for solo organ, brass, timpani and percussion (with harp ad lib), specifically for the Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
Memorial Service in October 1989.
The composer's autograph manuscript score is located at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
, at Yale University (Frederick R. Koch Collection -- MS FRKF 595a, short score, 11 pp; and MS FRKF 595b, full score, 45 pp).
Also of note, this march is played by the Mighty Sound of Maryland during their pregame show prior to every football game at the University of Maryland.